Hot Flashes

Without warning, your face and neck start to turn red. You may perspire profusely and it may seem like your heart is beating a mile a minute. Next comes the cold, clammy chill. You’ve just had a hot flash.

Hot flashes can range from mild and sporadic to severely uncomfortable, embarrassing, and even debilitating.

It is thought that these waves of heat come over you because your internal thermostat (called the thermoregulatory center, located in the hypothalamus of your brain) thinks your body is too warm and initiates a series of steps in an attempt to cool you off. Sweating is an essential function that helps your body stay cool. ⁱⁱⁱ

First, blood vessels at the skin’s surface open wide. These dilated vessels are supposed to help your body let off some steam. This, in turn, causes sweating to increase.

The end result is a hot flash. More than two-thirds of women may experience them. And they can keep coming back—on average, for 3 to 5 years. ⁱⁱⁱ Some women have symptoms for a short time, while others may experience symptoms for years.

Multiple studies have documented that prescription estrogen therapy is the most effective treatment available for hot flashes.