Hot flashes blamed on narrow comfort zone

BOSTON, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Women who have hot flashes during menopause have narrow thermoneutral zones, the Harvard Women's Health Watch reports.

The thermoneutral zone is the core temperature at which someone will feel comfortable, without sweating or shivering. Researchers say women who are most prone to hot flashes have thermo neutral zones so narrow, almost any change in temperature will cause them to shiver or sweat.

The newsletter reports there are a number of ways to deal with hot flashes, including hormone therapy, medication that affects brain chemistry and paced respiration, a method of breathing.