Night sweats

introduction

Increased sweating is technically known as hyperhidrosis. Night sweats are called nocturnal hyperhidrosis. Some people regularly sweat profusely at night. This can have different causes. An important criterion for assessing night sweats, which is often asked by the doctor, is whether the night sweats were so severe that the pajamas had to be changed or the sheets were soaked.

In principle, sweating is something natural and is used by the body to release excess heat from the inside to the outside. This occurs especially when the outside temperature is warm, during physical activity or when there is a fever as part of an infection. A sweat release of up to 500 mL at night is considered normal. At night, especially in the first half of the night, the average body temperature drops by 1.5 ° C. The body releases this heat to the outside. To do this, however, the environment must also be able to absorb the heat. For example, if you lie under a thick blanket, it is more difficult to give off heat. The heat is then given off through increased sweating. Night sweats are usually a harmless cause that can be easily remedied. However, if night sweats persist for three to four weeks, a doctor should be consulted for clarification. Especially if there is also a fever, unwanted weight loss, fatigue or unspecific pain.

What can I do about night sweats?

Night sweats are a symptom that may initially have many different causes. The definition of night sweats is also not uniform, which is why there is often confusion about what can be called night sweats. Doctors initially mean by night sweats in the narrower sense a very strong night sweating, which prompts you to change your nightgown or even the bed linen. Sometimes the sweat is so pronounced that the laundry is even changed several times at night.
Behind such night sweats there is a disease, for example from the rheumatic type or a cancer disease that must be treated by a doctor. Infections can also cause night sweats. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about this type of night sweat yourself.

Many people perceive night sweats to be less intense night sweats. This type of "night sweat" is usually not caused by the disease, so you can do a lot yourself.

First of all, you should be careful not to overheat the bedroom. A room temperature around 16 to 19 ° C is ideal for sleeping. It is advisable to ventilate the room with completely open windows before going to sleep so that the room can cool down at night.
Furthermore, you should choose breathable, lightweight materials for bed linen and nightgowns. Cotton is very suitable in this case, whereas polyester or satin should be avoided.
Before going to bed you should avoid spicy food, caffeinated drinks or alcohol, as these increase sweating.

Sage or chamomile tea is recommended in the evening. In addition, cool compresses on the wrists can help cool down a bit and sweat less.

root cause

A simple and also the most common explanation for night sweats are hot summer nights, bedding that is too warm or an outside temperature that is too high, for example because the heating is set too high. But rooms that are too cold also lead to excessive sweat production. Heavy alcohol consumption and spicy food can also lead to sweating at night. Alcohol leads to the fact that sweat production leads to an increased excretion of fluids, whereby not only water but also minerals are removed from the body. Especially at night, alcohol stimulates the metabolism, which leads to the production of heat. Sweating occurs as a symptom, especially with alcohol withdrawal. Also increased psychological stress or nightmares, as well as nocturnal breathing pauses (Sleep apnea syndrome) can lead to sweating at night.Because if the inner restlessness does not stop at night, the body is constantly under tension, which leads to an increased release of the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline, which then leads to increased sweat production. At night, your own worries usually come to the fore as the distractions that exist during the day are no longer there. If night sweats still occur after these causes have been resolved, you should consult a doctor, because night sweats are not always caused by such harmless triggers.

Especially if night sweats are accompanied by a fever and severe involuntary weight loss in the past few months, you should consult your doctor. In this triad, consisting of fever, night sweats and weight loss, one speaks of the so-called B symptoms, which can be a sign of a malignant disease. In addition to these causes, hormonal fluctuations are often responsible for night sweats, especially in women. Sweating can occur, for example, during pregnancy or during menopause.

Medication can also lead to increased sweating at night. Of course it also happens Infectious diseases frequent sweating at night. This can be the case with completely harmless viral diseases, as they often occur in winter, but also with more dangerous infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria or HIV. In the case of flu, night sweats often appear on the second or third day of the infection, when the fever drops again. With tuberculosis in particular, it is relatively typical that there are characteristic symptoms such as fever, weight loss, and fatigue to cough, develops night sweats in the early hours of the morning. Night sweats occur both in the early phase of the disease, when there are usually hardly any symptoms, and in a later stage.

Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, known as endocarditis, can also lead to night sweats. Also rheumatic diseases like that Rheumatoid arthritis, can provoke night sweats. Usually night sweats appear first in rheumatic complaints and then later Joint discomfort.

In addition, a malfunctioning thyroid gland, namely an overactive thyroid gland, can cause metabolism stimulate so much that there is increased sweat production at night. Another metabolic disease that can lead to night sweats is the sugar disease, diabetes mellitus. In this case, a night sweat is a sign of an impending one Hypoglycaemia If a patient has already suffered from multiple hypoglycaemia, night sweats remain or even a Dizziness and Muscle tremors as a warning sign, however, more and more so that life-threatening situations can arise. This comes about because as the disease progresses, it increases annoy that can then no longer convey the sweat production.

