Hot flushes (also known as hot flashes) are the vasomotor symptoms of menopause and the most common complaint of women in the menopausal period. If they occur at night they may also be referred to as night sweats. Typically, they begin in the perimenopausal period, when hormone levels begin to fluctuate and menstrual cycles become less regular, and persist until a year or more after menopause.
Hot flushes occur when the body temperature rises, due to changes in the system that regulates body temperature. These changes are induced by hormonal changes associated with menopause. Women describe hot flushes as periods of intense flushing, heat and sweating, which begins in the face and is often also felt in the neck and chest. Hot flushes are sometimes followed by chills. Onset is rapid and a person experiencing a hot flush can feel uncomfortably hot for as little as a couple of seconds, or as long as a couple of hours. However, usually they only persist for 2-4 minutes.
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