DEFINING DEMOCRACY Government of the People. Democracy may be a word familiar to most, but it is a concept still misunderstood and misused in a time when totalitarian regimes and military dictatorships alike have attempted to claim popular support by pinning democratic labels upon themselves.
In most women who undergo natural menopause, hot flashes subside within 2 to 5 years after the last menstrual period. In a small number of women, however, hot flashes can continue for 8 to 15 years after the last menstrual period. There is some evidence that women who go through menopause due to surgery may have more severe hot flashes for more years than women who go through natural menopause.
The frequency of hot flashes varies; some have only a few episodes per year, while others have as many as 20 episodes per day. Hot flashes occur in women who experience natural menopause, as well as in women who undergo menopause due to surgical removal of the ovaries. When hot flashes occur before the end of menstrual periods, this signifies that the estrogen level produced by the ovaries is reduced, but not enough to stop menstruation.