If intense, hot, and sweaty sensations have you kicking your sheets off in the middle of the night or frantically fanning yourself randomly throughout the day, you may be experiencing hot flashes.
Known clinically as vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes can be caused by certain drugs and medical conditions, but the most common culprits are menopause and perimenopause. In fact, 75 to 80 percent of menopausal women will experience them.
While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and medications are often prescribed to help with hot flashes, relief may be possible with specific changes in lifestyle. Learn more about hot flashes, why they happen, and ways to help manage them.
What Are Hot Flashes?
Hot flashes are sudden and profound episodes of heat and often intense sweating that typically affect the upper body, particularly the face and chest.
They’re common during menopause, which is officially reached once a woman has missed 12 consecutive periods. But women of reproductive age can experience hot flashes at any life stage, including the years leading up to menopause, a phase known as perimenopause.
What does a hot flash feel like?
Hot flashes don’t feel the same for everyone, but they’re often described as a sudden surge of heat or warmth that spreads through the upper body.
For some people, hot flashes are just a minor nuisance that creates a few seconds of warmth; for others they can be intense, anxiety-inducing, and often accompanied by profuse sweating.
How long do hot flashes last?
While each episode only lasts a few seconds to a few minutes, hot flashes can be a recurring presence for a few years to more than a decade, and on average last longer for Black and Hispanic women.
When do hot flashes start?
In the United States, menopause typically starts between the ages of 45 and 55, with 52 being average, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). But perimenopause can start up to 10 years before menopause, meaning some women may begin experiencing hot flashes in their mid-30s.
Why are hot flashes worse at night?
Hot flashes aren’t worse at night, per se, but they can certainly feel that way.
The body’s temperature naturally decreases during sleep, so when you’re awakened by hot flashes that can be swiftly followed by chills as the body quickly cools back down, the sensation can be especially jarring. Trying to fall back to sleep when you’re sweaty and wired can also make them feel worse than when they strike during the day.
Hot flashes and night sweats
Hot flashes and night sweats during menopause are essentially the same, except that night sweats are widely considered hot flashes that occur during sleep.
Menopausal night sweats can cause all the same symptoms as daytime hot flashes and wake you from your sleep. You may awaken so drenched in sweat that you feel the need to change your sheets, your sleepwear, or both.
What Causes Hot Flashes?
While hot flashes are most often attributed to menopause, there are a number of possible causes, each of which affects the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
Since they can be triggered by certain medications and medical conditions, it’s important to speak to a healthcare professional if you’ve begun experiencing them.
Hormonal changes
Hot flashes are most often related to fluctuations in hormones, particularly a decrease in estrogen. Among its many functions, estrogen helps regulate body temperature, specifically cooling through the dissipation of heat.
While researchers are still trying to understand the mechanisms involved, it’s believed that drops in estrogen affect the way the brain perceives temperature, causing the hypothalamus — our body’s internal thermostat — to malfunction.
Misinterpreting normal body temperature as overheating, the hypothalamus widens the blood vessels (vasodilation) in the skin and sweat glands to disperse heat and cool the body. The result brings a surge of warm blood to the skin’s surface, which can create a flushed sensation and appearance.
A drop in estrogen may be a symptom of menopause or perimenopause, or simply signify cyclical hormonal changes in the days leading up to or during your period.
Medication side effects
A number of drugs can cause hot flashes as a side effect of their use, particularly those that disrupt hormone levels. This can be an issue for both women and men.
Types of pharmaceuticals that can cause hot flashes include:
- Opioids
- Steroids
- Certain antidepressants
- Chemotherapy drugs
- Some hormonal treatments
Medical treatments
Certain medical procedures can affect the production of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, potentially leading to hot flashes. These include:
- Reproductive organ removal
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
Thyroid function
Hot flashes and increased perspiration are common when the thyroid gland isn’t functioning properly — particularly when it is producing too much thyroid hormone. Other symptoms may also appear, like palpitations and accelerated heart rate, anxiety, nervousness, and weight loss.
Low blood glucose
Science has found a relationship between hot flashes and blood sugar levels, in particular the period between meals when glucose levels dip most. Additionally, with an increase in time between meals came an increase in the frequency of hot flashes, suggesting a metabolic component to their rate, if not intensity.
Researchers hypothesize that when blood sugar drops, the body may act to quickly deliver glucose to the brain, resulting in increased blood flow, sweating, and vasodilation, amounting to a sensation similar to a hot flash. This can be compounded by drops in estrogen, which helps regulate delivery of glucose to the brain.
Can blood sugar spikes cause hot flashes?
Research has also linked hot flashes and insulin sensitivity. In one study, high blood sugar and insulin levels were associated with more severe hot flashes in postmenopausal women.
While the mechanism by which insulin sensitivity affects hormone levels isn’t fully understood, it’s believed that high blood sugar can awaken the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight-or-flight” response). This can lead to increased heart rate, sweating, and vasodilation, which are all characteristic of hot flashes.
How Do I Know If I’m Having a Hot Flash?
“Hot flashes are pretty clear in their presentation,” says Kecia Gaither, MD, MPH, MS, MBA, FACOG, double board-certified in OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine.
