Day and Night Sweats

Sweating can be unpleasant –ask anyone who’s had to run to give a presentation, only to arrive looking (and smelling) like they should take a shower, not discussing important PowerPoint slides. But sometimes, excessive sweating may seem inevitable, as in the case of day and night sweats in menopausal women.

Hot Flashes and Day and Night Sweats

Sweating during the day or night, especially in menopausal women, is usually the result of hot flashes, those infamous bursts of intense heat that disappear as quickly as they arrived. Hot flashes, in turn, are caused by hormone fluctuations and their affect on the brain. Hot flashes are characterized by:

• Flushed or warm skin.
• Nausea.
• Headache.
• Rush of intense heat.
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats.
• Chills.
• And, of course, profuse sweating.

When these sweats occur at night, women may notice that their sheets are damp or even soaked through with sweat –evidence that a hot flash has occurred.

Managing Day and Night Sweats

When day and night sweats begin to negatively impact a woman’s daily life, it is time to manage them. Although it is impossibly to eradicate day and night sweats 100% of the time, women have a few options to help them in a pinch.

• Maintain a cool environment
Merely opening some windows, turning on a fan, or cranking up the AC can help create an appropriate temperature.

• Wear light and breathable clothing
Certain fabrics (cotton, linen, silk) are more breathable than others (polyester, nylon, spandex) and can help women maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day. During cooler month, wearing plenty of layers can help women adapt to changing temperatures in a jiff.

• Have some ice handy
Weather in the form of an ice pack, ice water, or even ice cream, keeping something cold on hand can help women regulate their body temperatures effectively.

More Information about Day and Night Sweats

For women who want more control over their day and night sweats, there are three types of treatment options available. Organized in order of least intense to most intense, they are:

• Lifestyle changes.
• Alternative medicines.
• Prescription drugs.

Women who are suffering from uncomfortable day and night sweats do not need to suffer in sweaty silence. Rather, they have the power to explore these options and discuss them with a trusted doctor to discover the right solution for them.

Other Related Articles:
What do night sweats indicate?
What causes heavy night sweats?
Understanding Night Sweats Causes
The causes of Night Sweats