Cold as a trigger for night sweats

Colds are particularly common in the winter months. Viruses are usually the cause of a cold, which lasts an average of 3 to 4 days. As part of this infectious process, different symptoms can occur depending on the pathogen.

Common are runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever and headache. General malaise and night sweats can also occur during a cold. With a simple cold, however, night sweats are usually not as pronounced as with more serious infections.
An example of an infection that causes heavy night sweats is tuberculosis. A simple cold rarely causes profuse night sweats. Increased night sweats in the context of a cold can be attributed to increased body temperatures or even a fever.

This slight sweating is not called night sweats in the narrower sense.

Stress as a cause of night sweats

Many people find increased night sweating to be very stressful. Often the result is difficulty sleeping or falling asleep. Furthermore, sweating at night worries many people. One often reads that cancer can hide behind night sweats. However, when viewed in relation to the general population, these are rather rare, so that night sweats are often caused by other causes. One of these causes is stress.

Negative stress can cause many different symptoms. Among other things, this includes night sweating.
This is usually preceded by evening brooding, tension and difficulty falling asleep. Headaches, palpitations and concentration disorders can also occur.

Experiencing stress-related symptoms is very subjective and different for everyone. Therefore, one cannot generalize about the ailments caused by stress. For example, some people also complain of indigestion and other gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea.

Read more on the subject at: Symptoms of Stress, How To Relieve Stress?

Menopause as a cause of night sweats

Before the onset of menopause, female production increases Sex hormones (Progesterone and estrogen) for a short time. If the menopause then occurs, the estrogen level suddenly drops again. This reactively increases the production of stress hormones adrenaline and Norepinephrine on. These two hormones can then lead to increased sweat production and the hot flashes generally associated with menopause. Sometimes this night sweat can be very massive, so that the laundry is sweated through several times a night. However, these typical symptoms do not occur in every woman going through menopause. Some are also not affected at all. Hormone fluctuations do not only occur in women over the years; testosterone levels also drop in men according to their age, which can also lead to night sweats in men. However, this is much less the case with men than with women.

Medication as a trigger for night sweats

Some medications can trigger night sweats. These include drugs that affect the autonomic nervous system, ie Sympathetic and Parasympathetic nervous system, because sweat production is mediated via the sympathetic and rather inhibited via the parasympathetic. Sometimes night sweats only occur in the initial phase of taking, in other cases it occurs when the medication is used for too long or in a too high dosage be taken. If night sweats are felt to be stressful, the medication should not simply be discontinued, but a consultation with the attending physician should be made. Antidepressants in particular can cause night sweats. Ten to twenty percent of people who take antidepressants experience this side effect. In addition to the antidepressants, drugs can also be used to treat mental illness such as psychoses (atypical neuroleptics), antipyretic drugs such as paracetamol, drugs to lower blood sugar and against asthma, as well as hormone preparations cause night sweats. Often the doctor will then prescribe an equivalent alternative drug or adjust the dosage. In addition to excessive doses, withdrawal from certain medications and withdrawal from alcohol and Drugs heavy night sweats.

Night sweats from the pill

Unfortunately, like any other drug, the pill has side effects. These side effects can occur in some women, even if the pill is generally considered to be very well tolerated. Night sweats are not one of the classic side effects of the pill.

It is therefore obvious that night sweats have other causes than the pill. In principle, however, individual reactions and intolerances cannot be ruled out. If symptoms such as night sweats occur, it is best to contact the treating gynecologist in order to identify the cause of the night sweats.

If necessary, you can change the preparation or use a hormone-free method of contraception.

Night sweats from alcohol

Alcohol consumption can have unpleasant consequences, one of which is night sweats. Even small amounts of alcohol in the evening can cause increased sweating at night and rob you of sleep. Excessive alcoholism can lead to night sweats even days after consumption.

Alcoholics shouldn't take night sweats too lightly. Night sweats can result not only from the direct influence of alcohol, but also from alcohol withdrawal. Heavy alcoholics can develop withdrawal symptoms within a few days. Other symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or seizures speak in favor of alcohol withdrawal syndrome.

Since alcohol withdrawal without medical supervision is life-threatening and one can die from it, one should go to a clinic immediately if such symptoms occur.

Cause HIV

An HIV infection is a chronic infection that the body must constantly fight against. As a result, the body temperature of sick people can be constantly increased, which also leads to increased sweating at night. In HIV, like tumors, one also occurs B symptoms, consisting of: Night sweats, fever and Weight loss. A few weeks after being infected with the virus, a so-called acute HIV infection occurs, which is similar to a flu-like infection. The first night sweats often occur in this phase, which is accompanied by fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes. Then one follows asymptomatic phase.

