Hot Flushes & Night Sweats

What is a hot flush?

Hot flushes (also known as hot flashes) are the most common symptoms of the menopause, experienced by an estimated 75% of women. It is described as a feeling of warmth or heat in the body and is sometimes accompanied by feelings of nausea or dizziness.

Menopausal hot flushes may be felt all over the body but more commonly affects only the face and neck. Flushes are often accompanied by reddening of the skin and excessive sweating. As sweating is such a prominent symptom, many women use the terms hot flushes and menopausal sweats to mean the same thing.

The number of hot flushes experienced by an average woman varies greatly. Each flush can last a few seconds or up to several minutes.

When do hot flushes and menopausal sweats start?

Hot flushes and menopausal sweats can occur before, during or after the menopause in a pattern which is quite variable. They may not occur immediately with the onset of other symptoms of menopause and may appear gradually.

Some women experience hot flushes before the time of their last period. For others ‘the sweats’ can continue for years beyond the end of menstruation. The faster you go through the transition from regular periods to no periods, the more significant your hot flushes will be.

Hot flushes and sweats can happen at any time of the day (and often at the most inconvenient or worst possible moment). They can occur as often as several times an hour - not good for the silk blouse.

Menopausal night sweats

Hot flushes and excessive sweating are often experienced more frequently at night. It is not uncommon for a woman experiencing these night sweats to wake with her bed clothes drenched in sweat. Night sweats are not only embarrassing but can also disturb your sleep and that of your partner.

Why do hot flushes and menopausal sweats occur during the menopause?

Oestrogen levels fall during the menopause. This affects the normal functioning of the hypothalamus - the part of the brain which regulates body temperature and other aspects of your body.

Although not fully understood, it appears that the fall in oestrogen confuses the way the hypothalamus senses body temperature, making it think that you are too hot. This leads to a response in the body designed to cool it down. More blood goes to the skin (the hot flush and reddening of the skin) and the sweat glands start working (the menopausal sweat).

Menopausal hot flushes can be triggered by changes in temperature. This is the reason women find that hot flushes and sweats are more common in the summer, or when entering a well-heated room during cold weather. Other triggers include emotional stress and even eating certain foods such as a hot curry!

Hot flushes pose no real medical danger. However, night sweats can disturb your sleep and that of your partner - which can in turn, affect mood, concentration and energy levels.

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