Fever vs hot flashes: 8 Myths and Truths About Menopausal Hot Flashes – Cleveland Clinic
8 Myths and Truths About Menopausal Hot Flashes – Cleveland Clinic
There’s a lot of misinformation out there, in general, about menopause. It used to be a little-discussed topic, leaving those who were going through it to figure it out on their own — in silence, without support, and often feeling embarrassed or stressed out.
But as Bob Dylan once sang, “The times, they are a-changin,” and thankfully, menopause is no longer the taboo topic it once was. After all, it’s a natural part of the aging process. What’s there to be embarrassed about?!
As menopause approaches, it’s important to know what’s happening to your body and what to expect. Ob/Gyn and certified menopause practitioner Claudia Mason, MD, helps debunk some of the myths about one of the most pervasive symptoms of menopause — hot flashes.
Myth #1: Hot flashes burn calories
False. Sorry, but these aren’t the kind of sweat sessions that’ll burn off breakfast! “Hot flashes do not burn calories,” Dr.
Mason confirms. For that, you’ll need to hit the gym or otherwise get moving.
Myth #2: Hot flashes mean you’re in menopause
False. You might be surprised to learn that you don’t have to be in menopause — or even all that close to it — to start having hot flashes. Though the typical age of menopause is about 51, many people have symptoms of perimenopause (the lead-up to menopause) for years before their final menstrual period.
Myth #3: Hot flashes cause a fever
False. Hot flashes make you feel hot, but they’re different from fevers, which indicate a higher-than-normal raise in your core body temperature.
When you’re going through perimenopause, your body is extremely sensitive to even small changes in temperature. When it senses a change, it jumpstarts the process of trying to cool you down — which is, ironically, the very thing that makes you feel so hot. Blood rushes to your chest and face, and you start sweating as your body attempts to cool off.
“Hot flashes raise the surface temperature of your skin because your body is getting rid of that internal heat,” Dr. Mason explains. “But hot flashes don’t give you a fever because they don’t raise your core body temperature.”
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Myth #4: Supplements like magnesium and black cohosh can help with hot flashes
Mostly false. Whoa, slow down! Lots of supplements and botanicals — including magnesium and black cohosh — have been studied for their possible role in making hot flashes more manageable. But so far, there’s no definitive evidence that any of them live up to their claims. And some can do more harm than good.
“Don’t just go buy supplements with labels that make a bunch of claims,” Dr. Mason warns. “Supplements aren’t regulated, so you don’t really know what’s in them. And you want to be really careful about what you’re putting in your body.”
Be wary of any product that claims to put an end to your menopause symptoms, including your hot flashes, and talk to your healthcare provider instead.
Myth #5: Hot flashes can make you dizzy
True, but it’s uncommon. Dizziness is a possible symptom of hot flashes, but it’s not a standard one.
“During a hot flash, the blood vessels in your chest and face dilate to try to release some of that heat,” Dr. Mason explains. “If you get enough blood going to the face, you might experience low blood pressure, which could cause some temporary dizziness.”
If you do experience it, it’s likely to be short-lived, going away when your hot flash subsides. But if your hot flashes frequently bring on dizziness or nausea, talk to your healthcare provider. These aren’t standard symptoms of menopausal hot flashes, so it’s important to make sure there aren’t any other health issues at play.
Myth #6: Having sex helps relieve hot flash symptoms
False. Some people claim that indulging in a little bit of hanky-panky can help rid you of your hot flashes, but this one isn’t true.
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“To my knowledge, sex cannot relieve the symptoms of hot flashes,” Dr. Mason says. “There’s no research confirming that to be the case.”
The good news is that hot flashes typically only last about 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, so they pass on their own pretty quickly (and without giving you much time to get sex started, anyway).
Myth #7: Smoking makes hot flashes worse
True. Studies show that women who quit smoking were less likely to have severe hot flashes than those who continue to smoke throughout menopause. “In general, people who smoke are thought to experience worse symptoms of menopause than non-smokers go through,” Dr. Mason notes.
This makes sense, given that smoking is known to have a negative effect on the reproductive system. Smoking can decrease hormone production and have a negative effect on the ovaries, which is why people who are trying to get pregnant are strongly encouraged to quit smoking.
