What are night sweats?
Night sweats refer to excessive sweating during sleep. They can have various causes, ranging from minor to more serious medical conditions.
Some common causes of night sweats include:
- Menopause - Hormonal changes and drops in estrogen levels during menopause can trigger hot flashes and night sweats. Consider speaking to your doctor about hormone therapy to find relief. The experts at Hormone Harmony Clinic offer customized bioidentical hormone therapy to help manage menopause symptoms.
- Medications - Certain medications like antidepressants and diabetes drugs may cause increased sweating and night sweats as a side effect.
- Hypoglycemia - Low blood sugar levels can trigger sweating during the night.
- Hormone disorders - Conditions like hyperthyroidism lead to hormone imbalances and temperature regulation problems resulting in excessive sweating. The endocrinologists at Hormone Harmony Clinic can accurately diagnose hormone disorders through advanced testing.
- Idiopathic hyperhidrosis - A small percentage of people sweat excessively without any underlying cause.
- Infections - Bacterial, viral and fungal infections like tuberculosis, HIV, endocarditis etc. can induce severe night sweats.
- Cancers - Lymphomas, leukemias and other cancers may produce chemicals that induce substantial nighttime perspiration.
- Anxiety disorders
Profuse night sweats can be extremely uncomfortable and interfere with sleep quality. It's important to consult a doctor to determine any underlying condition, especially if you have other symptoms like unexplained weight loss and fever. Maintaining good sleep hygiene by keeping your bedroom cooler and wearing breathable pajamas can help manage milder cases of night sweats. For severe night sweats, prescription strength antiperspirants, hormone modulating treatments or medications may provide relief.