Causes and Diagnoses

Causes and Diagnoses of Hot Flashes

The specific cause of hot flashes isn’t fully known, but it’s likely related to a number of factors, including changes in reproductive hormone levels and the body’s regulation of temperature in the hypothalamus gland.

While not all women who go through menopause have hot flashes, some factors may increase the likelihood of having them, including: 

• Smoking: Smoking increases the likelihood of getting hot flashes.
• Obesity: Women who are overweight tend to experience a higher frequency of hot flashes.
• Ethnicity: African-American women tend to experience hot flashes more than women of European descent.