Night Sweats Causes
by Joan
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If you suffer from night sweats, you most likely understand how frustrating and puzzling this sleep disorder can feel. You will research and discover many night sweats causes, including but not limited to menopause, medications, and infections. These are just a few of the night sweats causes, as sweating at night can be a symptom of several different illnesses. Night sweating can occur in both men and women despite the attention brought to menopause, but the symptoms, causes, and treatments can be vastly different for different people. With this guide I hope to provide you strong baseline of understand for what causes night sweats in most situations.
Use the following category list of night sweats causes to skip down to a specific area of concern:
Are You Frustrated From Trying to Determine Your Night Sweats Causes?
- Menopause and Puberty
- Medications
- Infections
- Inflammation
- Hypoglycemia or Diabetes
- Cancer
- Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis
- Neurological Conditions
- Hormone Disorders
- Night Sweats in Men
- Night Sweats in Women
- Sleep Environment
- Treat Your Night Sweats Causes
Menopause and Puberty
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The most common cause of night sweats in women is probably menopause. When a woman is transitioning into menopause, it is common to experience sudden hot flashes and night sweating. This can sometimes occur for several years before the actual start of the menopause. Pre and post-menopause night sweats are perfectly normal, and over time will diminish. I know this doesn’t make them any easier to endure, however, so you might visit my articles on night sweats treatment andmenopause night sweats treatment.
It is worth noting that when children enter adolescence, the onset of puberty may also trigger night sweats with a similar fluctuation of changing hormones.
Medications
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Antidepressants are well known for causing night sweats. Doctors say that 8% to 22% of people taking a wide variety of antidepressant medications experienced sleep hyperhidrosis. Fever reducers or antipyretics, such as acetaminophen, have occasionally been linked to nighttime bouts of sweating. Many other prescription drugs list night sweating and hot flashes as a possible side effect as well. The following medications are often discovered to be night sweats causes:
- hydralazine
- niacin (in high dosage)
- nitroglycerine
- prednisone and prednisolone (cortisone medications)
- tamoxifen
If you are taking any of these medications and you are experiencing night sweating to a degree that makes healthy sleep difficult, I urge you to discuss the matter with your doctor.
Infections
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Infections also play a major role in night sweating. Tuberculosis is most commonly associated with night sweats, but bacterial infections can also play a role. If you are consistently enduring night sweats, you should discuss the matter with your doctor for diagnosis and possible treatments.
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Infectious diseases such as HIV or AIDS are also know to trigger night sweats.
Inflammation
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More and more suggests various forms of inflammation wreaks havoc on our bodies and takes a pivotal role in aging. Any kind of inflammation in your body can cause you to sweat excessively, but in particular Endocarditis my cause severe night sweats. Endocartitis is an inflammation of the inner heart valves.
But again, any inflammation could be the culprit, so you might have your doctor evaluate for any kind of source of inflammation in your system.
Hypoglycemia or Diabetes
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In general, experiencing a period where you suffer from unusually low blood sugar may cause you to perspire. This is especially true if you experience low blood sugar while asleep.
In particular, individuals taking oral anti-diabetic medicines or insulin may suffer from night sweats as a result of hypoglycemia (low blood glucose).
One common and serious cause of undiagnosed night sweats is Diabetes Insipidus (Type I or Type II Diabetes) or Hypoglycemia, so if you can’t determine the cause of your night sweating and it persists, you should make sure your doctor addresses these possibilities.
Cancer
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I don’t want any of my readers to panic, so understand that this is probably not the most likely cause of your night sweats. However, you should understand that night sweats are commonly one of the earliest symptoms of cancer, especially of lymphoma.
But keep in mind that other symptoms, such as a fever and unusual weight loss will also occur around the same time as night sweats. As always, please have a medical professional evaluate you before you jump to conclusions in either direction (assuming your sweating at night is or isn’t derived from the presence of cancer).
Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis
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One of the most mysterious and frustrating causes of sleep hyperhidrosis is idiopathic hyperhidrosis. This is simply when you suffer from chronic and excessive perspiration for no identifiable reason at all. It is essentially a condition in itself and not a symptom of anything else.
While there is no current cure for idiopathic hyperhidrosis, there are treatments and in some cases certain surgical procedures that may help. Please see my night sweats treatment guide for more.
Neurological Conditions
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While neurologic problems are less likely to be the source of your sweating while sleeping, they still have been found to be the night sweats causes for some people. Among the neurological problems associated with severe night sweating are the following:
Please visit those trustworthy, authoritative sources for more information on those complex conditions.
Hormone Disorders
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While I’ll discuss gender-specific hormone disorders below, there are also some gender-neutral hormonal problems that manifest themselves with excessive night sweating. These include carcinoid syndrome, hyperthyroidism and pheochromocytoma.
Night Sweats in Men
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Andropause, also known as male menopause, is caused by the reduction of testosterone levels as men age. Andropause occurs in men of all ages. Men may experience a plethora of different andropausal symptoms, such as sweating, anxiety, depression, lack of concentration, and insomnia. As a man’s hormones fluctuate over time, cold sweats can also occur. Andropause may also occur as a result of dramatic shifts in lifestyle, such as being an intense, competitive weight lifter who suddenly gives up lifting. For more on andropause, please visit my night sweats in men guide.
Night Sweats in Women
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While menopause is the primary cause of night sweats in women, it isn’t the only possible cause. If a woman suffers from low blood sugar, she can experience night sweat. Night hot flashes can also be caused by the aforementioned hormonal disorders, just as they are for men. Additionally, there are different causes of low estrogen symptoms, which may lead to night sweating.
When Your Sleep Environment Causes Night Sweats
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While there are many medical reasons for night sweating, the most common reason for experiencing night sweats is the fact that your room or sleeping environment is simply too hot. These types of night sweats are extremely typical and usually provide no reason to worry. If you experience excessive sweating while sleeping, you may consult a doctor, but often sweating while you are asleep is perfectly harmless. Please consult my guides to night sweats bedding and night sweats sleepwear for more on this matter.
Treat Your Night Sweats Causes
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Turn down the thermostat, take off a few blankets, sleep in a cooler room, change into cooler pajamas –- try to do something to cool yourself down. If you are worried about a serious medical condition, consult a doctor to find the appropriate solution for your situation. While I offer some natural remedies for night sweats relief and some more aggressive night sweats treatment, always begin with an open and honest discussion with your doctor.
Most cases of sleep hyperhidrosis are typically harmless. Men and women can experience sleep hyperhidrosis differently, but in many cases, the causes can be similar. Try not to worry about mild sweating at night or waking up in a cold sweat, it’s usually nothing. Try to find a method to help you eliminate your particular case of night sweats. If nothing helps, consult a doctor to pinpoint your personal night sweats causes.
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