Causes by the thyroid gland

If the thyroid is responsible for night sweats, it is usually an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). The increased sweat production occurs during the day as well as at night. Often lead Autoimmune diseases, such as Graves disease, to an overactive thyroid, which leads to an increased production of thyroid hormones. The hormones make the metabolism more stimulated. In addition to night sweats, there is also increased internal restlessness, Mood swings, Weight loss, one increased heart rate, as well as the mentioned night sweats.

A tumor / cancer as the cause of night sweats

At Cancers As already described under "Causes", the so-called often occurs B symptomswhich consists of night sweats, fever, weight loss. We speak of weight loss when one accidentally loses more than ten kilograms of weight within six months. This is a typical tumor disease in which the B symptoms occur Lymphoma. This is one tumor, that of the Lymphknoten goes out. In the initial phase, it often manifests itself in the form of B symptoms, a drop in performance and painless swollen lymph nodes. Even with one chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a blood cancer originating from the lymphatic system, night sweats can occur as part of the B symptoms. Incidentally, the complete triad of the B symptoms does not always have to be present. In addition to lymphomas and leukemia, it also occurs with the Myelofibrosis often to night sweats. Myelofibrosis is similar to leukemia in that it is also a disease of the Bone marrow, of the blood-forming system. The night sweats in myelofibrosis only appear when the disturbed formation of the Blood cells shows first effects. In addition to night sweats, this often occurs fever and unwanted weight loss. In addition to the B symptoms, non-specific pain / tenderness in the left upper abdomen due to an enlarged one is also typical spleen. The B symptoms are most common in lymphoma or leukemia, but in principle they can occur in any tumor.

The following topic may also be of interest to you: Stomach pain at night

Night sweats due to heart problems

If night sweats, a racing heart and breathing problems occur, this can point to the heart as the cause. Typical for this is the inflammation of the inner skin of the heart, the endocarditis. It typically occurs with endocarditis fever, chills, Chest pain and Night sweats. Signs of bleeding under the skin and nails are a noticeable sign of an inflammation of the inner lining of the heart. People with previously damaged endocarditis are particularly at risk of developing endocarditis artificial heart valves. Even after dental treatment, there is an increased risk that pathogens will find their way to the heart and cause endocarditis. In addition to inflammation of the inner lining of the heart, arrhythmias or a weak heart (heart failure) can lead to increased sweating. In these diseases, however, sweating does not typically occur at night, but can occur at any time of the day or night. In cardiac arrhythmias, the heart beats either too fast or too slowly or irregularly. This is often expressed by dizziness, up to Faint and from sweating. If the heart is weak, it typically comes to one shortness of breathwhich occurs even with light loads, Palpitations and profuse sweating.

Night sweats may also be a sign of palpitations. Read more about it below Palpitations at night

Night sweats before and during your period

The female cycle is characterized by various hormones and their increases and decreases. Every woman experiences her period differently. Some women are completely symptom-free, others complain of various complaints such as abdominal pain, headache or a feeling of tension in the chest. Night sweats can also be one of the symptoms that occur just before and during your period.

The cause are hormonal cycle fluctuations that cause this reaction in the female body.

There are several ways to combat night sweats during your period. One possible attempt is to use a hormonal contraceptive. This may sound like a paradox at first, but it can sometimes reduce period symptoms.

Another option is to sleep in a cool bedroom with cold compresses around your calves and sage tea in the evening.

Read more about this under: Pain during menstruation

Night sweats and headache

Headache is a rather unspecific symptom that occurs every now and then in everyone. There are a few things that can hide behind headaches and night sweats.

A very simple yet common cause is stress and nightly brooding.

All kinds of infections, such as the flu, can also lead to night sweats and headaches.

Heavy night sweats can also be part of what are known as B symptoms, which can occur in cancer and autoimmune diseases. Apart from night sweats, this includes unwanted weight loss and fever. Headaches can also occur.

Another cause to consider for headaches and night sweats is sleep apnea. Breathing problems, difficulty sleeping through the night and daytime sleepiness are typical with this disease.

Night sweats with fatigue and joint pain

The combination of symptoms of fatigue, night sweats and joint pain can indicate the presence of a rheumatic disease, mainly rheumatoid arthritis.

Pain in the finger joints is typical, and is not only present during exercise but also at rest. In addition, the joints of both hands are usually affected. Aside from the joints of the hands, other joints can also be affected.
A morning stiffness of the hands that lasts more than half an hour is typical. This means that the hands have to get warm before they are fully mobile.

Night sweats arise as part of the chronic inflammatory processes of this disease. It is not absolutely necessary, but it is often found.

