Causes Of Night Sweats To Consider

Night sweats are normal when the temperature and air pressure are very high. If not, then excessive sweating during the night can be a symptom that we need to find the cause of.

Believe it or not, it is quite normal to sweat a lot during the night. Sometimes we sweat because we just got over a cold or because we got a mild infection. Night sweats are also common in menopausal women.

Nevertheless, it is important that we make the correct diagnosis for the cause of this problem. There is even an organization, the International Hyperhidrosis Society, that conducts research to raise public awareness of this problem.

Although not everyone who suffers from night sweats also suffers from hyperhidrosis, this condition is quite common. In many cases , this excessive sweating is caused by insomnia, stress, or the anxiety generated when you can’t sleep well at night.

However, it is also possible that an underlying disease, which can be quite serious, is the cause of this problem. In any case, these kinds of conditions must be treated. Below we tell you more about five factors that can cause excessive night sweats.

1. Night sweats and the side effects some drugs cause

Excessive sweating during the night could very well be a side effect of a certain drug.

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania has shown that a lot of treatments for anxiety and depression can cause a person to suffer from night sweats.

• However, this side effect does not occur in all patients. In fact, only 14 to 20 percent of all patients sweat excessively during the night as a result of these types of treatments. By excessive, we mean that these people’s pajamas and sheets get completely soaked.
• Taking too many medicines to relieve pain or inflammation can also be the cause of this problem.

So don’t hesitate to consult your doctor about the possible symptoms or side effects that the medications you are taking may cause.

2. Hyperthyroidism

This is without a doubt the main cause of night sweats.

Hyperthyroidism causes even more obvious symptoms that are quite common, such as fatigue, weight gain, capillary fragility and changes in body temperature.

This problem can also be detected by looking for more obvious symptoms than night sweats.

• For example, it is important to know that changes in the thyroid gland related to the hormone thyroxine also affect metabolism. Some of the main consequences of this are heat intolerance and excessive sweating.

• In addition, in the case of hyperthyroidism, you can also experience palpitations while lying in bed, ringing in the ears and periods of insomnia.

3. Hodgkin’s Lymphoma or Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

At the beginning of this article, we talked about cases where night sweats can be a symptom of more serious conditions.

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma are two examples of these types of serious conditions. These diseases are cancers that initially develop in the lymphocytes, blood cells that are an essential part of the immune system.
• Excessive sweating, a very common symptom of these diseases, can affect the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system consists of lymph tissue, lymphatic vessels and the spleen.

• In general, patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma experience symptoms such as swollen lymph nodes under the armpits or a swollen groin.

However, it is important to know that these types of oncological diseases respond very well to treatment and have a good chance of survival.

4. Hypoglycemia

Night sweats are also a common symptom of hypoglycemia.

For example, it often happens that people who suffer from type 1 diabetes regularly sweat a lot during the night. This is because there may be an imbalance in the glucose level.

If so, there’s a reason for this: the pancreas doesn’t secrete enough insulin. As a result, the body begins to sweat excessively to balance this internal change.

5. Reflux or poor digestion

You have probably experienced this situation more than once: you had eaten too much or consumed something that made you sick and then you woke up in the middle of the night with an unpleasant feeling and found yourself completely soaked.

• The situation we describe above is the way our body reacts to imbalances, threats or internal changes.
• In addition, we must take into account that reflux disease can also be linked to this symptom.

• In case you suffer from this condition you will find that you are completely exhausted, experience frequent chest pain and difficulty breathing. If you really regularly suffer from these symptoms, it is important to consult a doctor.
• Once diagnosed, this condition can be treated and you can return to your normal life without experiencing these discomforts.

So it’s important that you never downplay this symptom.  Excessive sweating during the night is rarely normal if your bedroom is not warm.

Make an appointment with the doctor and explain how you feel and what exactly is going on.