What to Know About Night Sweats (ماذا تعرف عن تعرق ليلي)

Introduction

Sweating is the body’s natural cooling system in order to prevent the overheating or excessive heating. Night sweats which is mainly excessive sweating during night. It can affect both men and women and can occur due to many diseases in many medical conditions.  Night sweats affects approximately 3 percent of the population and they can be a sign of a serious health disease. Although majority of its causes are not life threatening but should consult a Doctor in case he feels like this. Some examples of medical conditions are –

• In women in peri-menopause and menopause
• Due to certain medications
• Due to certain hormones like – Low Testosterone levels
• Certain neurological problems
• Low blood sugar levels

Causes Of Night Sweats

Here are the certain causes which can cause night sweats

1. Conditions like Perimenopause and Menopause

Perimenopause is a condition which occurs in females, it is just before stopping of menstrual cycle and Menopause is a condition occurring in females in which menstrual cycle stops.

2. Infection (عدوى)

Night sweats is the main feature of the Tuberculosis infection, patient of Tuberculosis feels night sweats. Certain other conditions can be – Influenza, HIV and some other febrile illnesses.

3. Hormonal Imbalances

It can mainly occurs with puberty, pregnancy, diabetes,menopause and thyroid disease.

4. Cancer (سرطان)

Early sign of Cancer is night sweats along with some other symptoms. Mainly night sweats occurs in lymphoma and leukemia cases.

5. Obstructive Sleep Apnea

It is a condition in which feel difficulty in breathing during sleeping. It is known that untreated cases of Obstructive Sleep Apnea cases are 3 times at more risk of having night sweats as compare to normal individuals.

6. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)

Night sweats can also occur in this disease.

7. Other Conditions

Night sweats can also occur in- Parkinsonism disease, low blood sugar levels, Any Cardiovascular disease, In Obesity, In Stress, Any substance abuse like – Heroin.

Symptoms

Other symptoms may occur along with this symptom depending upon the underlying cause, which can be –

• Fever with chills and rigors
• Certain cancers like Lymphomas and Leukemia sand some other infections
• Mood changes
• Vaginal Dryness
• Hot flashes
• Unexplained weight loss
• Associated with certain medications

In Men

Men may experience night sweats due to above listed conditions. Anecdotal study has shown that men may develop night sweats during menopause due to low levels of testosterone hormones at that time.

In Women

Night sweats commonly are associated with sleeping in warm conditions. Some people sweat excessively during both day and night. If somebody has this problem the he feels little embarrassment in sharing it with the Doctor. Women mainly experiences night sweats during peri-menopause and at menopause due to hormonal changes. Hormonal Treatment (HT) can treat this condition if change in lifestyle does not seem enough. Although we can avoid it by sleeping in a well- ventilated room, by maintaining proper body weight, by wearing light clothes and by taking balanced diet.

Medication Side Effects (الآثار الجانبية الدواء)

Various medications like Diabetes medications, hormones,steroids, pain killers and certain antidepressants can cause night sweats. Following are certain medications which can result in night sweats –

• Atorvastatin
• Acyclovir
• Amlodipine
• Buspirone
• Bupropion
• Ciprofloxacin
• Citalopram
• Esomeprazole
• Glipizide
• Hydrocodone
• Insulin
• Lisinopril
• Levothyroxine
• Nicotine replacement
• Omeprazole
• Prednisolone
• Sumatriptan

One should always consult his Doctor in case of any allergy and any side effect to this disease.

Which Type Of Doctors Treat Night Sweats

Internists, Gynecologists and Family practice specialist mainly treat this condition. If night sweats are associated with certain medical conditions then you should consult a Neurologist, Oncologist and Endocrinologist.

Avoid Triggers

If some people get night sweats due to some agents so they should stop these triggering agents. The Triggering agent is that which worsen the situation. Triggering agent can be-

• Excessive stress
• Eating spicy food
• Taking tea, caffeine and alcohol
• Taking heavy blankets
• Wearing tight restrictive clothes
• Smoking
• Being in a warm room

Helpful Habits To Establish

Here are some helpful habits which we can adapt in our daily life to prevent night sweats-

• Maintain a healthy weight
• Use a bed side fan
• Exercise during the day time
• Always keep the temperature down in the bedroom

Find Relief When You Are Trying To Relief

If you are experiencing night sweats then these measures can give you certain relief –

• Turning on the fan
• By removing blankets and sheets
• Slowing and deepening your breath
• Sipping cold water
• Using cooling gels, sprays and pillows
• Always keep the temperature down in bedroom

Treatment (علاج او معاملة)

First of all we should find out the underlying cause of the disease before starting any treatment. If underlying cause is Hormonal irregularity then correcting the hormonal irregularities will be sufficient to treat this. If underlying cause is certain medication then adjusting that medication will be sufficient. Other causes can be treated as accordingly. If there is no underlying cause of this disease then its management includes both the prevention and medical treatment. These include-

• Avoid alcohol, caffeine and spicy food
• Sleep in a cool environment
• Wear light, loose, non -synthetic night clothes
• Make a gap of 2-3 hours of eating before going to bed
• Follow low sugar and low fat diet
• Use fan or air conditioner
• Maintain normal body weight
• Take plenty of water during day
• Practice relaxation breathing exercises before going to bed
• Avoid using heavy comforter or over bundling
• Apply clinic strength antiperspirant to the parts of your body which are more susceptible to sweat like back, chest, underarms, hairline, groin and feet.