There’s a reason why menopause comes to mind when you hear the words "hot flash." Over 75% of menopausal women do feel the heat. But that’s not the only reason you could lose your cool. It could be a reaction to spicy food or signs of an illness. And you don’t have to be female to have one. Men get them, too.
What Are Hot Flashes?
The technical term is vasomotor symptom (VMS). It comes along with a drop in your body’s level of the hormone estrogen. Another name you might hear is night sweats. They are hot flashes that wake you up after you’ve gone to bed.
For most people, a hot flash isn’t just a rise in body temperature. Other symptoms can occur as a result of a hot flash or night sweats:
- A sudden warmth that’s most intense across your head and chest
- Reddened skin
- Sweating, either light or heavy
- Rapid heartbeat
Hot Flashes Symptoms
Menopause affects everyone differently. Hot flashes are a common symptom of menopause, but not everyone gets them. Some people only get them occasionally. They can be severe or mild.
During a hot flash, you might notice:
- Warmth, especially in the face, neck, or chest
- Sweating
- Chills
- Red, blotchy skin
- Fast heartbeat
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
If severe hot flashes are making it hard for you to go about your day-to-day life, talk to your doctor about ways to manage them.
Menopause Hot Flashes
Why does menopause cause hot flashes?
Flashes aren’t just a menopause thing, but that is when you’re most likely to have them. The timing differs from person to person, but they usually start before or during menopause. Most people go through menopause sometime in their 40s or 50s. Usually, you’ll get it around the same age as your mother did. In general, menopause starts earlier in people who:
- Smoke
- Are underweight
- Have ovarian failure
- Have had their ovaries surgically removed
- Have fewer children
- Are African American or Hispanic
During menopause, your estrogen and progesterone levels go down. This can cause your body to release other hormones. These extra hormones affect your body’s thermostat, a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. As a result, your hypothalamus becomes very sensitive to temperature changes. If it thinks that you’re too hot, it will tell your body to cool down by sweating.
This is why hormone replacement therapy can help stop hot flashes. Hormone replacement therapy is when you take extra estrogen. It can have many benefits and risks, so talk to your doctor if you’re thinking about trying it.
How long can hot flashes last?
There are no rules for how often hot flashes hit or how long they last. They can happen once an hour or once a week. Each episode can last anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
There’s no rule for how long you’ll have them, either. For years, doctors thought that they usually lasted 6 months to 2 years. But a new nationwide study of women says it may be more like 7 to 11 years.
What makes hot flashes worse?
Certain things can affect when you get hot flashes, their frequency, and how long they last.
Hot flashes are more likely to affect people who smoke, drink very little alcohol, have a higher level of education, or take medicine for hypertension. You also may be more likely to get them if you have:
- Small ovaries
- Low levels of estradiol (a type of estrogen) or progesterone
- High levels of phthalates (a chemical found in plastics and cosmetics)
Hot flash episodes occur more frequently in people with obesity or who don’t have a lot of sex. This may be because menopausal people who have regular sex tend to have higher levels of estradiol.
Hot flashes usually last longer in people who:
- Have low estradiol or progesterone levels
- Smoke
- Have a low level of education
- Are overweight
- Are stressed, depressed, or anxious
The earlier into menopause you start to have them, the longer they’re likely to continue.
Your ethnicity can also play a role. African American women are 50% more likely to get hot flashes than White women. They also have them for longer, about 10 years. But Asian women are least likely to get hot flashes, and when they do, the hot flashes don’t last as long.
Hot flash triggers
Things that can set off a hot flash include:
- Spicy food
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Hot weather
- Caffeine
- Sugar
- Tight clothing
- Stress or anxiety
Other Causes of Hot Flashes
Whether it’s a symptom or medication side effect, these health conditions -- or their treatments -- can also lead to hot flashes:
Breast cancer. Treatments like chemotherapy, ovary removal, and antiestrogen therapy can bring on what’s called temporary menopause. And with it comes lower estrogen levels and vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes. Hot flashes that result from breast cancer treatment can be more frequent and severe than natural ones.
If you’ve been through menopause already and had hot flashes then, you’ll probably get them again if you take tamoxifen to treat your cancer. They’ll be about as severe and happen nearly as often as the first time around.
Pregnancy or recent childbirth. There’s a lot we don’t know about hot flashes, and the fact that they can happen if you're menopausal or an expectant or a new parent proves how mysterious they are. Once study found they peaked at week 30 during pregnancy and week 2 after giving birth for new parents. But as with menopause, this is a time when hormone levels shift dramatically and you may put on extra weight.
Multiple sclerosis (MS). Heat can make your symptoms worse, whether it’s hot and humid outside or you have a fever. You might notice what’s called Uhthoff’s sign, changes in vision when you get too hot. Any problems should go away once you cool back down.
Some people with MS also have hot flashes that aren’t linked to hormones. Your doctor might call them paroxysmal symptoms. It sounds scary, but it just means your autonomic nervous system, which controls your organs, blood vessels, and some muscles, isn’t working like it should. Let your doctor know.
Prostate and testicular cancer. People with prostate cancer sometimes get a treatment called androgen suppression therapy. It lowers their levels of the hormone testosterone, which helps radiation therapy work better. But it can also cause vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. If your treatment is temporary, the flashes should go away a few months after it stops. But for some men, it’s permanent. Your doctor will prescribe medications to ease your symptoms.
People who have had their testicles removed to treat cancer may also get hot flashes.
Thyroid disease. When your body creates too much thyroid hormone (your doctor will call this hyperthyroidism), it can really turn up the heat. It might even bring on early menopause (before you turn 40 or in your early 40s). There are medications to treat this problem. Once you get it under control, your hot flashes will ease up. Menopause might get back on schedule, too.
Takeaways
Everyone experiences hot flashes differently. Some people get them very often, and other people don’t get them at all. If your hot flashes start to interfere with your daily life, talk to your doctor about ways to manage them.
Hot Flash FAQs
Can hot flashes be prevented?
Most people get hot flashes during menopause, and there’s no real way to prevent them. But quitting smoking and maintaining a healthy body weight can lower your risk.
When should I consult a doctor for a hot flash?
If hot flashes are affecting your ability to do day-to-day activities, it might be time to talk to your doctor.
What can trigger or increase hot flashes?
Hot flashes can be triggered by hot weather, spicy or sugary foods, caffeine or alcohol, and even emotions like stress or anxiety.
