Reason for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes are uncomfortable and they can happen at anytime and anywhere. There are a number of reasons why they happen. They are not exclusive to just menopausal women with imbalanced hormones. It is important to understand what can trigger a hot flash.

Hormones

• Although hot flashes are a sign of menopause, they are not solely a menopausal problem. Hot flashes happen to women of all ages when there is an interruption in the hormonal balance, most commonly the balance of estrogen. Hormone fluctuations can happen during monthly menstruation, pregnancy, menopause and other related female problems.

Stress and Anxiety

• Though stress and anxiety are defined as "mental health" issues, they still interfere with the physical chemistry in your body. Adrenaline also plays a role in the cause of hot flashes, which is common with the struggle of both stress and anxiety. When there is a rush of adrenaline in your body, the heart rate speeds up, naturally raising the temperature in the body, which can bring on a hot flash.

Obesity

• Obesity also causes hot flashes. Being obese causes the body to work harder, especially the heart. The harder the heart has to work, the more energy it takes to keep the body cool. Hot flashes are a sign of the stress on the heart and other demands that are placed on the body. Hot flashes cause sweating, which is one of the ways the body cools itself off.

Diet

• Everyone responds differently to different types of foods. How the body works to digest these foods is also different. But there are foods that are known to raise your body's natural temperature, such as spicy foods, which can cause hot flashes. Too much caffeine can also cause hot flashes. Caffeine is a stimulant and too much of it can raise the heart rate.

Smoking

• Smoking may play a huge role in hot flashes years before menopause begins. In a study done on 1,087 women, 56 percent reported having hot flashes.