VMS is the medical name for the hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause. Watch the video to see what causes the internal infernos up to 80% of women will experience during menopause.

No. Natural menopause is the point in time when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period. VMS is the hot flashes and night sweats due to menopause.

Yes. They’re all the same thing—sudden and intense sensations of heat in your face, neck, and chest, which may be accompanied by sweating, reddening of the skin, chills, and rapid heartbeat. Night sweats are hot flashes that occur during sleep. They can last between 1 and 5 minutes.

Science isn’t sure what causes hot flashes and night sweats during menopause—also known as VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause. But it is known that VMS originates in a part of your brain called the hypothalamus, which regulates your body's temperature. It's here that specific neurons called KNDy neurons play an important role in temperature control. To keep your internal thermostat in check, your body relies on having a balance between estrogen and a brain chemical called NKB.

During menopause, levels of estrogen and NKB become unbalanced. This causes the KNDy neurons in your hypothalamus to tell your body you're hot when you're not. To cool down, your hypothalamus triggers hot flashes and night sweats.

Want to see the science for yourself? Check out this video.

Yes, there are FDA‐approved treatments for VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause. They include hormonal and non‐hormonal treatments.

There are currently 2 types of prescription treatments for VMS. The first is FDA‐approved hormone replacement therapy. The second is FDA‐approved non‐hormonal therapy, which includes a selective serotonin‐reuptake inhibitor (SSRI).

Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any medications, over‐the‐counter drugs, supplements, or herbs.

Yes, over‐the‐counter supplements and herbal therapies are used to treat VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause. They include soy, black cohosh, and other botanicals. But these are not FDA approved and/or evaluated.

Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any medications, over‐the‐counter drugs, supplements, or herbs.

Yes, they can. 82% of women say VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause affects their sleep, 69% say it affects their focus, and 63% say it affects their energy levels, along with other parts of their lives. To see how VMS messes with much more than just your internal temperature, click here.

Very, very, very common. In fact, up to 80% of women will experience VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause, making it the most common symptom of menopause.

Everyone is different, but for most women, VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause lasts for almost 7 and a half years. In some cases, though, VMS may last longer than 10 years.

While it varies from woman to woman, hot flashes and night sweats, also known as VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause, can start before the age of 40, or up to 10 years before menopause.

Yes, and there’s an actual medical name for them: VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause. And isn’t it nice to know those internal infernos have a real, medical, put‐a‐face‐to‐the‐fire‐you’re‐feeling name?

A hot flash can be accompanied by a rapid heartbeat, sweating, reddening of the skin, and chills. In fact, VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause may increase your heart rate by 7 to 15 beats per minute.

Recent studies have reported that the frequency and severity of VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause can be used to predict future chronic health problems such as impaired memory, cardiovascular disease, and poor bone health, including osteoporosis.

If you feel like VMS is impacting your overall health, talk to your healthcare provider.

Recent studies have reported that drinking alcohol and diets high in sugar and fat may increase the risk of VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause.

Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine.

Dressing in layers and in natural fibers, having a portable fan handy, and sticking with cool drinks—non-alcoholic, of course—may help with VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause.

Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider for recommendations to help deal with hot flashes and night sweats.

Yes, there are. They all represent different stages. Perimenopause is the time around menopause when you first start experiencing menopausal symptoms, such as menstrual cycle irregularities. Natural menopause is the point in time when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period. And postmenopause is the time of life after menopause.

The average age of menopause is 51 years. Natural menopause is confirmed after you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period.

Once referred to as premature menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is the term for experiencing menopause before the age of 40. About 1% of women will experience primary ovarian insufficiency.

Primary ovarian insufficiency can happen for a number of reasons, including genetic, metabolic, infectious, and autoimmune issues.

Early menopause is the term for menopause that happens between the ages of 40 and 45. It occurs naturally in up to 5% of women, but the most common cause is medical.

Surgery (where ovaries are removed), medications such as cancer treatments or pelvic radiation, or other medical interventions that can affect the production of estrogen in the ovaries can all lead to early menopause.

Menopause symptoms can start up to 10 years before your final menstrual period. This time is called perimenopause.

While the length of time is different for everyone, most women experience menopause between the ages of 40 and 58. VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause has been shown to peak right before menopause (when changes in menstrual cycle regularity and skipping periods begin to happen more frequently) and for the first few years afterwards.

While VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause is the most common and bothersome symptom, other menopausal symptoms can include vaginal dryness, joint pain, weight gain, thinning hair, and dry skin, to name a few.

While meditation has not been proven to help manage symptoms like VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause, it can help with the feelings of anxiety, stress, and irritability that can happen because of your hot flashes and night sweats. Yoga, on the other hand, has been shown to significantly improve menopause symptoms for women.

Remember, always talk to your healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet or exercise routine.

It’s been shown that VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause is more frequent and severe for those who've had surgically induced menopause (ie, both ovaries removed) than those who experience menopause naturally.

The short answer: Yes.

The slightly more detailed answer is that clinical studies have shown that women with higher BMI and/or those who smoke are more likely to experience VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause.

No. Everyone's experience is different; however, more African American and Hispanic women experience VMS (Vasomotor Symptoms) due to menopause than White women. They also experience it for a longer period of time (by 2 to 4 years) than White women.

Yes, hot flashes are classified by severity:

• Mild – You’re hot, but at least you’re not sweating
• Moderate – Break out the fan because now you’re sweating, but you can still get through it
• Severe – You’re so hot and sweaty, you literally have to stop what you’re doing

Everyone is different, but on average most women will experience about 33 hot flashes and night sweats per week.