Night sweats: causes sweating at night in men and women

Sweating is one form of the physiological needs of the organism. Sweat out some harmful substances and poisons, increased sweating performs a thermoregulatory function.

Sweating is increased in the daytime, when active physical and mental stress. At night, on the contrary, the natural loss of moisture is significantly reduced.

However, all people will sooner or later experience a condition where at night they begin sweating (hyperhidrosis), for unknown reasons. We’ll talk about this in more detail, will try to find out the causes of the problem.

Night sweats: causes

Sweating at night can develop according to physiological and external causes, and also on the basis of a number of diseases.

Causes sweating not related to a disease, peculiar to all people:

• overly insulated bedding – blanket featherbed. Synthetic pillow covers, pillows, sheets, duvet covers, which do not absorb moisture, not give it freely to evaporate. There is an effect of accumulation and overheating of the body, which meets in the dream, even more sweating;
• nightgowns, pajamas, dressing gowns, especially those from mainly synthetic fibres, tightly cover your body;
• high humidity and ambient temperature. For optimal night’s rest is the temperature above 20-22°C. Night sweats, can occur at high humidity even at low ambient temperatures.
• late dinner and the way is in the night, especially if the habits are accompanied by the intake of alcohol, fatty, fried, salty and smoked food.

Please note: highlighted common factors that cause hyperhidrosis all, but also a special condition that cause sweating in men, women and children.

Pathological States and diseases that lead to night sweats:

• specific and non-specific acute infectious diseases, severe intoxication, and a rise in body temperature. In this case the sweat glands take an active part in the removal of viral and bacterial toxins;
• specific infections that have a tendency to long for (TB, AIDS);
• chronic infectious pathology, especially in the acute phase (chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract, kidneys, urinary tract, pancreas, etc.);
• ailments accompanying the development of cardiac and pulmonary insufficiency
• pathology of the endocrine system (disorders of thyroid function, diabetes mellitus;
• metabolic diseases (eg. the disease Itsenko-Kushinga);
• diseases causing allergic reactions;
• systemic connective tissue disease with an autoimmune component (rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, polyarthritis);
• tumors;
• diseases of the blood and lymphoid tissue;
• treatment of a number of cytostatic (antineoplastic);
• pathology of the nervous system (neuritis, neuropathy);
• mental illness (neurosis, stress, psychoses, acute phase of schizophrenia);
• diseases that cause depletion of the body, or Vice versa – obesity;
• alcoholism, substance abuse and addiction.

Note: almost any disease can cause excessive sweating.

Night sweats in men

There are specific conditions and diseases that cause night sweats in men. In particular, excessive night hyperhidrosis can be a manifestation of a hormonal imbalance. While reducing production of the male hormone testosterone, men this background, begin to experience the effects of estrogen (female sex hormone). This leads to attacks of fever, rush of blood to specific areas of the body, severe night sweats. Especially if the background of the disease in men is excessive production of estrogens.

To promote male hormonal hyperhidrosis can alcohol, drugs, or any strong substances, including drugs).

In the period of crisis the transition from adulthood to old age and old age, the beginning of which account for approximately 45 years of age, males begin to experience psychic experiences. They are connected with the changing appearance (hair loss, gray hair, body fat, muscle loss, chronic diseases), which is a direct result of hormonal changes. Most are difficult to adapt to the inevitability of aging. Against this background, in men rates of depression, fears, deep feelings. The dream is broken, there are heavy dreams, which are accompanied by profuse sweating.

Night sweats in women

Features of the female body are also frequently causes of excessive sweating at night.

Most often it concerns the following States:

• pregnancy. In the first months of fetal development of the female endocrine system is undergoing significant change. This dysfunctionality leads to physiological unbalance the work of the peripheral nervous system and regulates sweating. As a result, the expectant mother often, especially at night noted excessive sweating of hands and feet. Starting with the 4th month of pregnancy, particular strain begins to experience the heart and blood vessels women. Increases the total volume of circulating blood, lymph. Metabolism is sharply accelerated. This fact is reflected in the quantity of allocated sweat. Starts to sweat all over the body. At night it can draw attention to themselves. Closer to the birth weight of the pregnant woman increases, the body fluid accumulates, there is swelling. Liquid hard excess is eliminated through sweat glands, including at night;
• PMS (premenstrual syndrome) – a condition that occurs in women a few days before menstruation. In this period, the body often there is a hormonal imbalance accompanied by changes in emotions and mood, pain, and night hyperhidrosis;
• the period of extinction of the female functions – climax. The beginning of menopause is characterized by profound hormonal changes in the woman’s body, “disable” certain functions. Resulting in often having discomfort fever, “hot flashes”, dizziness, pain. Vessels on the background of these attacks behave unbalanced. They can attack to expand and contract. In addition to the psychological discomfort a woman experiences profuse bouts of sweating. They are especially felt at night.

Night sweats in children

Children five to six years of age the process of thermoregulation is subject to significant variations, so during a night’s sleep, with the dominance of one of the divisions of the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic or parasympathetic) causes a severe potlivosts. Especially hyperhidrosis during sleep characteristic of breast babies. Also, in the process of sweating plays the role of a special structure of the sweat glands.

Additional States, contributing to the development of kids sweating at night:

• prematurity. The appearance of a newborn baby into the world earlier than the period associated with a large load. The efforts of the little man in the struggle for life leads to an increased loss of energy and fluids, including during sleep, when the body is trying to restore its weak power;
• difficult teething. This is the next stage in which the body of a growing baby is exposed to severe pain and inflammatory processes. Amid the emergence of the teeth, often at night, the body temperature rises, decay of which leads to torrential nature of the sweating;
• a vitamin D deficiency. Develops in children with a tendency to rickets. One of the initial signs of this disease is marked night sweats of the head, neck and torso of the child with a peculiar, unpleasant odor;
• hyperactivity disorder. The peculiarity of the nervous system, in which a child is overly subject to excessive mobility in the daytime. The condition is caused by abnormalities in brain function. Pathological nerve impulses during a night’s sleep can lead to failure of the centers of the regulation, with the result that the child can alternate attacks of fever, chill, night sweats;
• infectious respiratory pathology. In children, infectious diseases begin very often at night, with profuse hyperhidrosis;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia. This painful condition is more typical of youth age transition. The imbalance of innervation of the autonomic nervous system leads to abnormalities of the internal organs, including the sweat glands, both day and night. After a while the problem goes away independently.

Principles of treatment night sweats

Treatment of hyperhidrosis should start with the detection of the causal factor. This will examined by several specialists: therapist, pediatrician, neurologist, psychiatrist, endocrinologist, oncologist, infectious disease.

When a problem is detected, efforts are made to eliminate and cure. Along with the healing of the underlying disease will go away and night sweats.

If after a full survey the cause is not identified, then we can talk about primary hyperhidrosis is a condition with unexplained etiology. In this case excessive sweating is eliminated symptomatic treatment.

When you define rickets children assigned to treatment with vitamin D, the sun. In other cases, kids up to 6 years in a special night of hyperhidrosis treatment do not require. With the exception of children suffering from alimentary obesity, which are shown on a special diet to help the proper metabolism. Good effect gives physical culture

Local treatments for hyperhidrosis night ineffective.