What causes Hot Flushes

Who are affected by hot flushes?

Both men and women are affected by Hot Flushes, but mostly common in women and cause tiredness, inability to do day to day activities and insomnia. Woman of all ages are affected by hot flushes and are directly related to the hormone changes and stress. Commonly women in the stages of menopause are commonly affected than the younger population.

Hot flushes are featured by waking up in the night due to sudden increase of body temperature. The person normally gets up from the bed to cool down and often try taking a cold shower or changing clothes. Hot flushes are very common in menopause due to the increase in changes of hormones, which can cause hot flushes. The hot flushes further increase the stress and thereby increasing the severity of the chances of other episodes of hot flushes.

Causes of hot flushes

• The most common cause of hot flushes in women is menopause. Menopause is the time in a women’s life when menstruation period ends and the body goes through a change. It naturally occurs in women at the age of 45-60.
• Even infections like tuberculosis and other bacterial infections can cause hot flushes.
• There are certain idiopathic conditions where the body produces a lot of sweat causing hot flushes.
• Cancers such as lymphoma can cause hot flushes, but usually associated with weight loss and fever.
• Certain medications like antidepressants also cause hot flushes.

What can trigger these hot flushes?

All these triggers can easily cause hot flushes in menopausal women. Some very common triggers for hot flushes are:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Hot tubs
• Hot weather
• Sauna bath
• Diet pills
• Spicy food
• Hot food
• Hot showers
• Hot beds
• Hot rooms
• Smoking

Can medical treatments help in curing or reducing the hot flashes in women?

Yes of course, treatments can reduce hot flushes in women. There are supplementary therapies like aroma therapy which makes the mind and body to relax and hence reduce the chances of hot flushes. Some hormonal changes like increased thyroid hormones or irregular secretion of pituitary hormones can induce hot flushes.

Generally hot flushes are more commonly caused by the changes in hormones. It is always better to avoid the triggers as much as possible. Balanced diet and healthy life style are very essential in the management of hot flushes. If the above management does not reduce your hot flushes, it is a necessity to consult a doctor for further suggestion over the treatment. The physicians will guide you in warning about the hot flushes causes and describes the way in which it can be avoided in a more prolonged way.