Hot flashes are most intense on the face, neck, and chest. When you experience a hot moment, you feel a sudden sensation of warmth in the upper body. It may appear that you are blushing due to your reddened skin. There is also a possibility that a hot flash will cause sweating. If you lose too much body heart, you may feel chilled. You may suffer from night sweats or hot flashes during the night.
It is a widespread side effect of menopause to experience vasomotor symptoms, also known as hot flashes and night sweats. In the U.S., more than a million women undergo menopause every year, so many women experience VMS.
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The hypothalamus controls your body temperature. A decline in estrogen levels leads to the brain releasing neurokinins, which tell the body it’s hot even when it’s not. You may experience increased blood flow to the skin, flushing, rapid heartbeat, chills, or sweating. Hot flashes typically last two to four minutes and occur several times daily.
Symptoms
There are several things you might experience during a hot flash:
- An intense feeling of warmth spreads through your chest, neck, and face
- The skin appears flushed and red with blotches
- Rhythmic heartbeat
- Your upper body tends to sweat more than your lower body
- The hot flashes give way to a chilled feeling
- Insomnia
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Risk Factors
There’s no apparent reason why some women have hot flashes during menopause. The following may increase your risk:
- Hot flashes are more common in smokers.
- Hot flashes are more likely to occur when one has a high body mass index (BMI).
- More black women report hot flashes during menopause. Asian women are least likely to experience hot flashes.
Complications
Hot flashes can affect your daily activities. Over time, hot flashes can wake you from sleep and disrupt your sleep. Hot flashes may cause women to lose bone mass and increase their risk of heart disease.