Technically they are defined as vasomotor symptoms. But more practically, they are the daily reality for many women who find themselves in the transition phase, more or less delicate, between fertile life and menopause. We are talking about the hot flashes: They can last from one to five minutes and are the most commonly reported symptom during the menopausal transition.
They can cause sudden and intense sensations of heat in the face, neck and chest, and can be accompanied by sweating, redness of the skin, chills and a rapid heartbeat. Also night sweatsin practice, are hot flashes that occur during sleep. These disorders can also be accompanied by other symptoms such as headaches, vaginal dryness, joint pain, weight gain, thinning hair and dry skin.
How are hot flashes characterized?
The “weight” of the painting obviously varies from woman to woman. It ranges from slight sensations of heat without sweating to moderate discomfort with sweating, which still allow you to continue the activity you are doing. Sometimes, however, the discomfort is severe: the sensation of heat is intenseas well as sweating, which interferes with the continuation of an activity.
“Hot flashes, called vasomotor symptoms, occur several years before menopause and can persist for a long time afterwards – explains Rossella Nappi, President of the International Menopause Society and full professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pavia. The average duration is about 7.4 years but in some cases they can persist for more than 10 years. The vasomotor storm occurs at any time of the day or night, with a frequency and intensity that varies from woman to woman”.
How much does hot flashes weigh on a woman?
Unfortunately, these conditions are very frequent. According to studies about l’80% of menopausal women experience hot flashes and in approximately 40% of cases these can be moderate to very severe in intensity and interfere with the woman’s daily activities, work and quality of life.
“In particular, night sweats negatively affect sleep, which is a fundamental factor in our well-being – the expert continues. Waking up repeatedly at night, soaking wet, causes a very high level of psycho-physical and mental wear and tear over time. It has been calculated, in fact, that sleep disorders have a huge impact on mood, daytime wakefulness, psycho-physical efficiency and lead to a generalized sense of tiredness. Sleep is the eighth pillar of cardiovascular risk.
Women with hot flashes produce more stress hormonesblood vessels undergo vasoconstriction and a greater risk accumulates in the cerebral microcirculation and the central nervous system, as well as at the cardiac level. In addition to these physical symptoms, unfortunately, menopause is burdened by a stigma and an altered perception, for which it is considered a natural event that has always affected all women and that women must know how to accept. This approach must change, today a woman at 50 is still active and has a long life expectancy ahead of her”.
Why Hot Flashes Occur
It has always been believed that menopause and vasomotor symptoms were the result of the decrease in estrogen alone. However, scientific advances have improved the understanding of the role of specific neural pathways in the hypothalamusthe part of the brain that regulates body temperature, in causing these conditions.
Particularly before menopause, a woman’s body has a balance of estrogen—hormones produced primarily by the ovaries—and neurokinin B (NKB), a brain signaling molecule and vasodilator. The body relies in part on this balance to keep its internal thermostat in check. During menopause, estrogen and NKB levels become unbalanced, causing the hypothalamus to signal the body that it’s hot even when it’s not, triggering hot flashes and night sweats to cool down.
What can be done to limit the burden of vasomotor symptoms of menopause?
Treatments and advice should always be indicated by the gynecologist, for each individual case. Among the novelties, it is worth noting the availability of aa new therapy, Fezolinetant. “For the first time, we clinicians have a molecule for the management of hot flashes, which is not a hormone, not a psychotropic drug, but is aimed at the brain mechanism that “switches on” the onset of hot flashes – continues the expert.
In the past, it was believed that menopause and the associated vasomotor symptoms were the result of a decrease in estrogen alone; research in this field has revealed the role of specific neural pathways located in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that regulates body temperature, in causing hot flashes. One of the reasons why women feel unable to manage hot flashes is that they don’t want or can’t take hormones; added to this is the fact that women perceive menopause as an unavoidable event that should not be manipulated.
For this reason, the drug represents for all women an additional therapeutic option, an opportunity, a possibility of treat a symptom without affecting the menopause phenomenon from a hormonal point of view, because it acts in a targeted way on neurokinins B, molecules that regulate body temperature at the brain level”. The drug acts as an antagonist of the neurokinin B receptor, a protein involved in the regulation of body temperature at the brain level.
The indications contained in this article are exclusively for informational and educational purposes and are not intended in any way to replace medical advice from specialized professionals. It is therefore recommended to contact your doctor before putting into practice any of the indications reported and/or for the prescription of personalized therapies.