Menopause Symptoms, ‘Hot Flashes’ May Last For 14 Years

Hot flashes among middle-aged women who have been experiencing their menopause can continue up to fourteen years. A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine this week and is led by Professor Nancy Avis said.

According to the New York Times, the study involves 1,449 women with varying racial, ethnical and geographical background who are asked about their experiences and how long have they experienced hot flashes.

Hot flashes are said to be the result of a decrease in estrogen which is the result of aging. Experiencing them may cause extreme discomfort as middle-aged women experienced night sweat and sleep disruption. The health phenomenon may also trigger cardiovascular problems and bone loss, according to the news site.

One of the key findings in the study said that women who felt the hot flashes later after they lost their period are lucky as the flashes are said to leave early. However, hot flashes that are experienced before women lost their period are more likely to continue longer.

"If you don't have hot flashes until you've stopped menses, then you won't have them as long. If you start later, it's a shorter total duration and it's shorter from the last period on." Professor Avis said.

The research also found out that Black and Hispanic women are the ones who experienced hot flashes the longest than White and Asian women.

Daily Mail also said that the median of the participants experiencing hot flashes is on the seventh year. In this period, researchers also advised that hormone therapy and counseling are needed to alleviate the symptoms.

"The duration of 7.4 years highlights the limitations of guidance recommending short-term hormone therapy and emphasizes the need to identify safe long-term therapies for the treatment of vasomotor symptoms," she said.

CBS News cited suggestions to decrease hot flashes. One option is the hormone replacement therapy which is said to be dangerous as it is linked to breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

In an interview, Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, meanwhile, recommended that women may want to consider taking low dose of contraceptives before menopause takes place.

She also suggested, non-hormonal health practices saying, "As a first step, some simple things might help. These include dressing in layers; avoiding caffeine, alcohol, smoking and spicy foods; drinking cold water, and keeping one's room cool."