Can You Get Hot Flashes From Stress?

Hot flashes are feelings of sudden warmth in chest, neck, face or head of the body. Intense feelings of heat with possible sweating can occur at any time. Distinguishing from the flu or a low-grade fever can be difficult but hot flashes usually only last a few seconds or minutes whereas a fever will last for a longer period.

Common Symptoms of Hot Flashes

• Pressure in your head, red or blotchy appearance on your face, neck and chest, rapid heartbeat, warm to intense heat sensation felt in upper body to face, and upper body perspiration are common symptoms of hot flashes. When a hot flash ends it is not unusual to feel chilled.

Less Common Symptoms

• Less common symptoms are fatigue, weakness, dizziness and faintness. These symptoms may present and not be thought related to hot flashes but they do occur in association with hot flash symptoms.

Anxiety and Hot Flashes

• Anxiety has been shown to increase the frequency of hot flashes. This should be welcome news as you have ways to decrease your anxiety through stress management and relaxation techniques.

Medical Treatment

• Antidepressants have been used as an effective treatment as alternative to treating the symptoms of hot flashes with estrogen. This may also demonstrate that there is a direct relationship of hot flashes to stress.

Other Treatments

• Drinking cold drinks, dressing in layers, sleeping in a cool room, wearing clothing that breathes and not smoking will all increase your comfort level when you have a hot flash. Additionally avoiding stressful situations can also reduce the effects of hot flashes.

Expert Insight

• Keeping a record of when you have a hot flash, what you were doing and eating is a helpful tool in determining if anything is triggering your hot flashes. Exercise, stopping smoking and losing weight not only will improve the quality of your life but also lower your chance of having hot flashes.