During a hot flash, you may experience:
- A sudden feeling of warmth spreading through your upper body and face
- A flushed appearance with red, blotchy skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Perspiration, mostly on your upper body
- Feeling chilled as the hot flash subsides
Hot flashes vary in frequency — you may have few or many in a day — and each hot flash usually subsides in a few minutes. They`re particularly common at night. Most women who experience hot flashes have them for more than a year, but they usually stop on their own within four to five years.
If hot flashes become particularly bothersome, consider making an appointment with your doctor to discuss treatment options.
The exact cause of hot flashes isn`t known, but it`s likely related to several factors. These include changes in reproductive hormones and in your body`s thermostat (hypothalamus), which becomes more sensitive to slight changes in body temperature.
Not all women who go through menopause have hot flashes. It`s not clear why only some women get hot flashes. The following factors increase your risk:
- Smoking - Women who smoke are more likely to get hot flashes.
- Obesity - A high body mass index (BMI) is associated with a higher frequency of hot flashes.
- Physical inactivity - If you don`t exercise, you may be more likely to have hot flashes during menopause.
- Ethnicity - More African-American women report menopausal hot flashes than do women of European descent. Hot flashes are less common in women of Japanese and Chinese descent than in white European women.
Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) can wake you from sleep and, over time, may cause chronic insomnia. These sleep disturbances can, in turn, eventually lead to memory problems, anxiety and depression in some women.