Dr. Gaither shared these other common signs of hot flashes:
- Intense heat in the upper body
- Anxiety
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Red blotchy or flushed skin
“They can last 30 seconds to five minutes and be mild, moderate, or severe,” Gaither says.
While hot flashes are common for many women, if you think they may represent a more serious issue, you should contact a physician for a formal evaluation.
How to Get Relief From Hot Flashes
Once you’ve consulted a doctor and confirmed that you are indeed experiencing hot flashes, finding relief should be the next order of business. Depending on the cause of your hot flashes, your doctor may recommend treatment options including medication and/or HRT.
Whether as a complement to medical treatment or as an alternative, the following may help you get natural relief from hot flashes and even help improve your health overall.
1. Manage your stress levels
We’ve discussed anxiety’s occasional accompanying role in hot flashes, but research is finding it may also trigger them. In those for whom anxiety manifests physically — nausea, headaches, etc. — it is believed hot flashes may be more likely.
Fortunately, there are plenty of holistic ways to reduce stress, including mindfulness and relaxation techniques, such as:
2. Get regular exercise
It’s no secret that exercise has numerous benefits for your body and mind, and many of these support hot flash relief, too.
Here are some ways regular physical activity can help with hot flashes:
You may additionally benefit from engaging in activity that doesn’t add stress. This can be achieved via low-impact exercise that combines both cardio and strength training at varying intensities.
The workouts comprising the Belle Vitale hormone health program, for example, help sculpt, stretch, and reshape your body while helping limit cortisol spikes.
3. Eat these 9 foods that fight hot flashes
According to Dr. Gaither, a largely plant-based diet rich in phytoestrogens and healthy fats can help relieve hot flashes.
Phytoestrogens, which are found in certain foods like soy, mimic estrogen and have been shown to help reduce hot flashes and night sweats during menopause.
Healthy fats that are high in omega-3 fatty acids have also been studied for their potential to help provide relief from hot flashes and night sweats.
Dr. Gaither recommends adding the following foods to your diet:
- Soy: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, soy milk
- Cooling foods: Cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage
- Whole grains: Barley, oats, whole wheat
- Fruit: Apples, berries, citrus
- Fatty fish: Salmon, sardines, anchovies
- Nuts: Almonds, walnuts
- Seeds: Sesame, flax, chia, hemp
- Healthy fats: Olive oil, avocado
4. Try targeted supplements
Getting sufficient vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for your stage of life can help improve your overall health. And when it comes to hot flashes, certain supplements and herbal remedies can help.
Vitamin E: A systematic review found that supplementation with vitamin E resulted in fewer, less intense, hot flashes, noting that more study is needed.
Evening primrose oil: Some research has shown that taking evening primrose oil capsules may help decrease the frequency and severity of hot flashes.
Red clover: This legume contains isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen. These compounds are believed to help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.
Ginseng: A recent systematic review found this herb extracted from the ginseng root “significantly” reduced hot flashes in randomized placebo-controlled trials.
Hops: Derived from the flowers of the hop plant that give beer its bitter flavor, hops have been found to help reduce early menopausal symptoms.
5. Prioritize sleep
Adequate rest is vital for all aspects of your health, but hot flashes, night sweats, and other menopause symptoms can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. This, in turn, can make you more irritable and depressed. Some research even suggests that waking from sleep may actually trigger hot flashes.
Insufficient sleep can contribute to weight gain, and excess weight is associated with more hot flashes and night sweats.
There are several ways to help improve sleep, including:
- Avoid caffeine, which also happens to be a hot flash trigger for many.
- Get on a sleep schedule, going to bed and waking up at the same times every day.
- Keep your bedroom cool to help promote better sleep and fewer hot flashes.
- Follow a relaxing bedtime routine — read a book or listen to calming music.
6. Stay hydrated
Dr. Gaither recommends hydrating regularly to help manage hot flashes — and with good reason. Hydration helps regulate body temperature, improve sleep quality and mood, and deliver nutrients to the body’s cells.
Drinking a cold beverage at the start of a hot flash may also help provide some relief. Keep a bottle or thermos of cold water next to your bed to drink when you have nighttime hot flashes.
7. Identify and avoid triggers
If you keep track of your hot flashes, including what you’re doing just before experiencing them, you may be able to identify your triggers so you can avoid them and reduce their overall frequency.
Hot flash triggers can vary from person to person, but here are some common ones to be aware of:
- Stress
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Spicy food
- Smoking
- Hot beverages
- Heavy clothing
- Hot baths and showers
- Hot weather and environments
8. Choose your fabrics wisely
From the clothes you wear to the sheets on which you sleep, opting for natural, breathable fibers like cotton can help keep your body cooler and more comfortable during a hot flash, or even help prevent one altogether.
And while we’re on the subject, dressing in removable layers and avoiding heavy bedding can also be helpful.
Conclusion
Once you’ve determined the cause of your hot flashes — which is most often menopause — managing them is possible with a combination of lifestyle changes that focus on nutrition, fitness, stress management, and better sleep. Of course, if you feel you need more help, don’t hesitate to reach out to your doctor or other health professional.
