What triggers hot flashes during menopause?

The main trigger is changing estrogen levels. During perimenopause and menopause, estrogen rises and falls, then declines, and that can throw off the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that helps regulate body temperature. At the same time, your body’s “thermoneutral zone,” the temperature range where you feel comfortable, gets narrower. So even a small change in temperature can make your body react like it’s overheated, which sets off a hot flash.

A few things can also make hot flashes more likely or more frequent, including stress, heat, caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, smoking, tight or constricting clothing, and a higher body weight. Night sweats are the same process, just happening while you sleep.

If hot flashes seem new, unusually intense, or started around the time you began a medication, other things can sometimes play a role too, including thyroid problems, certain medications, and some cancer treatments.

Here at Alloy, we break this down in more detail in our hot flashes guide and our article on what causes hot flashes. If you’re looking at treatment options, our menopause solutions page covers the options we offer for symptom relief.

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