Eli5 what is a hot flash?
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Imagine you’ve run a marathon, or attempted to. You’re hot, covered in sweat to the point you’re *dripping*, you can’t really focus because you’re exhausted… a hot flash is all that just randomly appear out of the blue, with zero warning, anything up to 20 times a day. Usually caused by a lack of something called oestrogen, which is a hormone that declines in females when they reach the end of their child-bearing years.
If you want to get specific, chemical receptors in the hypothalamus (NK3 receptors) interact with estrogen and appear to play a role in postmenopausal hot flashes. Using a drug to block these receptors may reduce hot flashes.
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