What Causes Night Sweats


What Are Night Sweats?

You could break into a sweat when your room feels warm or you’ve piled on too many blankets. But that’s not what we’re talking about. “Night sweats” refers to repeated drenching perspiration in the middle of the night that’s likely to wake you, and sometimes so much that you need to change your sheets. It’s usually related to a medical issue. Dealing with whatever that is may relieve the sweating.

Overactive Thyroid

Sweating more and being sensitive to heat are notable symptoms of hyperthyroidism. Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism, so when it makes too much hormone, your body goes into overdrive. Your body temperature rises, and you could be hungrier or thirstier, have a racing pulse or shaking hands, feel tired and out of sorts, get diarrhea, and lose weight.

Low Blood Sugar

Do you have diabetes? While your blood glucose may be OK when you turn in, it can drop while you’re asleep. Maybe you had a very active day, or exercised in the evening, or had a late dinner. If you use insulin or take a sulfonylurea-type drug to manage your diabetes, that may be responsible for your overnight hypoglycemia. When your glucose is lower than 140 mg/dL before bed, or it could fall in a few hours, have a snack.

 

Sleep Apnea

When you have this condition, you briefly stop breathing over and over during the night. Because your body isn’t getting oxygen, it may slip into “fight or flight” mode, which triggers sweating. Each time it has to kick-start breathing means a burst of work from your muscles, too. People who use a CPAP machine to help them breathe at night have night sweats about as often as those who don’t have sleep apnea.

Acid Reflux

It’s not only the heartburn and chest pain that can wake you up. GERD hasn’t been studied much as a cause of night sweats, but doctors say there’s a possible connection. And treating it can often ease your night sweats. Eat smaller meals, and not before bed. Avoid trigger foods — like those that are fatty, fried, or tomato-based. See your doctor if your symptoms are severe or happen more than a couple of times a week.

Lymphoma

Many cancers can cause night sweats, but the most common is lymphoma, which starts in parts of your body’s immune system, like lymph nodes, the spleen, bone marrow, and the thymus. About a quarter of people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma get night sweats and have a low fever. They may also be tired, itchy, and, after drinking alcohol, hurt where their tumor is. People with aggressive or advanced non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma can get drenching night sweats, too.

Medications

Lots of drugs may cause night sweats, including over-the-counter fever reducers like acetaminophen and NSAIDs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Older antidepressants, called tricyclics or TCAs, as well as bupropion and venlafaxine, hormone replacement therapy, and steroids like cortisone and prednisone are common suspects. Some medicines for glaucoma and dry mouth also stimulate your sweat glands. Check with your pharmacist or doctor.

Tuberculosis

About half of all people who get this disease have night sweats. The bacteria usually grow in your lungs. You’ll probably have a serious, painful cough with blood and colored gunk (phlegm). You also might feel feverish, tired, and weak, and have no appetite.

Anxiety

Stress, worry, and panic can make you break out in a sweat during the day, so it’s no surprise anxiety can have the same effect at night. Nightmares and sleep terrors are less common in adults than children, but both can leave anyone sweaty and with a pounding heart. Seek help from a counselor, therapist, or your doctor if these disturbances are ongoing or causing problems in your life.

HIV

Fever, sore or swollen lymph nodes, and joint pain are more common symptoms after you first get the virus and become HIV-positive, but about 1 in 10 people get night sweats. People living with HIV who have symptoms like weight loss and diarrhea may get night sweats once a week or so. AIDS-related opportunistic infections like mycobacterium avium (MAC, MAI) and cytomegalovirus can cause them, too.

Tumors

Prostate cancer, kidney cancer, and some tumors in the ovaries and testicles (both cancerous and not) are common examples of what doctors call “solid tumors” that can cause night sweats. A type of advanced thyroid cancer and cancer in your pancreas could also set them off. Night sweats are a classic symptom of carcinoid syndrome, the effect of a rare cancer usually found in your digestive system or lungs.

Menopause

“Hot flashes” before and after your final period can be hard to distinguish from night sweats. Younger women who’ve had both ovaries removed or who stopped menstruating because of chemo can also get them. They’re more likely to happen when you’re anxious, depressed, or have a drink every day. But just because you’re a woman of the right age (typically, in your late 40s or 50s), don’t assume your night sweats are menopause-related.

Infection

A recent bacterial infection could trigger night sweats, often with a fever. For example, you could get brucellosis from raw milk or unpasteurized cheese, or if you handle animals or animal products. Other common bacterial infections are endocarditis (the inner lining of your heart), osteomyelitis (bone), and a pocket of pus in your liver called a pyogenic abscess.

Pheochromocytoma

This rare tumor that grows in the adrenal glands usually isn’t cancerous, but it can cause your body to make too many hormones, which raise your blood pressure and cause night sweats, headache, and a racing pulse. Most people with a pheochromocytoma are between 20 and 50. You’re more likely to have it if you have a hard time controlling your high blood pressure or have family members who’ve had one or a related genetic disorder.

