There are links between vasomotor symptoms and mood. Vasomotor symptoms trigger your body’s stress response. Hot flashes link with depression, and each can worsen the other. Vasomotor symptoms can interfere with sleep, which can also worsen anxiety and depression.
Mental health
Vasomotor Symptoms
A Visual Tour of How
Affect the Body
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The more frequent the vasomotor symptoms, the greater the risk of anxiety and depression. Low estrogen levels can affect your body’s serotonin use. Serotonin is a chemical messenger that may help regulate mood. Changes in serotonin levels may increase anxiety and depression during menopause.
The decrease in estrogen can increase the chance of heart disease. Lower estrogen levels link with higher "bad" cholesterol levels (LDL, or low-density lipoprotein). People with more vasomotor symptoms can be at a higher risk. There's a link between vasomotor symptom frequency and artery narrowing.
Hot flashes trigger a sympathetic nervous system response. This is your fight-or-flight response. This can increase your heart rate or cause heart palpitations. It can also raise blood pressure.
Cardiovascular health
Hot flashes and night sweats are primary vasomotor symptoms during menopause. One theory is that lower estrogen levels make some people more sensitive to even slight temperature shifts. The body overreacts to try to regulate temperature by increasing blood flow. This sudden change can trigger a hot flash, excessive sweating, and skin flushing.
Hot flashes/night sweats
Estrogen plays a role in regulating sleep. Lower hormone levels link to more sleep difficulties. Frequent hot flashes and night sweats also interrupt sleep. Mood and sleep quality connect to each other. People with depression and anxiety may have a harder time getting high quality sleep. Along with that, a lack of sleep is known to worsen mental health.
Difficulty sleeping
