Doctors very often hear complaints from their patients about excessive sweating at night (night sweats).

This refers to any noticeable increase in nighttime sweating..

Typically, night sweats are associated with a high temperature in the bedroom or using blankets that are too warm..

But in order to distinguish such harmless episodes from a real medical problem, you may need to consult a specialist..

In one study, researchers calculated that of 2,267 patients who visited primary care physicians in the United States, 41% reported episodes of night sweats during the past month when questioned.. It is important to note that episodes of hot flashes (skin redness and feeling hot) can be difficult to distinguish from true night sweats..

What causes night sweats?

There are many medical causes of night sweats.. Before your doctor can answer such a question, he will need to review your medical history, ask a series of questions, and possibly run some tests..

Looking ahead, let's say that in women over 50, in many cases, night sweats can be associated with menopause.. Men and children are much more difficult.

In some diseases, night sweats may be accompanied by other symptoms, including:.

• Chills and fever: in many infectious and oncological diseases.

• Weight loss: for tuberculosis and some types of cancer such as lymphoma.

• Vaginal dryness, mood swings: common signs of menopause.

Let's talk more about the reasons:.

Menopause.

Hot flashes and night sweats are very common signs of premenopause.. It is important to remember that these phenomena can occur long before the actual menopause (cessation of menstruation) occurs..

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis.

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a chronic condition in which the body constantly produces excessive amounts of sweat..

Infectious diseases.

Tuberculosis is an infection most commonly associated with night sweats..

However, other infections can also be the cause:.

• Endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves).

• Abscesses (perianal, peritonsillar).

• Osteomyelitis (infectious inflammation of the bones).

• Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), etc..

Oncological diseases.

Night sweats are an early symptom of some types of cancer.. American experts say that such a complaint is usually associated with cancer of the lymphatic system - lymphoma.. People with undiagnosed cancer often have other symptoms, including unexplained weight loss and fever.

Medications.

When starting to take any medicine, even prescribed by your doctor, read the instructions. Some drugs can cause night sweats. In case the doctor did not find other problems with you, it is the drugs that should be considered as the main culprits..

Antidepressants are the most common drugs that cause night sweats.. All types of antidepressants, including tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and more recent agents (venlafaxine and bupropion), may cause this side effect.. Frequency ranges from 8% to 22%. Other Psychiatric Drugs Also Linked to Night Sweats.

Medicines used to treat fever (antipyretics), such as acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol (acetaminophen), can cause excessive sweating.

Other drugs cause redness of the skin (mainly on the cheeks and neck), which can be mistaken for sweating.

This property is typical for the following drugs:.

• Niacin.

• Tamoxifen.

• Hydralazine.

• Prednisolone.

• Nitroglycerin.

• Sildenafil (Viagra).

Many other medications not mentioned here may be associated with night sweats - reread the instructions.

hypoglycemia.

Sometimes low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can be to blame. People using insulin or oral antidiabetic drugs may experience hypoglycemia at night accompanied by sweating.

Hormonal disorders.

Sweating and hot flashes can be associated with several hormonal disorders:.

• Pheochromocytoma (tumor of the adrenal glands producing catecholamines).

• Carcinoid syndrome (excessive production of hormones by tumors).

• Hyperthyroidism (excess thyroid hormones).

Neurological diseases.

In rare cases, night sweats are caused by autonomic dysreflexia, autonomic neuropathy, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke, and other neurological conditions requiring medical intervention..

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