Preparing questions in advance can help patients have more meaningful discussions with their physicians regarding their conditions. Patients may wish to ask their doctor or other healthcare professional the following questions about hot flashes:

1. Are my symptoms related to menopause?
   
   
2. How do I know if I’m in menopause?
   
   
3. How long might I have these symptoms?
   
   
4. Can certain things trigger the hot flashes?
   
   
5. Is there anything I could be doing that is making the hot flashes worse?
   
   
6. Is there something I can do to reduce their intensity or eliminate them altogether?
   
   
7. Should I take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to reduce my hot flashes?
   
   
8. Are there other medications that I could take in place of HRT, or in addition to it?
   
   
9. Are there any alternative therapies that will help?
   
   
10. Are hot flashes hereditary?

Some physicians recommend keeping a diary of hot flashes, including their frequency and severity. Patients may want to use the following table as a guide and then discuss the results with their healthcare provider:

* How bothersome is this symptom from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much)?