Hot flash

Hot flashes (also known as hot flushes or night sweats if they happen at night) is a symptom of the changing hormone levels that are considered to be characteristic of menopause.

Description

Hot flashes, a common symptom of menopause, are typically experienced as a feeling of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat, and may typically last from two to thirty minutes for each occurrence. The event may be repeated a few times each week or constantly throughout the day, with the frequency reducing over time. Excessive flushing can lead to rosacea.

Sudden changes in hormone levels most likely cause a neuro-chemical response by the hypothalamus which temporarily affects its ability to regulate body temperature. A normal and comfortable room temperature suddenly feels like a tropical heat wave to your body, causing your body temperature to rise. Your system will then take "appropriate" steps to combat this situation: your blood vessels dilate and you perspire to cool your body, causing a hot flash.

Some women undergoing menopause never have hot flashes. Others have mild or infrequent flashes. About 65-75% of women experience hot flashes during menopause. Hot flashes vary widely from woman to woman in their intensity, frequency, and duration. The worst sufferers experience dozens of hot flashes each day. Some women may experience hot flashes as a passing feeling of warmth over the face(upper body), with perhaps a little perspiration forming on your upper lip. Usually this isn't noticeable by other people. On the other hand, some may experience hot flushes, where you literally become drenched in sweat, followed by chills, after excessive perspiration has lowered your total body temperature. Severe hot flashes can make it difficult to get a full night's sleep (often characterized as insomnia), which in turn can affect mood, concentration, and cause other physical problems. When hot flashes occur at night, they are called "night sweats." As estrogen is typically lowest at night, some women get night sweats without having any hot flashes during the daytime.

In younger women

Younger women who are menstruating or expecting to menstruate soon (the premenstrual period typically lasts one week) may encounter hot and/or cold flashes. These episodes do not usually last long, with feelings of cold and heat alternating over the course of as short as a minute. Hot and cold flashes for younger women tend to occur only during times of menstruation or premenstruation (when estrogen is typically lowest). If they occur at other times in a young woman's menstrual cycle, then it might be a symptom of a problem with her pituitary gland; seeing a doctor is highly recommended.

In younger women who are surgically menopausal, hot flashes are generally more intense than in older women, and they may last until natural age at menopause.

Treatment

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may relieve many of the symptoms of menopause. However, HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and dementia and has other potentially serious short-term and long-term risks.

The U.S. FDA and women's health advocates recommend that women who experience troublesome hot flashes try alternatives to hormonal therapies as the first line of treatment. If a woman chooses hormones, they suggest she take the lowest dose that alleviates her symptoms for as short a time as possible.

In addition to traditional hormone replacement therapies, there are other strategies and natural supplements available to try. It is believed that dietary changes may relieve hot flashes. This includes avoiding caffeine, hot drinks, chocolate, spicy or hot foods and alcohol. Certain herbs are also believed to help.

Other

It has been speculated that hot flashes are considerably less common among Asian women, possibly due to their diets.

Hot flashes in men could be a possible sign of low testosterone. Men who are castrated can also get hot flashes. Men with prostate cancer who are undergoing hormone therapy with antiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists, which reduce testosterone to castrate levels, can have hot flashes as the most common side effect.