Vasomotor symptoms
Also called VMS, hot flashes, night sweats
Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) are the hot flashes and night sweats of the menopause transition. "Vasomotor" refers to the widening and narrowing of blood vessels, and the symptoms are named for the sudden flushing that results. A hot flash is a sudden wave of intense heat, sweating and flushed skin, sometimes with a faster heartbeat; when the same thing happens during sleep, it is called a night sweat.
Exactly why they happen is not fully understood, but hormonal changes, chiefly falling estrogen, are the recognized trigger. "Vasomotor symptoms," often shortened to VMS, is the clinical term used in medical research; "hot flashes" is the everyday name.
Why it matters after 45
Vasomotor symptoms are among the most common and most disruptive symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, affecting a majority of women at some point. They vary in intensity, in how long each episode lasts and in how many come in a day, and they can affect sleep quality, mood and work. Seeing "VMS" on a treatment page or in a study simply means hot flashes and night sweats.
Where it comes up
References
- Cleveland Clinic. Hot Flashes. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15223-hot-flashes
- Witten T, Staszkiewicz J, Gold L, et al. Nonhormonal Pharmacotherapies for the Treatment of Postmenopausal Vasomotor Symptoms. Cureus, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10870088/
- Cleveland Clinic. Estrogen. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22353-estrogen
Definitions here are educational and are not medical advice. They explain what a term means; the pages linked above cover what it means for you, and a clinician reviews your own results. Editorial & medical review policy · All glossary terms