Find Relief

A lower temperature in the bedroom and fans to circulate the air may make you more comfortable. Use moisture-wicking quick-dry sheets and PJs. Avoid synthetic fabrics that don’t breathe. If you can’t figure out what’s causing your night sweats, keep a diary to share with your doctor. Ideally, you’ll be able to treat the cause and not just the symptom.

FAQs:

What causes night sweat?
Neurological Conditions. Hyperthyroidism, which is also known as overactive thyroid, can cause night sweats because too much thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland. Carcinoid syndrome is rare but can cause night sweats because excess hormones are released by lung or intestinal tumors.

Why am I sweating at night in my Sleep?
There may not be an identifiable cause for your night sweats; this is referred to as idiopathic hyperhidrosis. Hot days and workouts are not the only things that trigger the drive to cool us down. Other conditions can trigger the production of excess sweat, particularly during sleep.

What causes night sweats and how can you prevent them?
Night sweats are caused by the expansion of blood vessels, which results in a hot flash felt over your entire body. The body reacts to this heat wave by sweating, increasing your heart rate and inflammation of the skin. Read on to find out what causes night sweats, and how you can stop them from occurring.

How to prevent and manage night sweats?
How to Prevent Night Sweats

  • Keep your bedroom cool.
  • Use moisture wicking bed sheets.
  • Wear moisture wicking sleep clothing.
  • Don’t use antiperspirant before bed.
  • Avoid spicy and acidic foods.
  • Avoid hot beverages.
  • Cut down on alcohol and caffeine.
  • Drink lots of water throughout the day.
  • Maintain a healthy diet.
  • Manage stress.
  • Exercise once a day.

What is natural remedy for night sweats?
Ginseng is another popular herbal remedy used for alleviating menopausal symptoms, especially night sweats. It’s best to take this herb in small doses because it can decrease the amount of natural estrogen the body produces.

Why do I always sweat all over my body during sleep?
Sweating is the body’s natural cooling system to prevent overheating. The brain’s hypothalamus regulates our body temperature eventually leading to the stimulation of over 2 million sweat glands to help keep us cool. As the watery sweat evaporates from the skin, it releases heat energy, which, in turn, cools the body.

How can drinking water help prevent night sweats?
Drinking water could help prevent night sweats in a number of ways. Firstly, it contributes to the healthy functioning of the body and its various processes in a general sense.

When should I be concerned about night sweats?
Though night sweats in men do occur, especially after age 50, they can happen on occasion to anyone. The following are reasons to be concerned and to see a doctor: When they happen on a regular basis. Try to keep track so you can share the data with your doctor.

What’s the best natural remedy for sleeping through the night?
Vitamin D can remedy daytime drowsiness while improving overall well-being. And that affects sleep. B vitamins helps tryptophan in your body convert to niacin and serotonin, which regulate sleep and increase REM. Passion flower is regularly added to sleep supplements or can be taken separately as an anti-anxiety.

Why do I breathe so heavy when I Sleep?
If you wake up gasping for air or have been informed that you’re breathing heavily while sleeping, it may be from heavy snoring or sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is caused by blockages to the airways resulting from relaxed throat muscles. You end up gasping for air because you can’t take in oxygen.

What causes night sweats Besides menopause?
The most common causes of night sweats. Besides menopause, night sweats can be caused by: Acute infections, such as tuberculosis or endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves) Anxiety. Cancers, such as leukemia or lymphoma. Certain medications, like antidepressants, hormone therapies and diabetes drugs.

What are the benign causes of night sweats?
Benign Causes of Night Sweats. Most episodes of night sweats are due to a variety of nonserious causes. Excessive heating in the room or use of too many blankets can cause sweating while trying to sleep. Eating spicy foods or exercising excessively before bed are also common cause.

Are night sweats a sign of low testosterone?
A woman’s hormonal imbalance during menopause can cause excessive night sweats, and low testosterone levels produce similar symptoms in a man. Reduced testosterone due to the natural aging process can lead to andropause, referred to in some medical circles as male menopause.

What causes head sweating while you sleep?
Other causes of excessive head sweating while sleeping. A number of medical problems can lead to excessive night head sweats. These conditions consist of carcinoid syndrome (type of malignant tumor), myelfibrosis (bone marrow condition), brucellosis (bacterial infection), pyogenic abscess (severe pus- filled teeth cavity).

What causes night sweats in men over 60?
Night Sweats In Men Over 40 Causes. The following are common causes: Andropause: hormonal changes occur after 40 – 45 years. The level of testosterone diminishes, consequently, this a manifesting feature. Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis: i.e. there is no known cause. Alcoholism: excessive alcohol intake of alcohol.


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Posted in Health, Health & Fitness, Health Care & Medical, Medical.

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