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Most people associate hot flashes with perimenopause and menopause. The sudden, uncomfortable feeling of getting overheated is a classic symptom for women of a “certain age.” As many as eight out of 10 women in the U.S. experience hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause.

But there are other reasons people get hot flashes. For instance, did you know that both men and women can experience hot flashes? Men often get hot flashes when they’re undergoing prostate cancer treatment.

Here, we look at what causes hot flashes for reasons other than menopause — and what you can do to ease your symptoms.

What Are Hot Flashes?

A hot flash is a vasomotor symptom, meaning it happens when small blood vessels narrow and open. The widening of blood vessels causes flushing, sweating, and unpleasant warmth in your upper body.

What Does a Hot Flash Feel Like?

A hot flash is an uncomfortable sensation of intense heat. It usually starts on your face, neck, or chest and spreads downward. You may also experience:

• Feelings of irritation or even panic.
• Flushed, red skin.
• Heart palpitations.
• Light or heavy sweating.

A hot flash typically lasts a few minutes, but the length of time can vary from person to person. For some people, hot flashes are rare or happen only occasionally. But for others, they occur a few times a day or even several times an hour.

Night sweats are hot flashes that happen when you’re sleeping. You might wake up burning hot and drenched in sweat. Night sweats are uncomfortable and interrupt your sleep.

Causes of Hot Flashes in Men

Contrary to popular opinion, hot flashes don’t just happen to women. Men can get hot flashes when they have low testosterone.

Unlike women, who experience a sudden drop in hormones during menopause, men have a slow decline in testosterone as they age. After age 40, men’s testosterone levels gradually diminish.

Most men have enough testosterone to prevent hot flashes. But sometimes, a combination of stress, aging, and medical conditions can bring on male hot flashes.

Many men who have hot flashes experience them when they have prostate cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer (other than skin cancer) for men in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight men will get prostate cancer during their lifetime.

Many prostate cancer treatments can trigger hot flashes and night sweats because they reduce the amount of testosterone you have. These treatments include:

• Drug therapy, including opioids, steroids, and some antidepressants.
• Hormone therapy with estrogen or gonadotropin-releasing hormones.
• Surgery to remove one or both testicles.

Non-Menopausal Causes of Hot Flashes in Women

There are causes of hot flashes other than menopause in women.

Cancer treatments

Cancer treatments in women can cause hot flashes and night sweats. They include:

• Chemotherapy.
• Drug therapy (opioids, steroids, and some antidepressants).
• Hormone therapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Surgery that removes the ovaries, either by themselves or as part of a hysterectomy.

Dietary issues

There’s some evidence that not getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B can increase your risk of getting hot flashes.

Primary ovarian insufficiency

Some women under 40 have irregular periods, night sweats, and hot flashes. These are possible signs of primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), a condition in which your ovaries don’t work as they should. POI slows down estrogen production, which triggers menopause-like symptoms.

Doctors don’t know what causes POI. Sometimes, it turns off and on, making symptoms unpredictable. You may hear POI called premature menopause.

Side effects of some medications

Some prescribed drugs can cause hot flashes. They include medicine for:

• Anxiety and depression.
• High blood pressure.
• Infertility.
• Osteoporosis.

Thyroid disorders

If you have an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), you may experience symptoms similar to those in menopause. The thyroid gland makes too much thyroid hormone, causing your metabolism to speed up. Typical signs are a rapid heartbeat, changes in your periods, increased sweating, and hot flashes.

Hot Flash Treatments

Fortunately, hormone therapy, medications, and some simple lifestyle changes can help ease hot flash symptoms for both men and women.

Hot flash natural treatments

You may manage hot flashes by tweaking some of your daily habits. You can:

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods.
• Eat a balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein.
• Keep your house cool, especially your bedroom.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Move your body. Exercising for 30 minutes five times a week can help you sleep better, boost your mood, and calm hot flashes.
• Quit smoking.
• Sip iced drinks throughout the day.
• Skip hot showers and opt for lukewarm water instead.
• Try cooling pillows at night.
• Try stress-relieving techniques like gentle yoga, deep breathing, and meditation.
• Wear light layers of clothing and add or remove layers as needed.
• Wear clothes made from natural, breathable fabric like cotton.

Hormonal treatments for hot flashes

If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to ease hot flashes, talk to your doctor about hormone therapy.

Hormone therapy replaces the female hormones you lose during perimenopause and menopause. Women who go through menopause before age 40 need hormone therapy to protect their heart and bone health.

There are two types of hormone therapy:

• Combination therapy — Combines the hormones estrogen and progesterone. If you still have a uterus, your doctor will prescribe this form of hormone therapy, which comes in pill, patch, or intrauterine device (IUD) forms.
• Estrogen therapy — For people who’ve had a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). It comes in pill, patch, gel, and vaginal ring forms.

Hormone therapy isn’t for women who’ve had blood clots, a stroke, or some cancers. You may experience side effects like breast tenderness, headaches, and nausea. You should talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of hormone therapy to decide whether it’s right for you.

For men who’ve had treatment for prostate cancer, therapy for hot flashes may include:

• Anticonvulsants
• Antidepressants
• Estrogen
• Progestin

Nonhormonal medications for hot flashes

Some nonhormonal prescription medications provide relief from hot flashes. These drugs include certain:

• Antidepressants.
• Anti-seizure medications.
• High blood pressure medicines.
• Other medicines that target the brain activity that causes hot flashes.

Talk to your doctor about medications for hot flashes and whether any are right for you.