While hot flashes typically are associated with symptoms of menopause in women, both men and women can experience the internal heating symptoms following various procedures or medications. According to Cancer Supportive Care Programs, a number of drugs used to treat cancer can result in symptoms of hot flashes. There are a number of signs that physicians use to diagnose hot flashes in order to treat the condition.
Flushing
The most common symptoms of hot flashes are apparent on the outside of the body in the form of flushing and hot sweats. Sometimes the symptoms begin from no apparent external stimuli. At other times, hot drinks, spicy foods or warm environments can trigger hot flushing and sweating. The sufferer begins to feel a warm tingling that sometimes begins in the feet or torso. As the heat expands internally, the face, neck and chest flush and turn red and blotchy. The body's sweat glands then begin to produce sufficient moisture to cool the body and profuse sweating ensues. Flushing and sweating that occur during sleep is referred to as night sweats and can interrupt sleep and lead to other symptoms.
Anxiety
Many people become very anxious when the first signs of a hot flash begin. The stress and anxiousness that affects their emotional equilibrium heightens the episode, creating additional symptoms. Irritability and worry about growing older or going through cancer treatments can cause mood swings and temper flare-ups not typical of the patient. Additionally, mood swings often follow shifts in blood sugar levels, which spike when fueled by fear and anxiety. Stress creates adrenalin, which heightens the entire experience, making it even more uncomfortable. Patients who suffer from anxiety that affects their daily routine often turn to medications to relieve the severity of hot flashes and control their emotions.
Palpitations
Rapid heartbeat is another symptom of hot flashes that many women experience prior to the onset of menopause and during the hormonal fluctuations. Irregular heartbeats, or heart palpitations, are common in the throes of hot flashes. Palpitations may occur while a hot flash is taking place or at other times during the day. Most people do not experience heart palpitations, or cardiac arrhythmia, for longer then two or three months in the early stages of hormonal changes. Medications such as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) also can cause heart palpitations when the drugs are first introduced in the system. In addition, the same stimulants that trigger hot flashes also may cause rapid heartbeat. Caffeine, nicotine and diet pills typically speed up the heart. Coupled with the rise in adrenalin from the stress of going through a hot flash, the heart palpitations increase.
