Hot flashes, clinically termed vasomotor symptoms, are abrupt, recurrent episodes of intense heat sensation, typically accompanied by visible flushing of the skin, profuse sweating, and often palpitations. These are the most common and disruptive symptoms experienced by women during the perimenopausal and postmenopausal transition. They represent a significant clinical manifestation of instability in the body’s thermoregulatory control, profoundly affecting sleep and overall daily function.
Origin
The term “hot flash” is a descriptive, non-technical phrase that has become ubiquitous in clinical and public discourse due to its precise description of the transient sensation. The underlying pathology is rooted in reproductive endocrinology, linking the decline and fluctuation of ovarian estrogen production to central nervous system function. It is a hallmark symptom of the menopausal syndrome.
Mechanism
The physiological mechanism is thought to involve a narrowing of the thermoneutral zone in the hypothalamus, the brain region responsible for core body temperature regulation, which is destabilized by low estrogen levels. Even minute increases in core body temperature then trigger an exaggerated, inappropriate response from the autonomic nervous system. This response causes rapid peripheral vasodilation, increasing blood flow to the skin, and subsequent activation of sweat glands, which together result in the sensation of heat and flushing.
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