Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a lot of sweat? That’s why you’re here, isn’t it? Well, there are many reasons for night sweats in men and women of different age groups.
What is night sweating ?
Night sweats are basically excessive perspiration or sweating happening at night. These are common symptoms of menopause, but they can be associated with another underlying medical condition such as heart disease, stress or anxiety.
Usually, these are not serious, but it is important to know when they need evaluation.
Causes of night sweats
The most common cause is hormonal fluctuations during menopause, but in a normal healthy person, hot weather or overeating or spicy foods before bed can cause night sweats.
Night sweats can also be caused by few medical conditions such as
- Hypoglycemia ( extremely low sugar levels )
- Hyperthyroidism
- Stress or anxiety
- Hyperacidity
- Cancer
- Infections
- Side effects of chemotherapy
- Overconsumption of caffeine
Few medications like antidepressants, hormone therapy or opioids can also result in sweating at night.
It can also happen in men who have their testicles removed due to prostate cancer.
Treatment
Occasional episodes of night sweats may not require any treatment. But if you are having them frequently then you should speak to your doctor for an evaluation and address the underlying cause.
The following are common causes of night sweats along with preventable treatment options:
Menopause
If you are in a menopause phase, you should avoid the triggering factors of hot flashes and sweats. Stay in cool rooms and take supplements to balance your hormones.
Your doctor may also prescribe you hormone replacement therapy, but considering a herbal approach is a better idea.
Infections
During any infection, you may have a fever with night sweats and your doctor may prescribe you antibiotics, antivirals, or other medicines to treat it.
Hyperthyroidism
It is an autoimmune disease in which your body’s natural metabolism increases beyond what is needed and can cause you to have sweaty episodes. Your doctor may suggest medication, radiation, or sometimes surgery treat hyperthyroidism.
Hypoglycemia
Your blood sugar levels can drop simply if you haven’t eaten for a long time and you can sweat like anything. So keep on eating small portions of protein and fibre everybody hours.
If you are diabetic and are taking oral antibiotic-diabetic pills, you may have symptoms of hypoglycaemia for a variety of reasons. So your doctor may modify your medication dose and ask you to follow a strict diet.
Anxiety
If you have an anxiety factor then your doctor may presscribe your anti-anxiety medication to reduce your symptoms.
Alcohol and caffeine
Limiting alcohol and caffeine can reduce the incidence of night sweats. Your doctor may prescribe certain medicines to help you quit.
Your sleeping habits also helps to provide some relief, choose
- an airy cool room
- looser pyjamas
- light blankets
- use of air-con or a fan accordingly
When to consult a doctor
Usually, night sweats are not a cause of concern, but sometimes you need to pay attention and seek medical advice. Consult your doctor if you have any of the following conditions:
- If you have night sweats and you are in menopause stage and you age between 40-50
- Frequent episodes
- Sweating with fever or cough
- Chest pain with profuse sweating
How to prevent night sweats?
A healthy lifestyle is a key to a happy lifestyle. Almost every health condition is related to our lifestyle and staying healthy keeps you away from such situations. Following changes can prevent night sweats naturally:
- Cooler sleeping habits
- Limit alcohol and caffeine
- Avoid tobacco
- Avoid spicy and deep-fried food
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Practice slow breathing exercise and meditate to help with stress and anxiety
Do consider a consultation with your doctor if you are having unexplained frequent sweating episodes. Depending on your condition he may recommend lifestyle changes and medication to treat it.
I hope this article was informative enough to know why you get night sweats and how you can help yourself. Be sure to sign up for my free newsletter so you can receive new health-related posts where I offer an alternative approach to medical conditions.
