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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen you're having a hot flash, you may experience:
- A feeling of pressure in your head as the hot flash begins
- A feeling of mild warmth to intense heat spreading through your upper body and face
- A flushed appearance with red, blotchy skin on your face, neck and upper chest
- Rapid heartbeat
- Perspiration, mostly on your upper body
- A chilled feeling as the hot flash subsides
Less common symptoms associated with hot flashes include:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Faintness
- Dizziness
Hot flashes vary in frequency — you may have several in one day or just a few each week. You could experience persistent sweating throughout the day and night, or you may just occasionally feel warmer than you used to. Hot flashes can last as long as 30 minutes, but most subside within a couple of minutes. Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) can wake you from a sound sleep.
When to see a doctor
If hot flashes become particularly bothersome and disrupt your daily routines, consider making an appointment with your doctor to discuss treatment options.
- Casper RF, et al. Menopausal hot flashes. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 22, 2009.
- Schorge JO, et al. The mature woman. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3158924. Accessed April 21, 2009.
- Menopause: Medicines to help you. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Office of Women's Health. http://www.fda.gov/womens/medicinecharts/menopause.html. Accessed April 22, 2009.
- Nathan L, et al. Menopause and postmenopause. In: DeCherney AH, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment Obstetrics & Gynecology. 10th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2002. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2393309. Accessed April 21, 2007.
- Manson JE, et al. Estrogen therapy and coronary-artery calcification. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2007;356:2591.
- Herbal products for menopause. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp158.cfm. Accessed April 22, 2009.
