hot flash, a transient sensation of warmth experienced by some women during or after menopause. Hot flashes result from autonomic vasomotor disturbances that accompany changes in the neurohormonal activity of the ovaries, hypothalamus, and pituitary. The exact causative mechanism is not known. All menopausal women do not experience hot flashes; among those who do, the frequency, duration, and intensity vary widely. Although physically harmless, the symptom may be extremely disturbing or, rarely, disabling. Hot flashes may be alleviated by cyclic or continuous administration of exogenous estrogen. Also called hot flush. See also menopause.
