What are hot flashes? Who usually gets hot flashes?

Hot flashes are a common symptom experienced by most women going through menopause. These episodes are unmistakable to most menopausal women and are characterized by a sudden, intense heat on the face and upper body that causes perspiring. In addition to this feeling, some women will experience nausea, red blotches, dizziness, anxiety, headache, rapid heartbeat or a suffocation feeling. A lot of times a chill is accompanied with the hot flash either at the start or the finish of the episode. The most common time for hot flashes is early morning and late evening. These episodes can last anywhere from a couple seconds to a couple minutes and can take almost an hour to feel normal again. Hot flashes usually start to affect women in their 40s and can sometimes last up to ten years. However, the frequency of these episodes will lessen with time.

Who gets them

Almost 85% of American women have some type of hot flashes around the time of menopause. Luckily these episodes are of variable severity and a substantially lower amount, only 20-50%, of women’s hot

flashes will persist for several more years thereafter.

Sadly, there are some women who are more prone to severe hot flashes. Hot flashes tend to more severe in thin versus heavy or muscular women. Women who smoke, have low estrogen levels, do not exercise, eat poorly or are African-American have an increased risk for having severe episodes. Also, women who have experienced a sudden menopause due to surgery or chemotherapy are at a higher risk for severe hot flashes.

Tips for Managing Hot Flashes

-Keep a diary of when they occur to see if you can figure out what triggers them

-When an episode starts, go to someplace cooler

-Sleep in a cool room

-Dress in layers that you can remove if you get hot

-Use sheets and clothing that let your skin breathe

-Grab a cold drink, such as water or juice, at the beginning of an episode

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