11 Causes Of Night Sweats That You Should Not Ignore

Night Sweats: Causes, Precaution & Home Remedies

If you often wake up at night because of sweating and hot flashes, you lose a lot of sleep and you can damage your health.
Anyone with a serious night sweating episodes knows how awkward it is to wake up at night. Although this condition is not life-threatening, sometimes the causes of night sweats can indicate a very serious health disorder.

In fact, night sweats are manifested as recurrent episodes of extreme sweating and are commonly associated with a health problem, condition or illness. Apart from a health problem or illness, night sweats can be caused by other not so serious triggers such as sleeping in a room with high temperature or covering with too many layers.

When To Visit A Doctor?

Make a doctor’s appointment if the episodes of night sweats are occurring regularly, they disturb your sleep very often, they are accompanied by fever, weight loss, localized pain, cough, diarrhea or other symptoms.

What Causes Night Sweats?

First, we are going to list all the possible causes of night sweats that might indicates something serious. Then, we are going to talk more about the most common reasons why you might suffer from this disorder.

Here are some of the triggers:

• Anxiety
• Autoimmune disorders
• Autonomic neuropathy
• Brucellosis (bacterial infection)
• Carcinoid syndrome
• Addiction (alcohol, opioids, cocaine, cannabis, benzodiazepines, etc.)
• Hodgkin’s disease
• Leukemia
• Myelofibrosis (bone marrow disorder)
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Feochromocytoma (a rare tumor of the adrenal gland)
• Pyogenic abscess
• Sleep disorders (obstructive sleep apnea)
• Stroke
• Menopause
• Syringomyelia (cyst filled with fluid in the spinal cord);
• Tuberculosis

Most Common Causes Of Night Sweats:

1. Cardiovascular Diseases

People with higher cardiovascular risks have known manifestations of night sweats. According to one study, if you suffer from cardiovascular diseases often experience night sweats, chest tightness, discomfort during sleep, difficulty breathing.

2. Sleeping Disorders

Night sweats can also be caused by sleep apnea or some other sleep disorder. Other symptoms that follow destructive sleep include a sharp awakening due to a feeling of choking, daily drowsiness and high blood pressure.

3. Infection

When your body fights with an internal infection, the temperature rises and sweat glands react to cool it. This can cause extreme sweating overnight. Any infection can cause a high fever and sweating, whether a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection. Be very careful as some very serious infections are associated with night sweats. Life-threatening infections, such as osteomyelitis or endocarditis can cause night sweats, and they also cause extreme sweating all the time, jitteriness, vomiting, and overall weakness, often requiring emergency hospitalization. Night sweats are also associated with tuber culosis. Some other symptoms that come with tuberculosis include weakness, fatigue, decreased appetite, joint pain, fever, dry throat, cough, and rashes.

4. Thyroid Disease

The thyroid gland is responsible for the control of the urinary system and metabolism. If you suffer from decreased thyroid function or hypothyroidism you might experience episodes of night sweats. Visit your doctor if the night sweating is accompanied by problems with sleeping, excesive weight loss, mood swings, rapid heartbeat.

5. Weight Gain/Obesity

Weight gain can make you feel hot and can lead to sweating. This is more common during physical activity; however, it can be noticeable at night as well.

6. Hormonal Imbalance

Night sweats in women are often associated with their age. Hormonal imbalance that occurs during menopause, pregnancy and puberty can be the cause of sweating. If you are going through any of these phases, you have probably experienced this uncomfortable situation. Other symptoms of hormonal imbalance are changes in the menstrual cycle, acne, hair loss, pain, sudden obesity, vaginal dryness, urinary problems, sleep problems and variable mood.

7. Side Effects Of Some Medications

Many medicines can cause some side effects, including night sweats. Among them are hormonal tablets, tablets for the treatment of different types of cancer, diabetes control pills, and others. Antidepressants, psychiatric drugs, and even aspirin can cause night sweats. If you are taking any of these medicines, talk to your doctor if they can cause night sweats and if you can replace them with some others.

8. Adrenal Gland Disease (Pheochromocytoma):

A tumor that causes excessive autonomic nervous system function, a pheochromocytoma can cause sweats and flushing, and it usually also causes a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, and anxiety.

9. Autoimmune Diseases

Some diseases of the immune system can also cause night sweats. Among them are lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease.

10. Diabetes

High and low blood sugars can cause sweating all the time, and this can be exacerbated at night due to heavy sheets or pajamas. Diabetes causes hyperglycemia (high blood sugar), and over treatment of hyperglycemia can result in low blood sugar.

11. Stress And Anxiety

Excessive night sweats can also be caused by stress and anxiety. Other symptoms of anxiety and stress are nervousness, tension, panic attacks, constant feeling of fatigue or weakness, problems with digestion, and sleeping disorders.

How To Treat Night Sweats?

Treatment of sweating overnight depends on what is the underlying cause of it, but there are several things that can help you, such as: sleeping in a cold room, avoid wearing synthetic clothes, avoid covering with heavy blankets, avoid the consumption of alcohol, caffeine, spicy food before bedtime, avoid diets with high fat and sugar content, maintain normal weight and hydration of the body.