Imagine you have just drifted off to sleep and had a wonderful dream, when you suddenly wake up overheated and sweat-drenched. What a way to wake up, right? Unfortunately, millions of women and men experience night sweats regularly, and the condition is more common among women. While your night sweats may be due to your bedroom temperature being too warm, they could signal an underlying medical condition. Here, we look into the various causes of night sweats.
What are Night Sweats and Hot Flashes
It is essential to understand that what appears to be a night sweat could be a hot flash instead. So, how do you know the difference? First, hot flashes typically begin with a heat sensation emanating from the neck, chest, or abdomen. The skin becomes visibly red and feels warm to the touch. Hot flashes can last from three minutes to thirty minutes. Afterward, a person may experience sweating as well. Hot flashes occur day or night, but are most common at night.
Conversely, night sweats involve excess perspiration that occurs specifically during sleep. Sufferers often wake up drenched or soaked in perspiration and may find the need to change clothes or even their sheets.
The National Institutes of Health reports that 33 percent of individuals report night sweats. Furthermore, 16 percent of these individuals state their night sweats are too severe to soak their bedclothes.
Common Causes of Night Sweats
The body’s temperature regulation system is complex and can be influenced by several factors, making it difficult to determine the cause of night sweats. Here are some common causes of night sweats.
Menopause
Menopause starts when you stop having your periods. During this transition, significant bodily changes occur, including fluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone, which can trigger a hot flash. Most women experience hot flashes during perimenopause, which is the transitional time before menopause.
Hot flashes can last several minutes and occur multiple times daily, including at night. Some women suffer from hot flashes for several years. Many women experience hot flashes and night sweats for over two decades.
Medications
A variety of medications can cause night sweats. Certain antidepressants called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) promote adrenergic effects, which yield a sympathetic nervous system response in the body. It causes your heart rate to increase, your blood vessels to constrict, the pupils to dilate, and, at times, the body to sweat. If you are using some of the standard antidepressants, you may be at an increased risk of night sweats.
Infections
If you have an infection, you may be at an increased risk of developing night sweats. Some of the most common diseases associated with night sweats include tuberculosis, endocarditis (inflammation of your heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation of your bones), and abscesses.
When you have an infection, the immune system activates. Once activated, the immune system creates an immune response that includes increased production of stress hormones and inflammation. It is the body’s method for surrounding infected cells and controlling the spread while the body fights off the infection. This process can increase your body’s core temperature, resulting in night sweats.
Hormone Imbalances
Several hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma and carcinoid syndrome, can cause sweating, flushing, hot flashes, and night sweats. Pheochromocytoma is an adrenal gland tumor that causes the body to produce too many catecholamines. Carcinoid syndrome, caused by tumors in the gastrointestinal system and the lungs, also causes the body to produce too many hormones.
When the body’s hormones are imbalanced, various symptoms can result. Increased hormone production can cause inflammation and low-grade fevers, leading to hot flashes and night sweats.
Cancer
Undiagnosed lymphoma, a type of cancer that occurs in the lymphatic system, can cause a plethora of symptoms, including night sweats, fever, weight loss, and more. Unexplained fevers cause night sweats, and patients with cancer often experience heavy sweating. Unlike the night sweats caused by hormonal imbalances that typically occur sporadically, night sweats linked to cancer tend to be persistent, occurring on most nights. Individuals with leukemia may also experience fever and night sweats. Researchers have also associated night sweats with adrenal tumors and carcinoid tumors.
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism causes the thyroid gland to produce too many thyroid hormones, which overstimulates the nervous system and causes night sweats and other sleep issues. It can also affect the body’s ability to regulate its temperature, causing heat sensitivity and excess sweating. An overactive thyroid gland can tax the body, increasing heart rate and respiration, and further overheating it.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which an individual stops and starts breathing throughout the night while sleeping. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the tissues in the throat become too relaxed and block the airways. Conversely, central sleep apnea occurs when the brain forgets to momentarily tell the body to breathe.
Sleep apnea stresses the body, causing it to work harder and increasing the risk of night sweats. Undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea is dangerous. If left untreated, the individual can experience serious complications, including an increased risk of cardiovascular and respiratory issues.
Self-Assessment Hormone Quiz
Here are a few hormone self-assessment questionnaires. There is no substitute for consulting with your healthcare practitioner.
Holistic Treatment for Night Sweats and Hot Flashes
If your night sweats become unbearable, it is advisable to contact your functional medicine provider for a holistic treatment approach. There may be various causes of night sweats. Some treatment options include-
Night sweats caused by an underlying infection can be resolved with antibiotics or antiviral medications. Natural options for lowering stress hormones are also available.
Night sweats caused by too much alcohol or caffeine may require a reduction or elimination of these substances.
It may also be advisable to adjust your sleeping habits. Lowering your bedroom temperature a few degrees, removing blankets, wearing lightweight pajamas, or placing a fan beside your bed may help reduce your night sweats.
How Can We Help?
Night sweats and hot flashes are uncomfortable. Typically, night sweats are not a cause for concern. However, if you have an underlying health condition that is causing your hot flashes or night sweats, it may need to be treated.
Our team of doctors specializing in integrative women’s health understands that the body’s systems work together. We help you find the underlying cause of your night sweats or hot flashes and recommend a personalized treatment plan that may include medications, hormone balancing, lifestyle modifications, or dietary changes.
Rose Wellness offers Holistic, Integrative and Functional Medicine services for treating chronic issues as well as for preventive care. Join us and take control of your health, your most important asset.
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Women must navigate varying hormonal imbalances and changes throughout their lives. From puberty to pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause, fluctuations in...
