Vasomotor Symptoms

“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 North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) 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 Menopause: Hot Flashes the (United States) Endocrine Society elaborate on:

Vasomotor Symptoms“Hot flashes also known as vasomotor symptoms are extremely common, affecting approximately 75% of women as they go through menopause. Symptoms can begin during the perimenopausal transition and last from a few years to over 10 years. When moderate to severe, they can have a significant impact on quality of life, especially due to the associated sleep disturbances. These sleep disturbances may affect energy, mood and metabolism”.3

Duration

How long can VMS last?

In New Therapies Offer Hope for Management of Menopausal Hot Flashes the NAMS note:

“Recent studies have shown that vasomotor symptoms (the clinical term for hot flashes) can last, on average, 7-10 years, and can sometimes last even longer in women whose symptoms began in perimenopause. While some women only have mild hot flashes, others can have more bothersome symptoms which can lead to problems with lower bone density and subclinical cardiovascular disease”.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

How effective is hormone therapy (HT) for the treatment of VMS?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Benefits, published July 2022, the NAMS explain:

“Hormone therapy is one of the most effective treatments available for bothersome hot flashes and night sweats. If hot flashes and night sweats are disrupting your daily activities and sleep, HT may improve sleep and fatigue, mood, ability to concentrate, and overall quality of life. Treatment of bothersome hot flashes and night sweats is the principal reason women use HT”.6

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”.7

Health Topics A-Z

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

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Vasomotor Symptoms?

Your country may have Links similar to:

Links

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New or Updated

  1. 5 of the Most Common Questions About Menopause
  2. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  3. BMS & WHC’s 2020 Recommendations on Hormone Replacement Therapy In Menopausal Women
  4. Bioidentical Custom Compounded Hormone Therapy
  5. Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  6. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  7. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  8. Complementary and Alternative Therapies Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  9. Compounded Bioidentical Hormone Therapy [Video]
  10. Consider Benefits, Risks When Prescribing Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  11. Contemporary Non-Hormonal Therapies for the Management of Vasomotor Symptoms Associated With Menopause: A Literature Review
  12. Deciding About Hormone Therapy
  13. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  14. Decidir Sobre La Hormonoterapia
  15. Dr Gail Busby – I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – Episode 9 The Menopause
  16. EMAS Menopause Essentials [European Menopause and Andropause Society]
  17. EMAS Replay [Webinars]
  18. Early Menopause: Women’s Experiences – Women’s Profiles
  19. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  20. Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  21. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  22. HRT
  23. HRT and Breast Cancer: Overall Risks and Benefits Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  24. HRT and the Risk of Breast Cancer Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  25. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  26. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  27. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  28. Hormone Therapy for Menopause
  29. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  30. Hot Flashes
  31. Hot Flashes
  32. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  33. How Long Will I Have Hot Flashes and What Causes Them?
  34. How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
  35. 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
  36. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause]
  37. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Signs and Symptoms [+ Video: Talking Menopause With Your GP]
  38. Learning To Cope With Hot Flashes
  39. Lifestyle and Behaviour Changes for Menopausal Symptoms
  40. Lifestyle and Behavioural Modifications for Menopausal Symptoms
  41. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
  42. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
  43. Menopause
  44. Menopause
  45. Menopause
  46. Menopause
  47. Menopause
  48. Menopause
  49. Menopause & Herbs
  50. Menopause Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
  51. Menopause FAQs: Expert Answers To Frequently Asked Questions About Menopause
  52. Menopause FAQs: Hot Flashes
  53. Menopause Glossary
  54. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Questions for Your Health Care Provider
    Vasomotor Symptoms
  55. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Vasomotor Symptoms
  56. Menopause Mindfulness: A Personal Toolkit for Menopause Preparedness
  57. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 1. What Is Menopause?
  58. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  59. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
  60. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
  61. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause
  62. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Lifestyle Tips for Menopause Wellness
  63. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Mindfulness & Wellbeing During the Menopause Transition
  64. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
  65. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: What Is Menopause?
  66. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
  67. Menopause Signs and Symptoms
  68. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  69. Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
  70. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  71. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
  72. Natural Remedies To Help Manage Perimenopause Symptoms
  73. News Flash About Hot Flashes: They Can Last Longer Than You Think [+ Video]
  74. Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
  75. 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
  76. Perimenopause
  77. Perimenopause
  78. Perimenopause – Fact Sheet
  79. Stages of Menopause
  80. Supporting Women Through Menopause
  81. Symptoms of Menopause
  82. The Menopause Years
  83. The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement
  84. The Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS): A Randomized, Controlled Trial of A Plant-Based Diet and Whole Soybeans for Postmenopausal Women [+ Video Summary]
  85. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  86. Understanding Menopause – Booklet
  87. Understanding Premature & Early Menopause – Booklet
  88. Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
  89. Video Series-2021: How Menopause Symptoms Can Affect Your Quality of Life
  90. Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
  91. Video Series-2022: Perimenopause, Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions
  92. Videos and Podcasts
  93. Webinar: Perimenopause
  94. Webinars: Previous
  95. What Can I Do To Help With Hot Flashes?
  96. What Causes Menopause?
  97. What Is Menopause?
  98. What Is Menopause?
  99. What Is Menopause?
  100. What To Eat When You Have Hot Flashes?

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources at:

Sources

  1. Menopause Glossary: V – Vasomotor Symptoms. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-glossary Accessed: 11 January 2023
  2. Menopause Glossary: V – Vasomotor Symptoms. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-glossary Accessed: 11 January 2023
  3. Menopause: Hot Flashes. Last Updated: 24 January 2022. Endocrine Society https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/menopause Accessed: 11 January 2023
  4. New Therapies Offer Hope for Management of Menopausal Hot Flashes. 22 September 2021. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/press-release/future-of-vms-management.pdf Accessed: 11 January 2023
  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: 11 January 2023
  6. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Benefits. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 11 January 2023
  7. 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: 11 January 2023
Topic Last Updated: 11 January 2023 – Topic Last Reviewed: 11 January 2023

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