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Night sweats are not always a sign of serious health problems. They can be the result of sleeping in a hot room, side effects of taking certain medications, inappropriate clothing, but also fever, viral and bacterial infections. If sweating at night is frequent or recurrent, a medical consultation may be crucial to confirm or exclude the presence of serious diseases.
Common causes of night sweats
Excessive sweating at night it can be caused by too high temperature or humidity in the bedroom. In summer, it is recommended to sleep with the window open and air the room before going to bed. Bedding and pajamas made of artificial, non-breathable materials, as well as too thick a duvet can effectively reduce the comfort of sleep. Taking certain medications, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, and steroids, may be associated with night sweats. It works diaphoretic the use of some herbssuch as willow bark, elderberry and raspberry fruit. Another classic cause of this condition is infection, be it viral or bacterial, with accompanying fever and chills.
Night sweats in men they are often associated with andropause, i.e. a reduction in testosterone levels, and in women – menopause associated with the arrest of menstruation. Changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle can also contribute to this excessive sweating while sleeping. On the other hand, if sweating occurs in healthy children, it is probably a sign of nightmares or stress.
Causes of night sweats – when is it worth seeing a doctor?
In a situation when night sweating is not related to the above factors or recurs frequently, diagnostics for serious diseases will be needed. Among them, hormonal disorders are often mentioned, e.g. hyperthyroidism, usually associated with hand tremors, weight loss and heart palpitations. Another cause may be hypoglycaemia, which is a decrease in blood sugar levels. The most serious disease that can be attested by night sweats is cancer. They most often appear in the first stages of leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Other symptoms indicative of cancer are weight loss, low-grade fever or fever, pale skin, and enlarged lymph nodes.
Night sweats and mental state
A common cause of night sweats there is neurosis, anxiety disorders and chronic stress. If you experience headaches, dizziness, throat tightness, muscle tension, abdominal pain, rapid heartbeat during the day, these are signals to visit a psychologist or psychiatrist.
The basis of sweating at night There may also be sleep apnea manifested by loud snoring followed by a long silence, awakening from sleep due to lack of air, fatigue and headaches upon waking, excessive irritability and nervousness. Apnea is most often associated with abnormal structure of the upper respiratory tract, but also with hypothyroidism, obesity, and alcohol abuse.