What Causes Hot Flashes And When Will They Be Over?
Linda Bruton
Every woman who is in perimenopause or menopause itself will be
able to identify the symptoms of a hot flash, such as the
sweating, the rush of intense heat over the upper body and
face, and the rapid heartbeat associated with hot flashes. Not
as many women however can tell you what causes a hot flash.
According to some sources, the causes of hot flashes vary
depending on if you are perimenopausal - which is the
transition into menopause - or menopausal. Although causes of
hot flashes have been studied for many years not everyone has
come to the same conclusion. The one facet of hot flashes that
everyone does agree with is that it is a hormonal imbalance.
Basically that means that during certain times of your life,
specifically menopause, your body feels that too many demands
are made of it, and the balance of hormones is overwhelmed.
This causes your nervous system to try to compensate for the
changes in your hormonal balance by changing the temperature of
your skin.
Another hot flash cause could be lack of estrogen. There is a
part of your brain, called the hypothalamus, which gets
"confused," so to speak, with the sudden drop in estrogen.
Since the hypothalamus is sometimes called the "body's
thermometer", it will suddenly read that it is too hot. The
brain responds by alerting your nervous system to do everything
it can to rid your body of the heat.
The message is delivered instantly by making your heart beat
faster, and dilating the blood vessels in your skin to
circulate more blood in order to produce sweat to cool you off.
This is what happens when you overheat during the summer or
heavy exercise, and during menopause. Your brain confuses this
and thinks that your body is overheating, causing a hot flash.
Since your body is cooling down when it shouldn't be, you find
yourself perspiring and overheating at the oddest times.
Again, no one can tell you exactly what causes hot flashes, but
there are solutions, both natural and medical, that can help you
through them. Hot flashes last an average of 2 to 3 minutes but
can be longer depending on certain triggers such as anxiety,
spicy foods, tobacco, hot weather, and hot showers. Although
there is no specific average most people agree that hot flashes
occur approximately every 2 to 4 hours and can last 2 to 5
years, mostly during the perimenopausal period. For women in
mid-life, this is a natural process that will improve with
time.
About The Author: Discover how YOU can relieve hot flashes and
menopausal symptoms without HRT. Pick up your free special
report "Coping with Hot Flashes the Natural Way" by clicking
here:
http://www.survivemenopause.com
Back To:
Women's Health & Women's Topics
Find More Free Natural Health Information
Choose Natural Health Site Map
