Menopause begins in the fifth decade of a woman's life, on average between the ages of 45 and 55. 80 percent of menopausal women complain of hot flashes of varying degrees of severity, while for some the hot waves significantly interfere with their daily functioning.
A heat wave is characterized by a feeling of heat that bursts from the chest, rises to the face and is usually accompanied by sweat, flushing, and the feeling of a fast pulse. If the heat wave occurs during sleep, the woman wakes up.