Hot flashes are called heat flashes, which are a feeling that suddenly occurs to a person, which is represented by a feeling of warmth in a special area of ​​the body, which is the upper part. The feeling of warmth is more intense in the face, chest, and neck as well. In this case, severe redness of the skin occurs. In some cases, a person experiences sweating, and when the person begins to lose significant body heat, he is followed by a feeling of cold, in addition to night sweats, which are classified as heat flashes, which occur during the night and cause an obstruction to the sleep process.

Causes of hot flashes 

 They are annoying symptoms of menopause in women, and this is the most common cause. There are many reasons that cause hot flashes, including the following:

• Menopause leads to hot flashes, where there is an abnormal change in the level of hormones, and some research reveals that the body’s thermostat is more sensitive in the event of slight changes that occur to the body temperature as a result of a decrease in estrogen levels.
• Hot weather is one of the causes of hot flashes.
• التدخين.
• Caffeine intake.
• Drink alcohol and eat spicy foods.
• Wearing tight clothes.
• الإجهاد.
• Premenstrual syndrome.
• فترة الحمل.
• Exposure to viral infections or bacterial infections.
• Exposure to hormonal disorders or nervous disorders.
• Taking antidepressants or taking diabetes medications.
• Taking high blood pressure medications.
• Taking cancer medications.
• Thyroid problems.
• Having certain types of cancer.
• Exposure to obesity and weight gain.
• Exposure to anxiety and depression.
• Increased prolactin in the blood.
• Hysterectomy and oophorectomy.
• Special treatments Breast cancer.

When do hot flashes start and when do they go away?

 It affects a large percentage of women from the beginning of their forties, and this occurs with the approach of menopause, and most cases occur after menopause, and it has been revealed that it may last for a period ranging from 7 years to 10 years after menopause and then usually disappears, and there are cases that continue for life and this occurs in approximately 10% of women. 

The duration it takes for them to occur ranges from a few seconds to 20 minutes or more, and the average ranges between 3 to 4 minutes. We are interested to clarify that hot flashes begin to appear in 80% of women in that transitional period of menstruation. 

It may peak around the period of final menopause, which is between the ages of 45 to 49, but it lasts on average for five years after menopause occurs, which is referred to as menopause, while younger women feel it in the period before and during the first day of the menstrual period, etc., or in other medical conditions.

How many times do hot flashes occur per day? 

The number of hot flashes per day and their severity varies from one woman to another, as some women suffer from mild or infrequent flashes, while others are exposed to severe and recurring attacks. The number of flashes per day ranges from 15 to 20 hot flashes, and this hinders the ability of these women to perform their daily activities. As for the frequency of the condition, it also differs between women. 

One attack may last an average of one or two minutes, including up to five minutes, and in terms of time it occurs at any time, as women suffer from flashes during the day or at night. It is reported that night flashes are called night sweats, which lead to awakening from sleep and can cause long-term sleep disorders.

Methods of treating hot flashes 

Less than 50% of women undergo treatment for hot flashes, and treatment methods are as follows:

• First, hormone replacement therapy: Hormone replacement therapy is the first drug that has been relied upon to treat hot flashes, and it is even the most widely used. This type of treatment may include estrogen and progesterone in some cases, in order to replace female hormones. This treatment is classified as more effective, because it treats 80% of women prone to hot flashes, but it is not suitable for all cases, including women with heart and arterial diseases.
• Secondly, non-hormonal treatment: There are women who do not have the ability to use hormonal treatment, so non-hormonal treatment is available. This type of treatment consists of antidepressants and gabapentin, which is classified as an epilepsy drug and has an effective ability to reduce the severity of flashes. There are also other medications, including pregabalin, oxybutynin, clonidine, and fizolentant, which works by blocking the temperature regulation pathway in the brain. 
• Third, behavioral therapy: Behavioral therapy for hot flashes is through learning deep breathing techniques and learning relaxation, and there are cognitive behavioral therapy sessions that help psychologically cope with hot flashes.

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How to prevent hot flashes

There are many ways to prevent hot flashes that help prevent and reduce their frequency and reduce their severity, and they are represented by making some simple changes in lifestyle, including the following:

• Opening windows and using air conditioners and fans are important processes that play an important role in reducing the average temperature inside the place.
• Avoid eating spicy foods and avoid spices.
• Avoid drinking drinks that contain both caffeine or alcohol, as these are drinks that cause stress. Meditation and slow, deep breathing is a good way to help relieve stress.
• Stress management techniques and guided imagery also help relieve stress.
• Quit smoking.
• Healthy weight: The healthier the weight, the more women avoid hot flashes.
• Wearing layers of clothing and drinking cold drinks relieves symptoms of flashes.
• Exercising regularly, as abstaining from physical activity helps prevent many flashes.

الاسئلة الشائعة:

What causes hot flashes in married women?

 The causes of hot flashes in married women are the same as the causes in unmarried women. It is a condition resulting from menopause or the period preceding menopause in women, and this is the most common cause. This is due to hormonal changes, as estrogen decreases, and when the menstrual cycle stops, the production of fertility hormones decreases. Hot flashes may be the result of taking certain medications, thyroid problems, or the presence of a cancerous disease.

Does vitamin D deficiency cause hot flashes?

According to research, it has been shown that adolescent girls and young women who suffer from vitamin D deficiency experience a sudden feeling of heat that is moderate or severe and is accompanied by sweating at some times, and this occurs during the day or night. Therefore, it is expected that hot flashes in this case are not related to the hormonal change of menopause, but rather are related to vitamin D deficiency and lack of calcium intake on a daily basis.

What drink relieves hot flashes?

Drinks that help relieve hot flashes are water. This is useful when drinking water in large quantities, as it helps in hydration and restores the water balance in the body. It is useful in cases of sweating. Lemon juice can be added and consumed at least once a day. In addition to that, there is yogurt, which is a cooling drink and helps moisturize and revitalize the body. Ice tea is a cooling and moisturizing drink that is useful during menopause.

When do hot flashes end in women?

It has been revealed that hot flashes gradually end and disappear in most women after several years, and there are cases in which they continue for a long period of time, and the average duration of their symptoms is seven years or more, and in other women they last for ten years or more, but hot flashes do not occur in all women.

Hot flashes begin when there is an expansion of the skin blood vessels close to the surface of the skin, causing the woman to experience excessive sweating, accompanied by a feeling of chills. This occurs for a number of minutes and then the feeling disappears spontaneously. It is possible for women to feel this during sleep, and here they suffer from sweating, insomnia, and have nightmares in their dreams.

Sources 

Hot Flashes – clevelandclinic

Symptoms – nhs