Hot flashes, also known as hot flushes, are sudden feelings of warmth that spread across the body and face. They result from hormonal changes related to perimenopause and menopause. During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen levels in the body fluctuate and decline. These hormone fluctuations affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates body temperature. When the hypothalamus senses a drop in estrogen, it essentially gets "tricked" into thinking the body is too hot, so it initiates heat loss mechanisms like sweating and vasodilation - even when your body doesn't need to cool down! This causes the sudden sensation of heat.
The most common hot flash symptoms include:
Hot flashes can last from 30 seconds to several minutes. Some women may experience mild flushing, while others have intense heat with profuse sweating that interrupts sleep and daily activities.
The exact causes are unknown, but certain things can trigger hot flashes:
Though uncomfortable, hot flashes are normal, and there are ways to get relief:
The good news about hot flashes? They should lessen and occur less often over time as hormone levels stabilize. Tracking symptoms in a menopause journal can help identify triggers too. Most women find relief from hot flashes within a few years of their last period.