Pinkishe Foundation
31/10/2026
Dr. Shehla Jamal
A hot flash is a sudden wave of heat, usually in your chest, neck and face, often with sweating and a fast heartbeat. It is caused by changing hormone levels around menopause. When it happens at night, it is called a night sweat. It is real, it is common, and it can be managed.
Picture this. You are sitting in a meeting. The AC is set to a perfectly reasonable 24 degrees. Everyone else looks fine. And suddenly, without any warning, a wave of heat rises from your chest, climbs up your neck and floods your face. You start sweating. You wonder if anyone has noticed. You quietly fan yourself with whatever is at hand, hoping it passes quickly.
A few minutes later, it does pass. You feel slightly damp, a bit shaky, and quite confused.
That, in case nobody has told you, was a hot flash. And if you have not had one yet, there is a fair chance you will. Most women going through menopause have them. Many Indian women have them and do not even realise that what they are feeling has a name.
So let us name it properly today.
Hot flashes come from changes in your body's temperature control system. As oestrogen levels go up and down during perimenopause and menopause, the part of your brain that controls body temperature, called the hypothalamus, becomes more sensitive to small changes.
A temperature your body would have found perfectly comfortable five years ago suddenly feels far too hot to your brain. Your brain panics, sends out urgent signals to cool you down fast, and the result is the rush of heat, the flushing, the sweating, and sometimes a racing heart.
It is not in your head. It is in your hypothalamus, which is technically in your head, but you know what we mean. It is real and physical and not your imagination.
Every woman feels them a little differently, but here are the most common features.
The heat usually starts in the chest or face and spreads upward and outward. It feels intense and sudden. Some women describe it as a furnace switching on inside them. Others compare it to standing too close to a tandoor. Whichever description fits, it is unmistakable once you have felt one.
The flash itself usually lasts from under a minute to a few minutes. After it passes, some women feel chilled as the sweat cools on their skin. Others feel tired or shaky. Many feel embarrassed if it happened in front of others, which is a reaction we should probably stop having.
How often they come varies widely from woman to woman. Some have one or two a week. Others have many in a day. Some have them mostly at night, as night sweats that disturb sleep badly. Some have them only for a short while, and others have them for years.
There are a few reasons, all working together.
We live in a hot country. Many women assume they are simply reacting to the weather, the kitchen or the heat of cooking. Hot flashes in the summer months in Delhi or Mumbai or Chennai can be hard to tell apart from ordinary heat unless you know what to look for. So we put it down to the weather, drink some water and move on.
We also have a high tolerance for discomfort. Many of us are used to putting our own discomfort last. So a hot flash gets swallowed, ignored, fanned away, never named.
And many of us have them at night first. Night sweats wake you up drenched, your clothes and sheets damp, sometimes your hair too. Many women assume the AC has stopped, the inverter is failing, or they are coming down with a fever. Only over weeks or months does the pattern become impossible to ignore.
This is where most articles get vague, so let us be specific.
Notice your triggers. Small changes help some women, especially when flashes are mild. Cutting down caffeine, especially in the afternoon, can help with both daytime flashes and night sweats. Alcohol can trigger hot flashes and disturb sleep, so cutting down helps too. Spicy food triggers flashes in some women, so notice if your symptoms get worse after a heavy or spicy meal.
Dress in layers. Layered clothing makes a real difference to your daily comfort. Cotton fabrics, layers you can quickly take off, and avoiding synthetic materials give you control through the day. For nights, cotton sheets, lighter blankets and a small fan by the bed help a lot. None of this is glamorous advice, but it helps many women.
Look after your stress. Stress makes your body more reactive and can bring on more flashes. Yoga, regular walking, meditation, breathing exercises and regular sleep all help calm your nervous system. Some women find that slow, deep breathing when a flash starts helps it pass more easily.
Drink water steadily. Drink water steadily through the day, not just with meals. Many of us drink very little between meals. A glass of cool water when a flash starts can feel soothing.
Treatment from your doctor. If hot flashes are seriously affecting your sleep, your work or your quality of life, talk to your gynaecologist. Hormone therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for hot flashes and is safe for many women. It is not right for everyone, so discuss the benefits and risks. For women who cannot or prefer not to take hormones, there are non-hormonal medicines too. There is no medal for suffering through it.
Be careful with herbal products. Please do not buy herbal or "natural" menopause products online without asking your doctor. The evidence that they work is weak, and some can harm the liver or interfere with other medicines.
Hot flashes are one of the most visible signs of perimenopause. We flush, fan ourselves, leave rooms, change clothes. In a culture where ageing in women is still treated with strange discomfort, this visibility can feel exposing.
But there is power in being seen too. Every time a woman calmly fans herself in a meeting and someone asks if she is okay, there is a small chance for an open conversation. "It is just a hot flash. Most women get them at some point." Said matter-of-factly, without embarrassment, this is how we change the culture around menopause in India. One openly named hot flash at a time.
Many women have hot flashes every day with no name for them and no idea what helps. Many have never heard another woman describe openly what she is going through. You can be that woman for someone else.
If this helped you understand your own body, you can help a girl understand hers. ₹1,100 covers one girl's menstrual protection, education and support for a year. Make a donation.
Hot flashes are not harmful in themselves. But other conditions, such as thyroid problems, can feel similar. Please see a doctor if:
Your doctor can confirm what is happening, rule out anything else, and talk you through treatment options. There is no need to suffer in silence.
Have a question about hot flashes or night sweats? Call our menstrual helpline on 85888 70999. It answers at any hour.
A simple printable sheet that marks your period days, your fertile window and your ovulation day. We will email it to you now.
We will send the tracker and a few gentle menstrual health emails from Khyati at Pinkishe. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
Prefer to work out your dates now? Open the free ovulation calculatorEach hot flash usually lasts from under a minute to a few minutes. As a phase, they can come and go for years, often starting in perimenopause and continuing for a while after the last period. For many women they last several years.
Hot flashes are not harmful in themselves. But other conditions, such as thyroid problems, can feel similar, so mention them to your doctor. And if they badly affect your sleep, work or daily life, that is worth treating.
Yes, especially when they are mild to moderate. Cutting down caffeine, alcohol and spicy food, looking after your stress, drinking water through the day and dressing in layers all help. Many women notice a difference within a few weeks of steady changes.
A warm room, heavy blankets, a late heavy meal or alcohol in the evening can all make night sweats worse. Cotton sheets, a fan by the bed and a lighter, earlier dinner help many women.
Hormone therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for hot flashes and is safe for many women, but it is not right for everyone. There are also non-hormonal medicines. Discuss the benefits and risks with a gynaecologist.
Yes, if you are still having periods, even irregular ones. Hot flashes often start in perimenopause, when pregnancy is still possible. Use contraception until a doctor says you can stop.
Hot flashes and night sweats are common, real and can be managed. Cooler clothes and bedding, less caffeine and alcohol, and calmer days help many women. When they disturb your sleep or work, a gynaecologist can offer treatment, including hormone therapy.
Pinkishe Foundation is a specialist implementation organisation for menstrual health. We deliver, reliably, in schools and communities across India. Support our work with a donation.
₹1,100 gives one girl a year. Donations are eligible for deduction under Section 80G.