Myth #8: There’s nothing you can do about hot flashes, so you just have to live with them
False! When it comes to hot flashes, you definitely don’t have to grin and bear it. Here are some things you can do to manage them:
- Focus on nutrition. A menopause-friendly diet can help keep hot flashes at bay. And of course, eating a balanced diet has a number of other benefits, too, helping to support your overall health and well-being.
- Keep cool. Carry a portable fan with you, leave the fans or A/C on at home and look into cooling linens, pillows and mattress covers to help combat the heat.
- Avoid your trigger. Everyone’s hot flash triggers are different, so try to track what’s going on in your life when the heat hits. Have you been eating spicy food or drinking caffeine or alcohol? Are you wearing tight clothes in materials that aren’t breathable? Once you identify your triggers, you can rework your habits to avoid them.
If hot flashes are impacting your quality of life, it’s time to bring in the professionals, Dr. Mason says. “See your healthcare provider — specifically an Ob/Gyn, if you have one — to discuss hormonal and non-hormonal treatments that can lessen your hot flashes and get you feeling back on track.”
To learn more about this topic, listen to the Health Essentials Podcast episode, “What to Expect in Menopause.” New episodes of the Health Essentials Podcast publish every Wednesday.
Hot flashes – Symptoms & causes
Overview
A hot flash is the sudden feeling of warmth in the upper body, which is usually most intense over the face, neck and chest. Your skin might redden, as if you’re blushing. A hot flash can also cause sweating. If you lose too much body heat, you might feel chilled afterward. Night sweats are hot flashes that happen at night, and they may disrupt your sleep.
Although other medical conditions can cause them, hot flashes most commonly are due to menopause — the time when menstrual periods become irregular and eventually stop.
In fact, hot flashes are the most common symptom of the menopausal transition.
There are a variety of treatments for bothersome hot flashes.
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Symptoms
During a hot flash, you might have:
- A sudden feeling of warmth spreading through your chest, neck and face
- A flushed appearance with red, blotchy skin
- Rapid heartbeat
- Perspiration, mostly on your upper body
- A chilled feeling as the hot flash lets up
- Feelings of anxiety
The frequency and intensity of hot flashes vary among women. A single episode may last a minute or two — or as long as 5 minutes.
Hot flashes may be mild or so intense that they disrupt daily activities. They can happen at any time of day or night. Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) may wake you from sleep and can cause long-term sleep disruptions.
How often hot flashes occur varies among women, but most women who report having hot flashes experience them daily.
On average, hot flash symptoms persist for more than seven years. Some women have them for more than 10 years.
When to see a doctor
If hot flashes affect your daily activities or nighttime sleep, consider seeing your doctor to discuss treatment options.
Causes
Hot flashes are most commonly caused by changing hormone levels before, during and after menopause. It’s not clear exactly how hormonal changes cause hot flashes. But most research suggests that hot flashes occur when decreased estrogen levels cause your body’s thermostat (hypothalamus) to become more sensitive to slight changes in body temperature. When the hypothalamus thinks your body is too warm, it starts a chain of events — a hot flash — to cool you down.
Rarely, hot flashes and nights sweats are caused by something other than menopause. Other potential causes include medication side effects, problems with your thyroid, certain cancers and side effects of cancer treatment.
Risk factors
Not all women who go through menopause have hot flashes, and it’s not clear why some women do have them. Factors that may increase your risk include:
- Smoking. Women who smoke are more likely to get hot flashes.
- Obesity. A high body mass index (BMI) is associated with a higher frequency of hot flashes.
- Race. More black women report having hot flashes during menopause than do women of other races. Hot flashes are reported least frequently in Asian women.
Complications
Hot flashes may impact your daily activities and quality of life. Nighttime hot flashes (night sweats) can wake you from sleep and, over time, can cause long-term sleep disruptions.
Research suggests that women who have hot flashes may have an increased risk of heart disease and greater bone loss than women who do not have hot flashes.
Fever vs Hot Flashes: Difference & Comparison
Our body experiences many good and bad things in life.
While some diseases can last for a long time, some ailments are symptoms of some other disease and can be treated in several different ways. Fever and hot flashes may seem similar, but they are too different when you delve into biology.
