The increase in the release of certain hormones from this area of the brain is believed to cause a cascade effect that ultimately affects the adjacent temperature-regulating area of the brain. The end result of this is hot flashes and chills. To understand the causes of hot flashes, it helps to understand the causes of menopause. It is a natural consequence of growing older and signals the end of a woman's reproductive ability. One year after her last period, a woman is said to be postmenopausal.
Surgical menopause happens abruptly after the removal of the ovaries as a result of disease.
Hot flashes related to surgical menopause are usually the most severe, probably because of the sudden chemical shift the body endures. It can also happen with the medical treatment of breast cancer with anti-estrogen medications or with cancer chemotherapy. Medical menopause may be either reversible or permanent. Though chronic heat intolerance may indicate another problem needing medical attention, for women, hot flashes normally mean the beginning of menopause. Other medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism, lymphomas, pheochromocytoma, and systemic mastocytosis can also cause flushing.