Hot Flashes
Alternate Names : Hot Flushes, Vasomotor Flushes
Hot flashes are the sensation of sudden flushing and
sweating. This condition is felt by 3 out of every 4 women who go through
the change of life, which is also known as menopause.
It may also affect women who have had their ovaries removed.
What is going on in the body?
Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop working.
The ovaries stop producing eggs as well as estrogen, one of the key
female hormones. Menopause usually begins around the age of 50.
Low estrogen levels may cause many changes in a woman's body,
including hot flashes.
Hot flashes are the most common symptom of menopause.
Of those women having hot flashes, 8 out of 10 have hot flashes for
more than a year. One quarter to one half of these women may have hot flashes
for up to 5 years if they do not receive
hormone replacement therapy,
also known as HRT.
What are the causes and risks of the condition?
The exact cause for hot flashes is not known. Studies
suggest that changing hormone levels change the part of the brain
that regulates body temperature and the width of blood vessels. There are no
known complications of hot flashes. Night sweats may cause chronic
sleep loss, which can result in:
depression
chronic fatigue
car accidents
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