Science quiz
Test your knowledge on science-related topics
1 / 10
“Photo” in photosynthesis means “to make with…
Light
dark
Light and dark
None of the above
2 / 10
What fuel is in the sun?
helium
hydrogen
oxygen
carbon dioxide
3 / 10
The first link in all food chains is
Herbivores 9 0003
Carnivores
Green plants
All of the above
4 / 10
Which food has the most energy?
Carbohydrate
Protein products
Fat
Vitamin
5 / 10
Carbonated water contains
Carbonic acid
Ser
Carbon dioxide
Nitric acid
6 / 10
Water chemical formula
NaAlO2
h3O
Al2O3
CaSiO3
7 / 10
What is the most malleable metal?
Gold
Silver
Copper
Iron
8 / 10
What is PH H 2 O?
9 / 10
A passenger in a moving bus is thrown forward when the bus suddenly stops.
This is explained
by Newton’s first law
by Newton’s second law
by Newton’s third law
by the principle of conservation of momentum
10 / 10
Name a metal that can be easily cut with a simple knife?
Salt
News
Tin
mercury
your account
Key Findings
- an increase in body temperature to fight infection.
- Hot flashes are sudden sensations of heat often associated with hormonal fluctuations in menopausal women.
- Fever usually lasts longer than hot flashes and is often accompanied by other symptoms such as chills, pain and fatigue.
Fever versus hot flashes
The difference between fever and hot flashes is that fever is an increase in body temperature above 38.3 degrees Celsius. In contrast, hot flashes are sudden waves of heat that occur in the upper body, such as the face, chest, or neck.
Fever is a temporary increase in the temperature of the whole body, not just individual parts of it.
When the body temperature, determined orally, exceeds 38.3°C, this is called a fever; at worst, it rises above 39.4 degrees Celsius and requires serious medical attention.
Hot flashes are sudden attacks of heat in the upper parts of the body, especially the face, neck and chest. There are more than a few causes of hot flashes, ranging from menopause in many women to even a side effect of certain medications, therapies, or treatments.
Comparison chart
| Comparison parameters | Fever | Hot flashes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Temporary increase in body temperature. | Sudden sensation of warmth in the upper body, such as the face, chest or neck. |
| symptoms | Oral temperature above 38.3 degrees Celsius | Sudden attacks of intense heat in the upper body. |
| Causes | This is often caused by infections or foreign viruses/microorganisms entering the body. | This can happen as a side effect of any medication, allergies, or after menopause. |
| Duration | Fever may continue until the body becomes immune to the infection caused by the microorganism or virus. | The flush can last from 30 seconds to ten minutes. |
| Treatment | Medications are given after the type or source of fever has been identified. | Hormone therapy has been shown to be effective for hot flashes in women who experience them as a result of menopause. |
What is a fever?
Fever can be defined as a temporary increase in a person’s body temperature; that is, in simple words, a fever is when someone physically heats up. Almost every living being with humans or animals is expected to have experienced this at least once in their lifetime. At the beginning of the body, the temperature rises above 38.3 degrees Celsius and lasts longer than two to three hours; then it is considered a fever.
Severe fever can rise to 39.4 degrees Celsius, which corresponds to 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and is considered very serious and requires urgent medical attention.
There are different types of fevers, and the cause of the fever determines exactly which type it is. Sometimes it can be mild and not very serious due to a viral infection, a change in the weather, a specific food allergy, or an injury. Body temperature rises when the immune system tries to fight foreign microbes or foreign bodies that have entered the body and can harm the system. To alert the senses, the immune system raises the temperature to make it easier to detect that a person needs attention.
Once the cause of a fever is found, it becomes even easier to treat. This is a viral fever, a standard dose of antibiotics for 3 days can cure it. There may also be serious reasons why a doctor may need a longer time and much more complex treatment to resolve the problem.
What are hot flashes?
Hot flashes are very different from fever.
Hot flashes are like a sudden wave of heat that the upper body experiences. These areas include the face, neck, and chest. They can make these areas redder than usual and make the person sweat.
Hot flashes occur for various reasons. They are very likely when they reach the stage of menopause, that is, in women in the fourth or fifth decade of their life. In addition, hot flashes can occur as a side effect of certain medications after surgery or treatment. They last only 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Women going through menopause may experience them at various intervals over a period of 6 to 10 months.
