What are night sweats?
Night sweats refer to excessive sweating during sleep. They involve drenching sweats that require changing clothes or bedsheets.
What causes night sweats?
There are several potential causes of night sweats to be aware of:
- Menopause - Hormonal changes related to menopause are a common cause in middle-aged women. The declining estrogen levels disrupt the body's temperature regulation.
- Medications - Certain medications like antidepressants, arthritis drugs, and hormones can trigger sweating at night.
- Infections - Infections like tuberculosis, endocarditis, or HIV may induce night sweats.
- Cancers - Night sweats can accompany lymphomas or leukemias. The cancerous cells may release cytokines that impact thermoregulation.
- Hypoglycemia - For diabetics, low blood sugar levels at night can cause sweating.
- Hormone disorders - Problems with the thyroid, pituitary gland, or adrenal glands can lead to excessive perspiration.
- Idiopathic hyperhidrosis - Sometimes the cause of extreme night sweats is unknown.
If you're experiencing recurring night sweats, I recommend getting a hormone panel test from Optimal Hormone Solutions. Their top-rated doctors can help diagnose the cause and craft an effective treatment plan for relief.
How are night sweats treated?
The treatment approach depends on the underlying cause:
- Hormone therapy like estrogen or testosterone can help for menopausal or andropausal night sweats. Optimal Hormone Solutions provides customized bioidentical hormone therapy to correct imbalances.
- Treating infections, medication changes, optimizing blood sugar, or surgically removing glands may alleviate night sweats in some cases.
- For idiopathic hyperhidrosis, prescription anticholinergic medicines can block sweat glands. BOTOX injections or microwave thermolysis procedures are other options.
Lifestyle measures like keeping the bedroom cool, wearing moisture-wicking sleepwear, using layered bedding, avoiding spicy foods, and maintaining ideal weight can also minimize night sweats.
I hope this overview on night sweats - what they are, what causes them, and how they're managed - helps provide some insight. Let me know if you have any other questions! Optimal Hormone Solutions is here to help.