Prolonged Hot Flashes

Hot flashes, one of the quintessential menopause symptoms, are sometimes just as baffling as less commonly occurring symptoms. While women are taught that hot flashes are just that -a sudden, brief flash of heat -some women may experience more prolonged episodes of heat.

While the reasons for this are varied, and sometimes ill-understood, it is important for women who are affected to gain as much knowledge as possible about their symptoms so that they can begin effective treatment.

Ember Flashes

Some women report that they experience both the typical hot flash, characterized by a rapid rush of heat that dissipates as fast as it arrived, as well as a second type -the ember flash. With a name that conjures late-night bonfires or cozy wintertime hearths, the ember flash seems rather benign and almost comforting.

Despite their toasted-marshmallow moniker, ember flashes can be quite troubling to women who experience them. Unlike classic hot flashes, ember flashes may last for as long as half an hour, with some women reporting heat for up to a whole hour. While they appear just as quickly as hot flashes, ember flashes do not fade quite as rapidly, often leaving women wondering what else could be going on in their bodies. Many women with ember flashes so, however, believe that the heat they produce is somewhat less intense than that of the standard hot flash.

No evidence exists that these ember flashes some women experience are anything unusual or exceedingly problematic. Rather, it can be boiled down to different women's bodies reacting to changes in different ways.

Tamoxifen

Women who are taking the breast cancer treatment drug tamoxifen may also experience longer-than-average hot flashes. Tamoxifen is used to treat early and advanced stages of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer in pre- and post-menopausal women. It is also sometimes used as a preventative treatment for women with a high risk for developing breast cancer.

Use of tamoxifen has been linked to prolonging hot flashes that occur in menopausal women -and unlike the ember flashes, tamoxifen-induced prolonged flashes may be just as severe as the classic hot flash, just longer-lasting.

Rapid Menopause

Women who complete the entire menopause transition (pre-menopause to post-menopause) within three years report experiencing more intense and more prolonged hot flashes.

More Information: Prolonged Hot Flashes

Women who experience prolonged hot flashes, or any number of other menopause symptoms, have numerous options for potential treatment. These different treatments can be subdivided into three categories, ranging from least intense to most intense.

• Lifestyle changes.
• Alternative medicines.
• Prescription drugs.

Women who choose to regain control over their bodies should explore these different hot flashes treatment options because prolonged hot flashes should not dictate any woman's life.

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