Hot flashes in men are also referred to as "male menopause" and andropause. The book "Andrology: The Science of Dysfunctions of the Male Reproductive System" posits that testosterone----a male sex hormone---begins to decline in production between the ages of 45 and 60 years---and as early as 30 in some rare cases. It is accompanied by symptoms of intense feelings of heat and profuse sweating several times a day, and can include heart palpitations or anxiety.
Testosterone: Natural Drop
Testosterone--the male sex hormone--may gradually drop in production over time. According to "Andrology: The Science of Dysfunctions of the Male Reproductive System," a man does not usually tend to drop below normal levels of testosterone as to develop many accompanying symptoms, but it does happen, with symptoms similar to a women's menopausal hot flashes.
Androgen Deprivation Therapy
According to the "Harvard Healthbeat Journal," men who are treated for prostate cancer often go through this male menopause during androgen deprivation therapy. Androgen deprivation therapy is a process of shrinking tumors by essentially starving them with radiation and chemotherapy. The starvation of cancer cells prohibits the growth of cancer cells but it is necessary to reduce testosterone supply in order to accomplish this.
The Hypothalmus
Traumatic brain injuries, lesions, tumor or disease can interfere with the way the hypothalmus---the brain's thermal control center---works. According to Harvard Medical School's Patient Education Center, a tumor present in the hypothalmus or pituitary gland may be an underlying cause for male hot flash activity. This control center initiates central nervous system response for vasodilation---the dilation or opening of the blood vessels---causing blood to flood areas prone to heating or cooling the body, including the skin, head, face, neck and chest. This leads to the symptoms like feelings of intense heat, profuse sweating and cool clamminess that can interrupt sleep and occur several times throughout the day.
