According to a recent US study published in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, hot flushes that were previously assumed to last for as long as 10 years, may occur for a much longer period. This calculated average period, is almost twice the previously assumed one.

An another important information that has been evaluated with the help of this research is that women who have hot flushes in the earlier stages of menopause have them for longer periods than those who get these before or during the later stages of menopause.

In this regard, Ellen Freeman, from the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine and the study's lead author said: "Hot flashes [flushes] are pretty common, they're distressing and bothersome to a fair number of women, and they're starting earlier than previously thought".

For conducting this study, Freeman along with colleagues followed a group of around 400 women in the age group 30 to 40. For 13 years, all participating women were annually questioned about their health, including their respective menopause symptoms.

As a result, only 55 women were found to be entirely free of hot flushes, whereas 90 experienced mild flashes, and the rest, 259 women, had moderate to severe hot flashes.