Hot flushes; causes & management

Hot flushes are sudden attacks of vasodilatation of superficial capillaries. This vasodilatation increases blood flow to skin, leading to feeling of extra-heat as well as skin rash in face, neck and chest.

Hot flushes are very common in menopause women due to sudden decline of estrogen hormone level; it's usually accompanied with other symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue.
• Tight chest.
• Heavy night sweat.
• Insomnia and sleeping disorders.
• Muscle ache.
• Mental and emotional disorders.
• Chronic headache.

Hot flushes and their related symptoms aren't confined to menopause only; it could be a part of the clinical picture of many other health problems, such as:

• Neurological diseases, such as: Parkinsonism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia and spinal cord injury.
• Hormonal disturbances: an in decreased level of estrogen hormone in females or androgen in males as well as hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, hyperadrenalism.
• High grade fever.
• Malignant tumors.

Management of hot flushes depends mainly on detecting the cause and treating it (hormonal replacement therapy in menopause women, antipyretic drugs in high grade fever… etc.). Also it's advised to drink plenty of fluids as well as avoiding salty and spicy foods to avoid exacerbation.