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About Hot Flashes
Hot flashes are one of the most common symptoms experienced by women around the time of menopause. In fact, approximately half of all perimenopausal women and 75 to 85% of all post menopausal women experience hot flashes. Especially when first experiencing them, hot flashes can be anxiety-producing if they are unexpected, but with knowledge can be overcome.
While the onset, duration, frequency and severity of hot flashes varies greatly between women, they often begin one or two years before a woman's last period and last |
Studies show that between 50 to 75% of women taking tamoxifen will report hot flashes, compared to 25 to 50% who are taking a placebo. |
anywhere from six months to fifteen years. Continue reading to learn more about hot flashes, their symptoms, and risk factors.
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What are hot flashes?
Hot flashes, also called "hot flushes," are a vasomotor symptom of menopause. This means that hot flashes affect the vascular and motor systems of the body, causing intense heat, perspiration, and other symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Some women experience an "aura" or feeling of uneasiness, right before the hot flash that alerts them to what`s coming.
Hot flashes can occur at any time of the day or night, though they are often called night sweats when they happen during sleep.
Episodes can last anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, though it can take up to 30 minutes for a woman to feel back to normal following an episode. The frequency also varies; some women experience them periodically, while others face these episodes up to 20 times a day. |
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Signs and Symptoms of Hot Flashes
Women with menopause-related hot flashes will usually experience a consistent and unique pattern of symptoms. Some women experience mild symptoms of hot flashes infrequently, while others have more severe symptoms more than once daily.
The following are the most common signs and symptoms of hot flashes:
While each woman will experience the symptoms of hot flashes in a pattern unique to her, some women are at a greater risk for more severe and prolonged hot flashes. Read on to learn more about the risk factors for hot flashes.
Risk Factors
Certain medical conditions can cause more intense and longer lasting hot flashes in menopausal women.
For example, women taking the breast cancer treatment drug tamoxifen may experience more severe and prolonged hot flashes, especially in those who have not yet adjusted to the medication. In some rare instances, tamoxifen can delay hot flashes, acting like an estrogen to combat this symptom. However, in such cases hot flashes typically develop once tamoxifen is no longer taken.
 Additionally, women who go through rapid menopause-or the transition from perimenopause to menopause-will often experience hot flashes more severely and for a longer duration. For example, women who go through premature menopause or medical or surgical menopause often suffer more frequent and more serious hot flashes.
Along with these risk factors, certain behaviors and lifestyle choices may also trigger or intensify menopausal symptoms. See managing hot flashes to learn how to avoid these triggers.
Now that the basics have been covered, continue reading to better understand the causes of hot flashes in menopausal women.
What are the best ways to cope with hot flashes?
Three approaches can be considered for treating hot flashes: (1) lifestyle changes, (2) alternative remedies, and (3) drugs and surgery. Most experts recommend that women begin with the least aggressive approach and move to the next level of treatment only if symptoms persist. Click on treatments for hot flashes to discover the best route to relief.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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