Hot flashes can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'worrying' to 'very serious'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.
Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose hot flashes, we could:
Cause | Probability | Status |
---|---|---|
Perimenopause | 92% | Confirm |
Hyperthyroidism | 53% | Possible |
Low Estrogens | 20% | Unlikely |
Adrenal Fatigue | 4% | Ruled out |
Low Progesterone | 2% | Ruled out |
Chronic Fatigue-Fibromyalgia | 1% | Ruled out |
Do you experience hot flashes and, if so, when do they occur?
Possible responses:
→ Not applicable / don't know→ No, I do not experience hot flashes → Yes, during or around time of period only → Yes, between periods only → Yes, both during and between periods |
Adrenal estrogen seems to be necessary to avoid hot flashes during normal menses when the ovarian production of estrogen drops. Hot flashes during menses may be a symptom of mild adrenal cortex deficiency.