Hot Flashes : Causes, Types, Treatment and Symptoms

Hot flashes are sudden episodes of brief sensations of immediate heat felt on the face, neck, and chest, followed by sweating and a feeling of chills at the end.

Most common Hot Flashes symptoms:

• Sudden spread of heat waves through the upper body.
• Appearance of red and blotchy skin, typically on the face and neck.
• Rapid body perspiration to cool itself
• A rapid or pounding heartbeat
• Subsequent cold or shivering
• Anxiety attacks or feeling uneasy in company with hot flashes
• A sense of weakness and fatigue
• Headache in the middle of the episode

Common, Uncommon or Underlying Causes of Hot Flashes

The most common causes of hot flashes are the natural hormonal changes, an overactive thyroid, and cancers and even require immediate medical attention.

• Anxiety and stress
• Warm room or hot weather
• Wearing tight clothes
• Consuming spicy food, alcohol, caffeine, and smoking
• Certain medications, such as breast cancer drugs, pain relievers, heart and blood pressure medication
• Hormone therapy for prostate cancer
• Underlying neurological conditions
• Night sweats
• Drop in estrogen levels during Menopause or perimenopause
• Tuberculosis or other infections
• Carcinoid tumor or medullary carcinoma of the thyroid, and hyperthyroidism
• Other hormonal imbalances, like acromegaly
• Rosacea causes facial flushing
• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• First and second trimester of pregnancy

When to Seek a Specialist for Your Hot Flashes?

Consult a healthcare professional or a specialist, or an OB/GYN, as treatment options need careful consideration.

• Occur out of the menopausal transition period
• If you’re under 45 and experiencing symptoms
• Experience sudden episodes of hot flashes that return after years of absence
• When accompanied by other concerning symptoms like severe irregular bleeding, or have pre-existing
• conditions like heart disease or a history of certain cancers.
• Impact your daily life, sleep and overall quality of life.
• Menstrual changes such as:
• Passing large amounts of blood clots
• Spotting between periods
• Heavier periods than usual
• Periods lasting longer than 7 days
• Less than 21 days of intervals between the periods
• Experiencing bleeding after sex

Don’t wait for signs to grow severe. Consult our Gynic Specialists today

Diagnostic Approach for Hot Flashes

A diagnostic approach for hot flashes primarily relies on medical history and reported symptoms, physical examinations, hormonal blood tests, and ruling out other conditions that mimic hot flashes. Depending on these possibilities, further diagnostic tests might be necessary.

• Describe the sudden feeling of heat, areas affected, and other associated symptoms.
• Describe how often these episodes occur, how long they last, and whether they occur at night.
• Track menstrual changes, as they could be the first signs of menopausal changes.
• Run routine physical examinations and other differential diagnoses to rule out other conditions such as hyperthyroidism, carcinoid tumor, and pheochromocytoma (adrenal gland tumor).
• Confirmation of the menopausal status in women under 40 years through blood tests by measuring hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone or estradiol.
• Conducting further diagnosis and ruling out other conditions, including systemic mastocytosis.

Types of Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are a spectrum of symptoms experienced altogether and are differentiated by their severity and timing. The common types and other variations of hot flashes involve different patterns of onset and duration, depending on the individual and their menopausal stage.

1. Some common types of Hot flashes include:

• Based on Severity:
• Mild hot flashes – General feeling of warmth.
• Moderate hot flashes – Combination of warmth and sweating.
• Severe hot flashes – Intense heat and disruptive sweating that a person may stop doing in the middle of their chores.

2. Based on Timing:

• Standard hot flashes – a rapid onset of heat that peaks within minutes and fades after a few minutes
• Night sweats – happen at night, leading to waking up drenched in sweat.
• Slow ‘embers’ flashes –

How to Treat Hot Flash Symptoms?

It is crucial to consult a healthcare professional to discuss the best treatment plan for your specific experience, especially when experiencing hormonal or prescription treatments.

For underlying causes, treatments & management strategies include:

• Stay in a cool environment
• Put on layered clothing; with hot flashes kicking in, remove the clothing in layers.
• Avoid triggers such as food, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
• Losing weight can help reduce the severity and frequency of hot flashes
• Regular physical activity can help reduce hot flashes
• Manage stress and hot flash management by practising relaxation techniques like deep breathing and mindful meditation
• Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to manage symptoms and improve mood
• Hypnotherapy from a certified hypnotist
• Hormonal therapy, like systemic estrogen
• Non-hormonal medications can help block signals in the body that trigger hot flashes.

What If Hot Flashes are Left Untreated?

Hot flashes shouldn’t be ignored, as seeking a diagnosis can help alleviate symptoms and prevent potential long-term health risks. A healthcare provider can identify the underlying cause and discuss personalized treatment options to manage symptoms and the health impacts of declining estrogen levels.

Some possible complications of an untreated Hot flash include:

• Sleep disruption: constantly waking up at night, leading to chronic sleep loss.
• Fatigue and mood changes: poor sleep may lead to daytime fatigue, irritability, and mood swings.
• Reduced quality of life: physical discomfort and emotional distress can decrease the overall quality of life.
• Increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Osteoporosis: lower estrogen levels can lead to decreased bone density and increase the risk of osteoporosis over time.

Have any questions or concerns about your health? We’re here to help! Call us at ‪+918065906165‬  for expert advice and support.