If you’ve ever had a hot flash, you know the feeling of sudden, uncomfortable heat spreading over your face and upper body. This side effect of menopause is common and can vary in intensity. It can range from merely annoying to downright debilitating.
Here’s what you need to know about hot flashes and how to cope with them.
What Is a Hot Flash?
A hot flash is a sensation of intense heat that usually starts in your upper body and spreads downward. It may include sweating, flushing, and feelings of anxiety and lasts anywhere from one to five minutes. Sometimes, you feel chilled after a hot flash.
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, as many as 80% of women in the U.S. experience hot flashes. They often begin during perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) and peak during menopause. You’ve reached menopause when you haven’t had a period for 12 months, which for most women happens in their early 50s.
You may have mild or intense hot flashes occasionally or regularly. About one-third of women have more than 10 hot flashes per day. Most women experience hot flashes for several years, but they can last longer — sometimes, even women in their 70s have hot flashes.
Hot flashes at night are sometimes called night sweats. You may wake up drenched and have a hard time getting back to sleep.
Though there’s no cure for hot flashes, they eventually diminish with time. And if hot flashes don’t bother you, or your symptoms are mild, you may not want or need any treatment. But if hot flashes interfere with your daily life, you can get relief from home and medical treatments (or both).
What Causes Hot Flashes?
Doctors aren’t exactly sure what causes hot flashes, but they likely have something to do with changing hormone levels during menopause and perimenopause.
You’re more prone to hot flashes if you’re overweight or smoke cigarettes. Women who get their ovaries surgically removed tend to have more intense hot flashes as they go through menopause suddenly.
Food and environmental factors trigger hot flashes, but these vary from woman to woman. It’s important to identify your hot flash triggers and avoid them. They may include:
- Alcohol.
- Caffeinated beverages.
- Hot drinks.
- Hot weather.
- Smoking.
- Spicy foods.
- Stress.
- Tight clothes.
- Warm bedrooms.
Less commonly, there are other causes of hot flashes. Thyroid disease and some infections can cause hot flashes. Some antidepressants and cancer drugs can also produce hot flashes as side effects.
If you don’t think you’re going through perimenopause or menopause, talk to your doctor about the possible cause of your hot flashes.
Home Treatments for Hot Flashes
If hot flashes are disrupting your life, you can take steps to manage them without medication. Here are some tactics for dealing with hot flashes:
- Avoid hot flash triggers like alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.
- Choose breathable fabrics like cotton or workout clothes with wicking capabilities that draw sweat away from your body.
- Dress in layers so you can remove or add clothing as needed.
- Exercise to relieve stress and maintain a healthy weight.
- Have a small drink of cold water before you go to bed.
- Invest in a small portable fan and carry it with you to use when needed.
- Layer your bedding so you can kick off covers easily.
- Lose weight if you need to. Becoming overweight is a significant risk factor for severe hot flashes.
- Lower the temperature in your bedroom.
- Make a plan to quit smoking, both to manage hot flashes and for your overall health.
- Switch to iced, decaf versions of your favorite coffee or tea.
- Take a cool shower or bath before bedtime.
- Try yoga, massage, or other relaxation techniques. Mind-body practices like hypnotherapy and mindfulness meditation may help manage hot flashes.
- One caveat: Talk to your doctor about any herb or supplement advertised to relieve hot flashes. Dietary supplements and herbal therapies can interact with prescription drugs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not regulated over-the-counter products containing black cohosh, tofu, and soy. No clinical studies have proved them effective.
Medical Treatments for Hot Flashes
Some prescription drugs can help alleviate hot flashes. Your doctor may recommend the following medications:
Antidepressants — some of these drugs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs) also provide relief from severe hot flashes. Women who take antidepressants for hot flashes alone usually take a lower dose than they would for depression.
Antiseizure medications — some of these drugs, like gabapentin, can help women manage hot flashes.
High blood pressure medication — the drug clonidine may help calm hot flashes in addition to controlling hypertension.
Hormone Treatments for Hot Flashes
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) involves replacing the hormones that you lose during perimenopause and menopause. For some women, HRT is very effective for treating hot flashes.
HRT can also help ease other menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness, brain fog, mood swings, and sleep problems. It may also lower your risk of osteoporosis or loss of bone density.
The two types of HRT are:
- Combination therapy — for women who still have a uterus. It combines estrogen and progesterone in pill or patch form.
- Estrogen therapy —if you had a hysterectomy (removal of your uterus), you can take estrogen on its own. It comes in patch, pill, cream, gel, spray, or vaginal ring form.
HRT comes with some risks. If you’re at high risk for certain cancers, heart disease, and other conditions, you may want to avoid it. HRT may lead to an increased risk of:
- Blood clots.
- Breast cancer.
- Dementia.
- Gall bladder disease.
- Heart attack.
- Stroke.
You should talk to your doctor about whether HRT is the right choice for you. Weighing the risks versus the benefits of the treatment is crucial. Together, you can work out the best treatment plan for dealing with your hot flashes.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .