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.
Four out of five women experience hot flashes and night sweats in the years before their periods cease, leaving some with 12 or even 14 years of unpleasant symptoms, the study found. And women who could pinpoint their final period reported symptoms persisted for an average of 4.5 years afterward.