You cannot mistake it when you have hot flashes. The neck and face feel quite hot and there may be heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, headaches and anxiety. The face turns red. It may last from a few seconds to an hour. The severity of the symptoms may range from mild to severe.

Most of the sufferers of hot flashes are women undergoing menopause - about 75% of them. Some men on the controversial andropause, men on hormone restriction therapy for prostate problems, persons with hyperthyroidism, low blood pressure and low blood sugar are also prone to hot flashes. The mechanism of hot flashes is simple. The blood vessels on the neck and head enlarge and allow more blood than normal to pass. This gives the hot feeling and causes other symptoms. The cause of the blood vessels