Hot Flashes in Spanish

What it means

A hot flash is a sudden, temporary onset of body warmth, flushing, and sweating, often associated with menopause. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) describes hot flashes as a common symptom of the menopausal transition that is uncomfortable and can last for many years. When they happen at night, hot flashes are called night sweats, and some women find that hot flashes interrupt their daily lives. NIA suggests taking note of what triggers hot flashes and how much they bother you, and it says alcohol, spicy foods, and caffeine can make menopausal symptoms worse. It adds that some women may choose to take hormones to treat their hot flashes or night sweats. In Spanish, the National Cancer Institute enters the term as sofoco and gives bochorno as another name.

Hot Flashes in Spanish

Spanish term: Bochornos
Gender and article: masculine: los bochornos (singular: el bochorno)
Pronunciation: boh-CHOR-nohs

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
sofoco	General	The headword of the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary entry, which gives bochorno as another name for it.
calores súbitos	General	The term the National Institute on Aging's Spanish page uses, glossed there as "también conocidos como sofocos".
oleada de calor	General	Given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary as another name for sofoco.
crisis vasomotora	General	Given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary as another name for sofoco.

The headword bochornos is the plural of bochorno, which the Spanish dictionary enters as a masculine noun. The pages cited here do not print the plural: among the health pages cited the word appears once, in the singular, where the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the symptom as sofoco and adds that it is also called bochorno, crisis vasomotora, fogaje and oleada de calor. The National Institute on Aging's Spanish page uses calores súbitos, "también conocidos como sofocos".

In the Spanish dictionary, bochorno has four senses: hot, bothersome air that rises in summer; suffocating heat; a passing flush of the face; and the unease produced by something that offends, bothers or embarrasses, so the word can also mean embarrassment. When hot flashes happen at night, the NIA's Spanish page says, they are called sudores nocturnos (night sweats). That page calls the stage transición menopáusica, and the NCI entry uses menopausia, enrojecimiento (flushing) and sudoración (sweating).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	Several times a day I get a sudden feeling of heat in my face and chest.	Varias veces al día siento un calor repentino en la cara y el pecho.
Clinician	Do you sweat when it happens?	¿Suda cuando le pasa?
Patient	Yes, and at night the sweating wakes me up.	Sí, y por la noche el sudor me despierta.
Clinician	How long have you been having hot flashes?	¿Desde cuándo tiene bochornos?
Patient	For about six months.	Desde hace unos seis meses.
Clinician	Have you noticed what triggers them?	¿Ha notado qué los desencadena?
Patient	They get worse when I drink coffee or eat spicy food.	Empeoran cuando tomo café o como comida picante.
Clinician	When was your last menstrual period?	¿Cuándo fue su último período menstrual?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Hot Flashes
Spanish (Español)	Bochornos
Chinese (中文)	潮熱
Korean (한국어)	열성 홍조
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bốc hỏa
Filipino (Tagalog)	Biglang init ng katawan
Portuguese (Português)	Ondas de calor
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	ร้อนวูบวาบ
Japanese (日本語)	ほてり

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: N95 → Menopausal and other perimenopausal disorders

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy

All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.