Although night sweats are rarely an indication of a serious condition, call your healthcare provider if they are affecting your quality of life. A doctor may be able to help you, depending on the underlying cause.
Schedule a visit with your health care provider if night sweats: Occur on a regular basis. Interrupt your sleep. Are accompanied by a fever, weight loss, pain in a specific area, cough, diarrhea or other symptoms of concern.
Night sweats are unpleasant, but most of the time they're harmless. However, a more serious cause of night sweats is alcohol consumption. It can happen if you have a substance use problem with alcohol, binge drink, or even if you've only had one drink.
"If you're regularly waking up soaked in sweat, experiencing sudden night sweats accompanied by weight loss or if your night sweats are keeping you from getting quality sleep, it's time to talk to your doctor."
Night sweats can be a manifestation of simple infection, underlying malignancy, more complex infections – including TB and HIV – connective tissue disorders, menopause or certain prescribed drugs. It's also important not to overlook possible psychological causes, such as night terrors secondary to PTSD.
Causes of night sweats
medicines – some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers. low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) alcohol or drug use. a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time.
Night sweats are also associated with colds, the flu, COVID-19, HIV, and some bacterial infections (endocarditis, osteomyelitis and pyogenic abscess). A note from Cleveland Clinic. Night sweats, like hot flashes, are often related to hormone changes that make it harder for your brain to regulate your body temperature.
"Night sweats can be caused by a number of medical conditions. Some of the most common causes include the menopause, anxiety, medicines, low blood sugar, infections, alcohol or drug misuse, and hyperhidrosis," says Gilani.
If a history and physical do not reveal a possible diagnosis, physicians should consider a purified protein derivative, complete blood count, human immunodeficiency virus test, thyroid-stimulating hormone test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate evaluation, chest radiograph, and possibly chest and abdominal computed ...
Night sweats can be related to infection. For example, if you've recently been ill with a minor respiratory infection, a slight fever can cause you to sweat more at night, as your body's normal day/night temperature reset may be exaggerated.
Infections—Bacterial infections like endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves) and osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones) may result in night sweats, with tuberculosis being the most common infection associated with the condition.
Lymphoma can cause night sweats that make your nightclothes and bedsheets soaking wet. They are often described as 'drenching'. Although they are usually called night sweats, they can also sometimes happen during the day. Any type of lymphoma can cause night sweats, though doctors don't really know why.
Seek immediate medical attention if your heavy sweating is accompanied by lightheadedness, chest pain or nausea. Contact your doctor if: You suddenly begin to sweat more than usual. Sweating disrupts your daily routine.
The endocrine system controls the body's hormone levels, and changes to it can cause night sweating. Here are some medical conditions linked to hormone imbalances: Hyperthyroidism, which is when the thyroid gland becomes overactive.
Your doctor may also prescribe other medications for hot flashes, such as paroxetine and gabapentin. Venlafaxine is also used off-label for night sweats.
Leukemia and lymphoma are among the cancers associated with night sweats. Those associated with leukemia usually occur in conjunction with symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, or excessive bruising.
However, severe night sweats that occur to an extent that your bed sheets or pyjamas become soaking wet, despite sleeping in a cool environment, can sometimes be a sign of leukaemia. Out of over 2,000 leukaemia patients asked in our survey, 31% reported night sweats as a major symptom before their diagnosis.
Tuberculosis is the infection most commonly associated with night sweats. But bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation in the bones), and abscesses can cause night sweats. Night sweats are also a symptom of HIV infection. Cancers.
Sometimes you may wake up after sweating heavily, particularly if you're sleeping under too many blankets or your bedroom is too warm. Although uncomfortable, these episodes aren't usually considered night sweats and aren't sign of an underlying condition or illness.
“The mean duration of hot flashes and night sweats is seven to nine years, and about one-third of women will flash for a decade or more. I have had women in their eighties in my office who still have them,” says Stephanie Faubion, MD, NAMS medical director, and a NAMS certified menopause practitioner.
Excessive sweating can be a sign of a heart attack and may be associated with other symptoms including: Pain or pressure in your chest or arms that radiates to your neck, jaw or back. Shortness of breath.
Profuse sweating is a symptom often reported by cardiological patients and could be also an early phenomenon of adaptation or rather cardiac maladaptation in the context of incipient heart failure (HF).
Fever is an important component of the body's natural healing process. When you have a fever, your body tries to cool down naturally by sweating. Does sweating mean the fever is breaking? Yes, in general, sweating is an indication that your body is slowly recovering.
The staging of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is unique in that it also assigns the letters A and B to each stage. The letters indicate whether certain symptoms are present. The letter B indicates that the patient is experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: drenching night sweats, fever or unexplained weight loss.