Duration of hot flashes

Depending on the cause of the hot flashes, such a phase can last longer or shorter. As the name suggests, menopausal hot flashes can be a problem for years. They are wave-like, which means that there are also phases of normal temperature sensation.

In the presence of cancer, hot flushes can also last for a relatively long time as part of a so-called B-symptom. However, these “malignant” hot flushes are permanent, i.e. without a phase profile. In the context of acute diseases of the cardiovascular system (e.g.

blood pressure derailment, heart attack, fainting), the sensation of a hot flush is only short-term, i.e. for minutes or until the cause has been treated. The same applies to disorders of the hormone-producing organs thyroid and adrenal gland (however, if detected late, these disorders can cause hot flushes for weeks or even months). The duration of ovulation is just as short, because the basal body temperature only rises for the duration of the second half of the cycle (two weeks).

The duration of hot flushes during withdrawal is of medium length, so to speak. Withdrawals can be of varying lengths, from a few days to a few weeks at most. In the context of infections, whether in the gastrointestinal tract or the respiratory tract, hot flushes only last as long as the infection persists. Here too, there is a variance from a few days to weeks or months.

The cause

The cause of hot flushes is in most cases a hormonal imbalance that leads to a functional disorder of the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain and represents the supreme regulatory center with vital functions.Among other things, it controls the circulatory function, body temperature and hormonal balance. The hypothalamus reacts very sensitively to a drop in the concentration of certain hormones in the blood.

This creates an imbalance and the body temperature can no longer be regulated properly. A cooling of the body is initiated. All the small vessels are now dilated, as it is through them that the most effective heat control takes place.

This so-called vasodilatation leads to increased blood circulation, which is responsible for the redness of the face and the rising feeling of warmth. To cool the now warmed skin, the body begins to sweat. The most common cause of hot flashes in women is an estrogen deficiency or a shift in hormonal balance.

This can happen at different times of life and in very different phases of life. Another possible cause of hot flushes in women that is still under discussion is a progesterone deficiency, which, according to the hypothesis, could also have a negative effect on the hormonal system. The best known and most common cause of sudden hot flushes in general and in women in particular is the so-called menopause.

The female ovaries are only equipped with a limited number of germ cells and this number is eventually exhausted. As a result, the function of the ovaries ceases (so-called ovarian insufficiency) and the monthly bleeding stops. At the same time, the concentration of female sex hormones in the blood drops considerably, as they can no longer be produced by the ovaries.

This drop in hormone levels leads to the oestrogen deficiency described above. Hot flushes can also occur during monthly bleeding due to a relative lack of estrogen. With the onset of menstruation there is a natural drop in the oestrogen level.

At the time of ovulation the level was particularly high and in the days before the start of bleeding the oestrogen level is still high. During the period, however, this level drops and there is a relative lack of estrogen compared to the previous days. In most cases, however, these hot flushes that occur before menopause are not particularly pronounced.

While many women still report a pleasant warmth throughout the body at the beginning of a pregnancy, unpleasant hot flushes and sweating are not uncommon in the further course of the pregnancy. Like most female hot flushes, these too are due to an enormous hormonal change. The placenta, through the hormones it produces, ensures a permanently slightly elevated body temperature and increased blood circulation throughout the mother’s body, so that the unborn child can also be well cared for.

This can cause unpleasant hot flushes, especially in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. At ovulation, the basal body temperature of women increases by 0.2°C to 0.5°C. This is caused by the release of the so-called luteinizing hormone or progestin (progesterone).

The increased temperature disappears together with the hot flushes at the beginning of the period, i.e. after two weeks. Measuring the basal body temperature or actively experiencing hot flushes can be a method of contraception. However, the latter is a very unsafe method. It should also be noted that this sensation of heat is much gentler than hot flushes during menopause. The term hot flush in connection with ovulation is therefore misleading.