It may also affect women who have had their ovaries removed. Menopause occurs when the ovaries stop working. The ovaries stop producing eggs as well as estrogen, one of the key female hormones. Menopause usually begins around the age of 50. Low estrogen levels may cause many changes in a woman's body, including hot flashes.
Hot flashes are the most common symptom of the menopause.
The hot flash can be short or last 10 minutes. The average time is 4 minutes. As a woman has less estrogen, the number of hot flashes per day may increase. The exact cause for hot flashes is not known. There are no known complications of hot flashes.