What Causes Hot Flashes?

Hot flashes are common during menopause, but you don’t need to suffer through them.

Most readers have probably heard their mothers and grandmothers talk about feeling uncomfortable due to hot flashes. It’s a familiar complaint because hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause, affecting as many as eight in 10 women, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Many women assume that hot flashes are just part of getting older and something they have to put up with, shares an obstetrician and gynecologist with Keck Medicine of USC.

Because of this mindset, too many women suffer unnecessarily because, in fact, doctors can guide you through the symptoms and help you get relief.

What are hot flashes?

During a hot flash, you’ll suddenly feel very warm in your upper body. It typically begins in the chest and spreads to the neck and face.

Many patients start sweating and their face turns red. Other hot flash symptoms include heart palpitations, anxiety, chills and having clammy skin.

Hot flashes at night are called night sweats, when a patient may wake up drenched in sweat. Despite different names, hot flashes and night sweats refer to the same thing.

For women experiencing a hot flash for the first time, it can feel especially unsettling because it’s not like anything they’ve ever felt before. It’s not the same experience as feeling warm when you go outside on a hot day.

What causes hot flashes?

Hot flashes are caused by hormonal changes. During menopause – which is a normal part of aging in which a woman gradually stops having menstrual periods – the ovaries stop making as much estrogen as they used to. This significant hormone reduction is what triggers hot flashes.

Some women have their ovaries removed before reaching menopause because of medical conditions including cancer, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. This can trigger hot flashes.

The vast majority of patients can feel reassured that a hot flash is not a warning sign of cancer. However, they can be a side effect of certain cancer therapies.

Patients undergoing treatment for breast or endometrial cancer may experience hot flashes. Men may also have hot flashes during treatment for prostate cancer.

While it’s normal to feel flushed or warm during pregnancy and postpartum, these symptoms tend to be less severe than those experienced by perimenopausal and menopausal patients.

How long do hot flashes last?

A hot flash may last 30 seconds or several minutes. They may occur a few times per day or, in some severe cases, as often as every 15 minutes.

Women may start experiencing hot flashes when they reach perimenopause, which is the transition period when the body begins to reduce estrogen production. A woman officially enters menopause once they’ve gone 12 months without a period, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, according to the National Institute on Aging.

The menopausal transition can last anywhere from two to 10 years. Hot flashes diminish two to three years after a woman’s final menstrual period. Most people stop getting hot flashes once they’re fully into menopause.

However, our expert cautions, there are in fact some women who never stop getting hot flashes no matter how far they are into menopause.

How can patients stop hot flashes fast?

Lifestyle changes are a good starting place to help women try to manage hot flashes. Natural remedies for hot flashes include:

• Adjusting the thermostat to a lower temperature
• Taking a cold shower
• Drinking ice water
• Wearing layers of clothing so you can take something off to cool down
• Choosing breathable fabrics like cotton, linen and rayon
• Avoiding exercising in hot environments

Hot flashes can be very disruptive at night and lead to insomnia. Turning down the bedroom temperature at night, using a fan and choosing lighter bedding can help bring relief.

Cognitive behavioral therapy can also be beneficial for some patients, our expert adds.

Is hot flash medication effective?

When it comes to treatment, the mainstay of treatment is to replace estrogen in the body. Hormone therapy can be very effective. People can see improvement within 48 hours of starting medication, but it can take up to six weeks for others to feel the effects.

There are risks associated with hormone therapy, which involves a combination of estrogen and progesterone. Our expert explains that progesterone protects the uterus from developing uterine cancer, but long-term use of progesterone increases the risk of breast cancer. Hormone therapy has been associated with the formation of blood clots in the first year of use.

During hormone therapy, the general recommendation is to use the lowest dose of estrogen possible. They might not stop flashes entirely, but medication can help reduce the severity and frequency.

Certain antidepressants or neurological medications have also shown effectiveness for helping to manage hot flashes.

Women shouldn’t be forced to suffer because of hot flashes. Talk to your doctor to see how they can help you get relief.

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