Flash Facts

What is a hot flash?
Hot flashes are triggered by a gland in the brain called the Hypothalamus, considered the "thermostat" of the body because it regulates your temperature. In a hot flash, the gland confuses the body's temperature as being too hot and sends the message to cool down by sending heat out.

What are the symptoms?
In the effort to expel heat from the body, the heart may pump faster and blood vessels near the skin expand. Blood flow is increased especially to the head, neck, chest, and back, resulting in a reddening of the skin. The body releases sweat to cool off. In some women, temperatures may rise up to seven degrees during a hot flash and may be followed by chills or dizziness. For some, flashes can strike several times a day and cause anxiety, irritability, frustration, and interfere with sleep.

Who gets hot flashes?
While the exact cause of hot flashes has not been determined, they are clearly associated with the declining levels of estrogen experienced usually before and after menopause. In fact, about 80% of women in the US experience a hot flash of some degree (mild, moderate, or severe) as they approach menopause and for the first year or two after menopause. In some cases, hot flashes continue to affect women even five years or more after their cycle has stopped.

Women who become menopausal from chemotherapy, surgical removal of their ovaries, or from anti-estrogen treatment for breast cancer are also likely to experience severe hot flashes.