In short
Hot flushes are sudden waves of heat over the chest and face lasting 2 to 4 minutes, caused by a narrowed temperature window in the brain as oestrogen falls. They affect up to 80 percent of women around menopause and last a median of 7.4 years in total. At night they are called night sweats.
Condition Overview
What is a hot flush?
A hot flush is a sudden feeling of heat centred on the upper chest and face that spreads over the body, lasts 2 to 4 minutes and often ends in sweating, sometimes palpitations, then chills and anxiety. Hot flushes range from under 1 a day to 1 an hour. Hot flushes are also called vasomotor symptoms.
Why do hot flushes happen?
Hot flushes happen because falling oestrogen narrows the temperature comfort zone in the hypothalamus, the brain’s thermostat. Before menopause the body starts cooling after a rise in core temperature of 0.4°C; after menopause it starts after a much smaller rise. Neurokinin B signalling in the hypothalamus drives this, the target of the newer non-hormonal medicines.
How long do hot flushes last?
Hot flushes last a median of 7.4 years in total and 4.5 years after the last period, in the SWAN study of 1,449 women. Women whose flushes started while periods were still regular had them for over 11.8 years. About 9 percent of women still had flushes at 72, roughly 1 in 11.
How is the severity of hot flushes graded?
Hot flushes are graded by how much they interfere with sleep and daily life, not by their number alone.
| Grade | Effect |
|---|---|
| Mild | Present, but no effect on sleep, activities or work |
| Moderate | Some interference with sleep and daily activities |
| Severe | Frequent, with interference in sleep, activities and work |
Women with 7 or more moderate to severe flushes a day reported interference with sleep in 94 percent and concentration in 84 percent, more than 9 and 8 in 10.
Who gets more hot flushes?
Hot flushes are more frequent with obesity, smoking and low physical activity. Frequency also differs between ethnic groups: moderate to severe flushes were reported by 35 percent of American and 15 percent of Japanese women.
Why do night sweats break sleep?
Night sweats break sleep because 69 percent of hot flushes at night cause an awakening, about 7 in 10, in a sleep laboratory study of 34 perimenopausal women. Night sweats cluster in the first 4 hours of sleep. Other causes of broken sleep in the same years: hormonal sleep disturbance.
What else causes flushing and sweating?
Flushing and sweating also come from an overactive thyroid, medicines, alcohol, infection and, rarely, tumours such as carcinoid. Flushing with diarrhoea or wheezing, drenching sweats with fever or weight loss, and flushes that do not fit the menopausal pattern are investigated first.
Hot flushes in Dubai and the UAE
Does the heat in Dubai make hot flushes worse?
The heat in Dubai does not cause hot flushes but makes them harder to bear, because the narrowed temperature window is crossed more easily. Cooling measures bring comfort but do not control the symptom; the Menopause Society does not recommend them as treatment.
How many women in the region treat hot flushes?
In a Dubai study of 591 women, 82 percent had fair or poor knowledge of menopause and its treatment, about 8 in 10 (Menopause, 2021). A review of 15 studies from Arab countries found that fewer than 1 in 5 women used hormone therapy in 11 of the studies (Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 2026).
Dr Felix treats within the scope of his Dubai Health Authority licence. When a case needs a specialist view, for example bleeding after menopause, a breast finding or severe depression, the decision is made together with a gynaecologist, breast specialist or psychiatrist.
How hot flushes are treated: HRT patch or oestrogen gel, HRT tablets and, without hormones, non-hormonal menopause treatment. A first check: the menopause self-check.
When to See a Doctor
- Hot flushes wake you at night and leave you tired the next day.
- You avoid meetings, exercise or social events because of flushes.
- Flushes started in your forties while periods still came.
- You want hormonal and non-hormonal options compared.
- Flushes with weight loss, a fast pulse or tremor: thyroid tests.
- Drenching night sweats with fever, cough or swollen glands: investigation.
- Flushes with periods stopping before 45: assessment for early menopause.
How Dr. Felix Assesses This
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1
Flush pattern
Number, timing, severity and effect on sleep and work.
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2
History
Cycle, medicines including tamoxifen and antidepressants, alcohol, thyroid, breast and clot history.
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3
Examination and tests
Blood pressure, pulse, thyroid; tests only when the pattern is unusual or under 45.
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4
Options and plan
Hormonal and non-hormonal treatment compared, with a review date.
Treatment Options
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy replaces oestradiol, the main oestrogen the ovaries produce, which falls away over the menopause transition. The primary…
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HRT Patches and Oestrogen Gel in Dubai
HRT patches and oestrogen gel are transdermal estradiol, the same hormone the ovaries made before menopause, absorbed through the skin…
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HRT Tablets in Dubai
HRT tablets contain estradiol, alone or together with a progestogen in one combined tablet. Estradiol is body-identical, the same hormone…
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Non-Hormonal Menopause Treatment in Dubai
Non-hormonal treatment is for women with moderate to severe hot flushes who cannot take HRT or choose not to. Clinical…
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Why Early Treatment Can Matter
Treating hot flushes early restores sleep first, and mood, concentration and work follow. Hot flushes are also linked with higher cardiovascular risk and faster bone loss, a reason to check both.
Why Early Treatment Can Matter
Treating hot flushes early restores sleep first, and mood, concentration and work follow. Hot flushes are also linked with higher cardiovascular risk and faster bone loss, a reason to check both.
Sleep returns
Night sweats usually settle within weeks of treatment.
Heart and bone
Frequent flushes are linked with higher cardiovascular risk and bone loss.
Options compared
Hormonal and non-hormonal treatment in one appointment.
Cost & Consultation Investment
The cost of a hot flush assessment covers the consultation with Dr Felix, the examination, any tests that change the plan and the written plan. Dr Felix explains the full cost before anything is done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Hot flushes last a median of 7.4 years in total and 4.5 years after the last period, longer when they start early.
Yes, night sweats are hot flushes during sleep, and 69 percent of them wake the woman.
Yes, an overactive thyroid, medicines, alcohol and infection cause similar episodes, so an unusual pattern is investigated.
The cost covers the consultation, examination, any necessary tests and the written plan. Dr Felix explains the full cost before anything is done.
Evidence
Where this information comes from
Every figure on this page is taken from the sources below. All of them are free to read, so you can check them yourself.
- Menopause: identification and management (NG23)
- Women’s knowledge and awareness on menopause symptoms and its treatment options remains inadequate: a report from the United Arab Emirates
- Utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Arab countries: a systematic review
This page is general medical information and does not replace a personal consultation. Trial results are averages across large groups, not a prediction for any one person.