Hot flash counter: "Mainit ba talaga, o ako lang?"

This is one of the most common questions we see. Filipinas describe it as heat "coming from inside me na sumisingaw palabas", or feeling hot "kahit naka aircon". A hot flash is an internal temperature event driven by changing hormones, so a cool room does not prevent it. That is why it can hit you in a freezing mall.

Hot flashes are common here. In a 2012 community sample of Filipino women, hot flushes were the most commonly reported symptom, at 48.1% (Matsuo et al. 2012). Another older Filipino study, cited at a 2025 PGH symposium, found hot flashes among the least reported symptoms (UP Manila). Studies vary. Your own count is what matters for you.

• Tap when a flash starts. The time is saved automatically.
• Rate it: mild, moderate or strong.
• Tag it (optional): hot room, coffee, alcohol, spicy food, stress, night.
• Night flashes you remember in the morning can be added with a rough time.

You can add the counter to your home screen so it opens like an app. Flashes feed into the symptom diary and the Health Report.

The counter shows flashes per day, per night and per week, and which tags show up most. Three things to look for:

1. Frequency: how many a day, on a typical day.
2. Night flashes: these are night sweats, and they are often what wrecks sleep.
3. Change over time: whether things are getting better, worse or staying the same, especially after you start or stop anything.

There is no "normal" number. What matters is how much the flashes affect your sleep, work and mood. A tag that appears with many flashes is a pattern worth noting, not proof of a cause. Note that the 2023 Menopause Society nonhormone statement does not recommend trigger avoidance, cooling or paced breathing as effective treatments for hot flashes (Contemporary OB/GYN). They may make you more comfortable, but they are not a treatment plan.

Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for hot flashes, according to The Menopause Society 2022 position statement (NAMS 2022). Non-hormonal options with good evidence include CBT, clinical hypnosis, some SSRIs and SNRIs, gabapentin and weight loss (Menopause Society 2023). Herbal remedies and soy were not recommended. See HRT for menopause and non-hormonal treatments, and bring your counts to a menopause-literate doctor.

Every tap is stored only on your device. Nothing goes to our server or into analytics. Export your data before you change phones, and delete it any time. The counter does not diagnose menopause and does not suggest medicines or doses. If a flash comes with chest pain, a racing heart that will not settle, or fainting, that is not a hot flash to log: get medical help.