1. a state of misfortune or affliction. 2. something hard to endure. 3. something that causes or entails suffering. Familiarity information: HARDSHIP used as a noun is uncommon.
A single hot flash can last anywhere from one to five minutes and may occur a few times a week for some women or daily for others. When hot flashes are severe, they may strike four or five times an hour or 20 to 30 times a day, Omicioli says.
Hot flashes are a condition that a vast number of people worldwide deal with -- an estimated 50 million women in the United States alone. But what group does it affect the most, anyway? What can be done to minimize, or even prevent, hot flashes? And perhaps most importantly, what causes hot flashes? Read the next page to find out.