The human body is an extremely sophisticated and complex structure. It is naturally competent to adapt itself to the changes in the surroundings. For instance, during severe winters, the body hair stands to capture the warmth in the air and the muscles vibrate with the objective of generating additional heat.

Similarly, the body has its own techniques to deal with the extreme heat conditions during summers, in the form of expansion of the blood vessels to help in the evaporation of sweat, thereby cooling the skin.

However, any kind of hormonal imbalance within the body can disrupt this ability of adaptation, making the body vulnerable to health disorders. The occurrence of hot flashes in both genders is one such medical condition that causes immense discomfort to the bearer. In general, hot flashes are closely associated with menopause amongst women. A hot flash is characterized by a sudden gush of warmth sweeping the body especially the upper body parts like face, neck and chest; accompanied by perspiration ranging from mild to profuse.

Despite intense research on the subject, the precise cause of hot flashes remains unknown. Nevertheless, researchers highlight a strong correlation between the occurrence of hot flashes and hormonal imbalance in the body, especially with respect to estrogen. This is an extremely important reproductive hormone in females involved in conception, sustenance of full term pregnancy, the development of secondary sexual characteristic and maintenance of the skin and hair. However, the levels of estrogen are known to undergo a drastic decline during the menopausal years. Researchers put forth that the deficiency of this hormone generates a response in the body that leads to the dilation of blood vessels, resulting in redness of skin and perspiration.

Apart from menopause, pregnancy is another phase of life during which many women experience hot flashes. Once again, the reason is highlighted as hormonal fluctuations but in this case the specific culprit hormone remains unknown. However, it is believed that these hormonal fluctuations affect the temperature controlling unit of the body that is the hypothalamus, thereby disrupting its normal functioning. As a consequence, the body experiences an elevation in the trapped heat manifesting as hot flashes. Hot flashes occur in men as well. The reasons for their occurrence in this gender are the beginning of andropause and hormonal fluctuations in the body. Some of the other factors triggering hot flashes in men and women include extremely hot weather conditions, consumption of spicy foods, and too much intake of alcohol and caffeinated products.

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