Hot flashes

Everyone knows about hot flushes. Even children and teenagers sweat, and not just when playing sport. But the situation gets worse at menopause: hot flushes are frequent. They are probably the best-known symptom of this particular period of hormonal change for women. More than 80% of all women struggle with night sweats or spontaneous daytime hot flushes during the menopause. ¹

Hot flushes manifest themselves as sudden, profuse sweating, both during the day and at night. The so-called "flying heat" begins in the chest, spreading in waves down the neck to the face and arms. A heat flush can last from a few seconds to 60 minutes. On average, however, it ends after 3-4 minutes and leads to shivering. Accompanying symptoms may include skin rash, rapid heart palpitations or dizziness.

Their frequency varies. Some women experience hot flushes only occasionally, while others experience them up to 20 times a day. For the women concerned, hot flushes last an average of 6 years before disappearing. ¹

The mechanism behind menopausal hot flushes has yet to be fully investigated. It is assumed to be due to poor regulation of body temperature in the brain or, more precisely, in the vegetative nervous system. Estrogen and progesterone play an important messenger role here. Because of the variations in estrogen and progesterone associated with the menopause, the brain receives the "right" signal - that something has gone wrong - but misinterprets the information. As a result, it triggers inappropriate reactions. Blood vessels dilate, large quantities of blood flow through the body, blood pressure rises - this is the heat surge.

Stress hormones such as adrenalin, or an environment that's too hot, also encourage the onset of hot flushes. So it pays to avoid one and regulate the other!

Effective treatments can help, as can a healthy lifestyle and optimal menopause management.