Hot flash

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Hot flashes (also known as hot flushes or night sweats if they happen at night) is a symptom of the changing hormone levels that are considered to be characteristic of menopause.^[1][2]

Contents 1 Description 2 In younger women 3 Treatment 4 Other 5 References

[edit] Description

Hot flashes, a common symptom of menopause, are typically experienced as a feeling of intense heat with sweating and rapid heartbeat, and may typically last from two to thirty minutes for each occurrence. The event may be repeated a few times each week or constantly throughout the day, with the frequency reducing over time. Most women pass out if the effects are strong enough. Excessive flushing can lead to rosacea.^[3]

Some women undergoing menopause never have hot flashes. Others have mild or infrequent flashes. The worst sufferers experience dozens of hot flashes each day. Severe hot flashes can make it difficult to get a full night's sleep (often characterized as insomnia), which in turn can affect mood, concentration, and cause other physical problems. When hot flashes occur at night, they are called "night sweats." As estrogen is typically lowest at night, some women get night sweats without having any hot flashes during the daytime.^[4]

[edit] In younger women

Younger women who are menstruating or expecting to menstruate soon (the premenstrual period typically lasts one week) may encounter hot and/or cold flashes. These episodes do not usually last long, with feelings of cold and heat alternating over the course of as short as a minute. Hot and cold flashes for younger women tend to occur only during times of menstruation or premenstruation (when estrogen is typically lowest). If they occur at other times in a young woman's menstrual cycle, then it might be a symptom of a problem with her pituitary gland; seeing a doctor is highly recommended.

In younger women who are surgically menopausal, hot flashes are generally more intense than in older women, and they may last until natural age at menopause.^[5]

[edit] Treatment

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may relieve many of the symptoms of menopause. However, HRT may increase the risk of breast cancer, stroke, and dementia and has other potentially serious short-term and long-term risks^[6][7].

The U.S. FDA and women's health advocates recommend that women who experience troublesome hot flashes try alternatives to hormonal therapies as the first line of treatment. If a woman chooses hormones, they suggest she take the lowest dose that alleviates her symptoms for as short a time as possible.

In addition to traditional hormone replacement therapies, there are other strategies and natural supplements available to try. It is believed that dietary changes may relieve hot flashes. This includes avoiding caffeine, hot drinks, chocolate, spicy or hot foods and alcohol.^[8] Certain herbs are also believed to help.^[9]

[edit] Other

It has been speculated that hot flashes are considerably less common among Asian women, possibly due to their diets.^[10]

Hot flashes in men could be a possible sign of low testosterone.^[11] Men who are castrated can also get hot flashes.^[12][13][14] Men with prostate cancer who are undergoing hormone therapy with antiandrogens, also known as androgen antagonists, which reduce testosterone to castrate levels, can have hot flashes as the most common side effect.^[15]

[edit] References