It is always better to visit a doctor to understand the true cause of hot flashes, which should be treated as soon as possible. Hormone therapy has been proven to be very beneficial for women experiencing hot flashes due to menopause.
Main differences between fever and hot flashes
- A fever is a temporary increase in the temperature of the whole body, while a hot flash is a sudden wave of heat that occurs in the upper body.
- Fever occurs when body temperature rises above 38.3 degrees Celsius, while hot flashes around lesions in the upper parts of the body are sudden and short-lived.
- Fever is caused by ingestion of microbial bodies that cause infection or viral disease. On the contrary, hot flashes can occur for many reasons, ranging from menopause, allergy treatment, or medication side effects.
- Fever lasts until the body’s immune system can fight the infection, and an acute flare usually lasts 30 seconds to 10 minutes.
- Fever can be cured once its underlying cause is recognized and drug therapy is appropriately described. If there is no pause or cessation of medication due to me, the side effect of which causes them, the hot flashes can be stopped with hormone therapy.
Recommendations
- https://www.annfammed.org/content/2/5/391.short
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512297839746
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Klimakt-Heel
Release form : tablets – 50 pcs. in a plastic container.
Registration certificate No. UA/2945/01/01 of 04/07/2005.
Composition: 1 tablet contains: Sanguinaria canadensis D3, Sepia officinalis D4, Sulfur D4, Strychnos ignatii D4, Simarouba cedron D4 30 mg each, Stannum metallicum D12 60 mg, Lachesis mutus D12 90 mg. Excipients: magnesium stearate 1.5 mg, lactose q.s.
Readings:
- neurohormonal disorders in menopause: functional ovarian failure, hot flashes, sweating, palpitations, vascular pulsations, dizziness, sleep disturbance, depression, migraine, melancholic mood, neuroses, vascular dystonia, convulsions, etc. ;
- juvenile amenorrhea;
- conditions after removal of the ovaries.
; Dosage and method of administration:
Initially, at each flush, take 1 tablet sublingually, but not more than 15 tablets per day. When the condition improves, switch to the usual dosage of 1 tablet 2-3 r / day for 15 minutes. before meals or one hour after.
Due to its good tolerance, the drug can be used for a long time if necessary.
Side effects : not observed.
There are no contraindications for .
Interaction with other drugs: no features.
Pharmacological properties
Most menopausal symptoms develop due to the extinction of the hormonal function of the ovaries, which in turn is exacerbated by the cessation of the elimination of various toxins from the woman’s body through menstruation, i.e. phases of mesodermal excretion. To achieve a stable therapeutic effect in the treatment of menopause, it is not enough to carry out only hormone replacement therapy with estrogens.
It is necessary to simultaneously eliminate the general hormonal imbalance that has arisen in other parts of the endocrine system (pituitary gland, adrenal glands and thyroid gland) and activate the removal of accumulated toxins from the body through other excretory organs.
Such complex therapy “without hormones” or in combination with hormone replacement therapy can be achieved using AGTP Klimakt-Heel.
Klimakt-Heel consists of 7 potentized components:
| vegetable: | |
| Sanguinaria canadensis D3 | Hot flashes to the head, flushes of blood to the head with severe headache, mostly on the right side. |
| Strychnos ignatii D4 (Dry seeds) | Hysteria, states of nervous exhaustion, mood variability, headache, migraine with a symptom of “a nail driven into the head. ” |
| Simarouba cedron D4 (Zedron) | Intermittent fever, neuralgia, especially on the left side of the body and around the eyes. |
| animals: | |
| Sepia officinalis D4 (cuttlefish ink bag contents) | Hot flashes with sweat and weakness, with mental depression, irritability, tearfulness, great fatigue in climacteric neuroses, much sweating after flushes of heat. |
| Lachesis mutus D12 (surukuku venom) | Flushing; the left-sided nature of the symptoms, as well as their spread from the left side to the right – migraine and headaches. |
| mineral: | |
| Sulfur D4 (sulfur) | Hot flashes and feeling of heat in menopause, burning in various parts of the body, sometimes with perspiration and need for fresh air. |