Menopause-related hot flashes and night sweats can last for years

According to conventional medical wisdom, menopause-related hot flashes fade away after six to 24 months. Not so, says a new study of women going through menopause. Hot flashes last, on average, for about seven years and may go on for 11 years or more. The hormonal roller coaster that comes with the end of a woman’s childbearing years can trigger a range of symptoms. Up to 80% of women going through menopause experience hot flashes. Hot flashes, also known as vasomotor symptoms, are often described as a sudden sensation of heat in the chest, face, and head followed by flushing, perspiration, and sometimes chills. When a hot flash occurs during sleep, it can be accompanied by a drenching sweat. Such night sweats make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. The new estimates of the duration of these symptoms come from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a long-term study of women of different races and ethnicities who are in the menopausal transition. They were published last week in JAMA Internal Medicine. “The data from this study confirm what many women already know firsthand. Hot flashes can go on for years and take a toll on a woman’s health and well-being,” says Dr. JoAnn Manson, professor of women’s health at Harvard Medical School and professor of epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health. The SWAN researchers found that some women are more likely to deal with long-term hot flashes than others. Women who...
Source: New Harvard Health Information - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Menopause Women's Health hot flashes night sweats Source Type: news