“Vasomotor symptoms. Also known as hot flashes
and night sweats, common symptoms during
perimenopause and early postmenopause”.1

Umbrella

What may the Vasomotor Symptoms (VMS) Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Hot Flashes/Flushes
  • Night Sweats
  • Vasomotor Symptoms (VMS)

Vasomotor Symptoms

What are vasomotor symptoms (VMS)?

DotS the definition of VMS may vary. The (United States) Menopause Society’s (formerly the North American Menopause Society) definition is:

“Vasomotor symptoms. Also known as hot flashes and night sweats, common symptoms during perimenopause and early postmenopause”.2

Common or Not

How common are VMS?

In Hot Flashes: Hot Flashes and Night Sweats the (United States) Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) elaborate on:

“Hot flashes and night sweats, also called vasomotor symptoms, are feelings of warmth that can be associated with flushing and sweating. They are quite common during menopause, occurring in up to 80% of women and lasting a mean of 7 to 10 years. They may also contribute to sleep and mood issues that can negatively affect quality of life”.3

Stop

When do VMS stop?

In Hot Flashes: Symptoms and Causes – Overview the (United States) Mayo Clinic NAMS explain:

“On average, people who have hot flashes have them for more than seven years. Some people have them for more than 10 years”.4

Healthy Lifestyle

Can a healthy lifestyle lifestyle improve VMS?

On page one in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

  • “Women should be advised that implementing or maintaining a healthy lifestyle can improve menopause symptoms. A healthy diet (one low in saturated fat and salt and rich in calcium and vitamin D), stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake and including regular exercise can be beneficial. Reducing caffeine intake may also improve symptoms.
  • Alternative therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy, may also improve hot flushes, nights sweats and other menopausal symptoms and can be considered in women who do not wish to take HRT or have contraindications to taking HRT”.5

Hormone Therapy

Can hormone therapy (HT) or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) be prescribed for the treatment of VMS?

Vasomotor SymptomsOn page two of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS explain:

“Your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor, nurse, etc.) may offer you MHT if you are dealing with symptoms that affect your daily life. It can help with:

  • Hot flushes: Sudden heat sensations in the face and upper body, often followed by sweating
  • Night sweats: Waking up drenched in sweat, which can disrupt sleep…”.6

Hormone Therapy Effectiveness

How effective is HT for the treatment of VMS?

On page one in The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy, published October 2024, the Menopause Society note:

“Hormone therapy remains first-line therapy for management of bothersome vasomotor symptoms, and the benefits typically outweigh the risks for most healthy women when initiated younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause onset with appropriate counseling.

Hormone therapy is indicated for the treatment of bothersome vasomotor symptoms,
genitourinary syndrome of menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency, and prevention of bone loss and reduction of fracture risk”.7

Health Care Provider

What if I think I have VMS?

On page two in Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published 10 June 2022, Hamoda et al. elaborate on:

“Women should be able to seek advice and evidence-based information on how to optimise their menopausal transition and the years beyond. It is important to look not only at the role of HRT when discussing the menopause with women but also to offer advice regarding lifestyle and diet modifications such as exercise, optimising weight, stopping smoking, reducing alcohol as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their management options including HRT and alternative therapies”.8

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to the Vasomotor Symptoms?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Links

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Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources at:

Sources

  1. Menopause Definitions: V – Vasomotor Symptoms. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-glossary Accessed: 06 August 2025
  2. Menopause Definitions: V – Vasomotor Symptoms. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-glossary Accessed: 06 August 2025
  3. Hot Flashes: Hot Flashes and Night Sweats. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hot-flashes Accessed: 06 August 2025
  4. Hot Flashes: Symptoms and Causes – Overview. 12 December 2023. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hot-flashes/symptoms-causes/syc-20352790 Accessed: 06 August 2025
  5. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:3-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 06 August 2025
  6. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? 2024:4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 06 August 2025
  7. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy. 2024:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TMS-statement-on-HT-Misinformation.pdf Accessed: 06 August 2025
  8. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Optimising the Menopause Transition: Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published 10 June 2022:1 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20533691221104882 Accessed: 06 August 2025
Topic Last Updated: 06 August 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 06 August 2025