$Unique_ID{BRK00664}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Can Men Can Get Hot Flashes?}
$Subject{male menopause genitourinary hormone hormones hot flashes testicle
sweating heart palpitations fainting flushed face neck chest hernia hernias}
$Volume{J-22}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Can Men Can Get Hot Flashes?


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QUESTION:  There are times when I know that I am going through a change of
life similar to the one my wife experienced.  She just laughs and says that
men can't get hot flashes any more than they can have babies.  I maintain that
men can get hot flashes too.  What do you say?

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ANSWER:  They most certainly can.  In both men and women hot flashes are
caused by the decreased production of sex hormones.  In women, hot flashes are
controlled most often by the biological clock and begin when menopause sets
in.  In men, however, the biological clock does not play as much of a role.
Hot flashes usually occur in men who have had a testicle removed, usually
because of cancer.
     A report published in the Western Journal of Medicine said many men
mistake the symptoms of hot flashes for those of heart attacks.  The symptoms
of hot flashes are intense sweating, heart palpitations, fainting spells, and
a flushed color for the face, neck and chest.  These are the same symptoms as
women get, only women experience them in greater numbers than men.
     Typically men who experience hot flashes are middle-aged or older.  Since
this same group of men is at highest risk of heart attack, doctors should ask
possible heart attack victims if they've ever had a testicle removed or had
many hernia operations, which also can lead to hot flashes.  Such an inquiry
at the initial stages of treatment could help prevent a possible misdiagnoses.
This may not be the cause of your particular episodes, but it seems likely to
me that it is reasonable to believe that your experiences, while not as common
as in women, may be experienced by many men, in modified forms.

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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.