About 75% of American menopausal women suffer from hot flashes. There other conditions like male hormone restriction therapy for prostate problems, low blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, and low blood sugar, where flashes are known to occur.

The dilation of blood vessels on the upper part of the body, particularly the neck and the face is the immediate cause of the problem. The root cause of the problem, what causes this enlarging of blood vessels, is still unclear. Large fluctuations of female hormones seem to be the prime cause. What triggers hot flashes are hot spicy foods, caffeine, hot weather, alcohol and stress.

The attack may end in a few seconds could last as long as an hour. There is also a wide variation in the severity of the attack. Some can sense the attack of hot flash while it is very sudden for others. Feeling of heat on the upper part of the body particularly on the neck and face in the first and most common symptoms of hot flash. At the same time, the body core temperature drops as much three degrees.