The causes of Night Sweats

night sweats concerns Night sweats or sleep hyperhidrosis as it sometimes known is a condition where by which a person will sweat excessively while they are asleep. Often times this is linked to excessive sweating when a person is awake and if the sufferer is a woman it is commonly attributed to menopause. Recent findings have found that there may be other reasons for women to be suffering from the uncomfortable and sometimes embarrassing condition of night sweats.

Consequences of Night sweats

Even though Night Sweats are not dangerous they can be debilitating and distressing. Women who suffer from the condition can have their sleep disrupted by restless nights as the condition usually wakes sufferers due to damp sheets or nightwear.

Common causes

night sweats hormone The two most common causes of night sweats are usually genetic or due to menopause. In case of the latter the cause is primarily because of an imbalance in women’s hormonal levels. Women over 40 regularly suffer from a range of menopausal symptoms due to such an imbalance. These can range from depression to incontinence and include the symptoms of Night Sweats. Night sweats in women is a common result of a hormonal balance and the condition can often appear during pregnancy. Doctors have also noted that night sweats in menopausal women are usually the result of extreme hot flashes during the night.

Other causes

Menopause is the most common reason for Night Sweats amongst women over the age of 40 but other factors have also been identified as potentially being a cause of the condition.

Anti-depressants and Night Sweats:
The chance of someone taking anti-depressants suffering from Night Sweats as a side effect is 8-22%

Infections: Tuberculosis is usually associated with someone who may be suffering from night sweats. Tuberculosis isn’t the only bacterial infection linked to the condition however and it isn’t uncommon for others such as abcesses, osteomyelitis and endocarditis to all be possible causes for the occurrence of Night Sweats. Of critical concern however is that Night sweats are an indicator that someone may have the AIDS virus.

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis: The condition is best described as an ailment in which for no medical reason causes the human body to sweat excessively.

Medications: Different medications can cause Night Sweats in some people. Anti-depressants are the most common drug to cause this, but other drugs which are meant to lower fevers can also cause the condition such as: Acetaminophen and aspirin.

Cancers: Lymphoma is the most common cancer that is linked to Night Sweat.

Treatments for night sweats

night sweats water Many methods of relief exist to relieve Night Sweats and these range from keeping cold water to hand and the use of moisture wicking nightwear. More permanent methods such as Hormone replacement therapy exist for the treatment of night sweats.

True night sweats with medical causes should be properly investigated by a physician. There are many ways to help relieve night sweats. By keeping a cool glass of water on the night stand and wearing moisture wicking pajamas, many people suffering from night sweats have found relief.

Treatments such as Hormone Replacement therapy do have the ability to curb the menopausal symptom of hot flashes, but carry with them a certain degree of risk. For this reason it is important that all treatment options for night sweats are considered carefully.