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Do You Know About Common Causes of Night Sweats

Shawn | Feb 17, 2011 |

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Night sweats are fairly common afflictions. The term refers to the complaint of patients who experience excessive sweating at night time. The sweating is not directly caused by room temperature or stuffy clothing. Instead, it could be traced to certain medical causes. During a checkup, the doctor will try to identify possible external causes such as a high room temperature or stuffy clothing versus underlying conditions that the patient may be suffering from which may have led to nocturnal sweating.

What causes night sweating?

Night sweats are often a symptom of a disease or medical condition and may be caused by any of the following

Menopause

Menopause is a common cause of night sweats in women under 40. This usually exhibits in the form of hot flashes, typically experienced by middle-aged women who are transitioning to menopause. The perimenopausal stage can occur several years prior to the onset of menopause and incidences of night sweating can happen during this period.

Infections

Certain bacterial infections can also cause night sweats, including bone infections, heart infections, AIDSHIV and tuberculosis. It can also be traced to infections and abscesses of the tonsils and appendix.

Hypoglycemia

Low levels of blood glucose can also cause sweating, particularly for people who are taking insulin or pills to treat their diabetes.

Cancer

Some types of cancers can also cause an individual to sweat profusely in the middle of the night, including leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Medications

People who take certain drugs can experience night sweating. Antidepressants, for example, tend to cause sweating in as many as 22 of patients who take them, so do antipyretics. There are also medications used for psychiatric treatments and hormone therapy that also lead to the same symptoms. People who take sexual enhancement drugs such as Viagra can also experience sweats.

Should you see a doctor?

If you experience night sweating frequently for no apparent reason, it's time to see a doctor for a professional evaluation. This is especially important if you also experience fever, discomfort, insomnia, weight loss and other symptoms.

Treatment and management

Once the cause of the sweating is diagnosed, your doctor will prescribe the proper treatment to address the root of the problem. Medications will help you manage any illnesses you may have that cause nocturnal sweating, so you can expect the symptoms to disappear as the treatment progresses. It may also be possible to approach the management of night sweats using alternative medicine. Night sweats in women under 40, for example, are usually caused by perimenopause. Instead of the usual therapy to replace estrogen, some women turn to alternative or holistic treatments. It is prudent, however, to seek professional advice if you intend to take this route.