Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Featuring Dr. Nishi Dhawan, MD, CCFP

Duration: 3 minutes, 10 seconds

We don't exactly know what causes hot flashes, but what we do know is that estrogen is very important in temperature regulation and has a relationship with the brain and its temperature regulation in the body.

Some women find these symptoms very uncomfortable, and in other women it's quite a mild transient event. For some women it's also associated with a sense of anxiety and heart palpitations, which can be quite bothersome because women actually don't know if it's dangerous or not. That is quite disconcerting, but that's also a very transient thing and it does subside.

Whether it be hot flashes or night sweats, they are related to the same pathophysiology. One of the important things to remember is that although hormone fluctuations are commonly caused by hormonal changes in periomenopause and menopause, there are other medical conditions that can cause these symptoms, such as high thyroid and blood disorders.

It's really important that if these symptoms are ongoing and you're not sure what is the cause of them, to see your family doctor or your physician so that they can make a medical evaluation of where the symptoms are coming from.

If you have questions about hormones, contact a local family physician or gynecologist.

Presenter: Dr. Nishi Dhawan, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor