It can sometimes be uncomfortable or distressing to experience. The result is a red appearance on the face that sometimes extends down to the neck and chest, that may be accompanied by sweating. What is actually happening is a complex nervous system response that dilates small blood vessels just under the skin so that they can release the heat they carry into the atmosphere. It may seem counterintuitive, since the nature of a hot flush is that it makes us feel hot, red and uncomfortable. Hot flushes are another mechanism for the body to get rid of unwanted heat. It is also why we sweat when we are hot as the liquid evaporates from our skin it provides a cooling effect. That is why we shiver when we are cold the activity raises our body temperature. When the bounds of temperature are crossed, the hypothalamic thermal nucleus instructs our body to take actions that bring us back into normal range. The hypothalamic thermal nucleus maintains our bodies within a temperature range that allows our cells to perform the vast array of processes that make use of energy and function, and keep us alive. It exists for the sole purpose of our survival rather than comfort and is located on an organ called the hypothalamus. Believe it or not, there exists an actual thermostat within our brains as well. Who hasn’t fought over the thermostat at home? Whether we like an enveloping warmth or a brisk cool atmosphere, temperature is very important to us as human beings.
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