Hot Flashes

WHAT IT IS

A hot flash is like a sudden warm sensation that spreads across your face, neck, and chest. It might even prompt sweating and a rosy glow in your cheeks. Sweating is simply your body's clever method of cooling down, as it releases excess heat through your skin. Hot flashes can occur alongside with sweats while you're in bed - often called night sweats. These experiences are pretty common among patients undergoing cancer treatment. Some individuals might continue to have these hot flashes and night sweats even after their cancer treatment journey.

Causes for Hot Flashes in Women:
- Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop making estrogen. It's during this phase that many women encounter common symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
- Early menopause can happen if both ovaries are removed surgically, often to lower the risk of cancer or as part of a cancer treatment plan.
- Chemotherapy.
- Hormone therapy, like antiestrogens (tamoxifen) and aromatase inhibitors.
- Radiation therapy.
- Certain medications such as opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and steroids.

Causes for Hot Flashes in Men:
- In the realm of men's health, the testes are the ones responsible for producing testosterone. When a male patient undergoes surgery to remove one or both testicles for prostate cancer treatment, he might find himself experiencing hot flashes and night sweats.
- Hormone therapy involving substances like gonadotropin-releasing hormone or estrogen can also spark these symptoms in men.
- Certain medications like opioids, tricyclic antidepressants, and steroids might cause hot flashes and night sweats too.