And other important facts to know.
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| | | Hot flashes and night sweats, explained | | A hot flash is a sudden sensation of heat, sweating, flushing, anxiety, or chills that lasts 1 to 5 minutes. When it happens at night, it's often called a night sweat. | | If you've ever experienced one, you're in good company. More than 80% of women get hot flashes during perimenopause and menopause, making it the most common menopausal symptom. | | Hot flashes won't cause you physical harm, per se, but they can affect your quality of life. Along with physical discomfort, they can disrupt your sleep. This can have a domino effect on other aspects of your health, especially if sleep quality is affected over the long term. | | What causes them? | Hot flashes, also called vasomotor symptoms, happen when blood vessels constrict or dilate. During a hot flash, your body senses it's too hot and sends a signal to the rest of the body to dilate the blood vessels and to sweat in an attempt to cool down.
Hot flashes are caused by hormonal fluctuations related to the menopausal transition, although the exact link isn't fully understood. | | How long will you experience them? | | This varies greatly from person to person. A 2019 review found most people experience hot flashes for 4 to 7.4 years. However, a small percentage of women may continue to experience them 10 to 20 years after they've reached menopause. | | Common hot flash triggers | | One way to manage hot flashes is by avoiding things that bring them on or make them worse. These triggers commonly include: | | • | warm environments, clothing, and bedding | | | | | | | | | | | • | smoking and secondhand smoke | | | | | | | Your lifestyle habits may play a key role in the severity, frequency, and duration of your hot flashes, which we'll talk more about in tomorrow's email. | | | | | | | | | | Until next time, |  | Take care of yourself, and we'll
see you again soon! | | | | View in browser
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