Night sweats after an operation

Increased sweating at night can occur after an operation for a variety of reasons. First of all, one should keep in mind that an operation almost always causes a stress reaction in the body.
Restless sleep and profuse sweating can be due to pain after surgery.

Further complications after the operation are an infection of the wound or a general infection. Night sweats after an operation can also occur as part of an infection.

Very strong night sweats, in which the bed linen and nightgown must be changed, are worrying, in combination with fever, nausea, vomiting or very severe pain. These could be signs of infection or severe circulatory reactions.

Please also read: Aftermath of anesthesia

Are night sweats a sign of pregnancy?

There are few certain signs of pregnancy and a great many unsafe signs. Although night sweats are not one of the classic symptoms, such as nausea, that women develop during pregnancy, they do occur occasionally.

Especially in the course of pregnancy, i.e. in the 2nd trimester, some women seem to complain of night sweats. However, night sweats cannot be regarded as a sign of pregnancy. Since night sweats usually only appear in the course of pregnancy, this has usually been known for a long time.

In addition, night sweats are a very unspecific symptom that can have various causes. Night sweats basically do not occur in early pregnancy, so that no pregnancy can be suspected on the basis of this.

Read more on the subject at: Pregnancy symptoms, signs of pregnancy

Night sweats during pregnancy - what's behind it?

Night sweats can occur during pregnancy due to hormonal fluctuations.
Sweats during the day or hot flashes can also be present during pregnancy. Only in very few cases is a serious illness hidden behind night sweats during pregnancy. As a rule, the increased sweating is due to the hormonally very special situation of pregnancy.

The timing of night sweats during pregnancy is also very different. Some women are more likely to complain in early pregnancy, while others complain about symptoms in late pregnancy. There is generally no specific cause behind night sweats during pregnancy.

Puerperium and night sweats

The puerperium is a very sensitive phase that lasts about 6 to 8 weeks and follows immediately after the birth. Women in childbed experience a sometimes uncomfortable phase in which the body adapts to its everyday state again.

Night sweats can occur during the puerperium due to various causes. The most common cause is the hormonal change or hormonal confusion after pregnancy. Many women are then very sensitive to heat and sweat more.

Another possible cause is infection. In this case, symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain and foul-smelling discharge also occur.

Read more about this topic under: Postpartum illnesses, postpartum fever

Night sweats on the head

Sweating on the head is described by those affected as very uncomfortable and sleep-consuming. It often happens because of this sweaty hair, as well as an itchy scalp. Sweating on the head is promoted by various factors. Mainly by consuming spicy and fatty foods just before going to sleep, as well as a strong one Alcohol consumption. Also overweight persons often sweat profusely on the head.
In addition to the manifestation of sweat on the head, the head is also a cause of increased night sweat production. If you worry too much or you can't switch off and are exposed to higher internal tension, the body is more active at night and stress hormones are released, which stimulates sweat production.

Night sweats on the upper body

There are many sweat glands on the upper body, which is why sweat can literally drip off the body. This is the case when there are real sweats or night sweats. The latter can occur due to a wide variety of causes and usually affects more than just one region of the body. Typically, the upper body is almost always affected by night sweats. Especially the V-shaped area of ​​the chest and shoulders sweat particularly heavily, so that there are typical sweat stains on the nightgown.

Hot flashes and sweats are usually more pronounced on the trunk of the body, i.e. on the back and chest, than on the extremities (arms and legs). The cause can be various things, such as infections, autoimmune diseases or even cancer.
However, you should note that night sweats on the upper body in the true sense of the word mean that you have to change your nightgown more than once at night because of the sheer sweat.

Especially when the outside temperature is warm, it is quite normal for you to sweat more on your chest at night. But this is not yet called night sweats.

Night sweats on the chest and neck

The chest and neck are very heat-sensitive areas of the body. With high outside temperatures, nervousness or fever, you sweat a lot here. Sweat stains and a dripping neck can be the result.

Night sweats can also show up in these parts of the body. Especially with the flu or another febrile infection, increased night sweating of the chest and neck is very common.

Even being very overweight can lead to increased sweating of the chest and neck, which is often very uncomfortable for those affected. In the case of very heavy night sweats and accompanying symptoms such as fever, weight loss and malaise, causes such as cancer or autoimmune diseases must also be considered.

Night sweats only on the legs

Only the legs are rarely affected by night sweats. Night sweats in the narrower sense affect several parts of the body and are basically never found in isolation on the legs.

A simple cause of increased leg sweating at night is too high a temperature in the bedroom.
Anyone who heats too much or sleeps under too thick blankets sweats very quickly at night. This can only affect the legs, as these are usually covered.

Restless legs syndrome is a less common reason for night sweats. It is a common neurological disorder, but not always associated with night sweats. Typical is an increased urge to move the legs, which increases especially at night and in the evening. Sleep disorders are often associated with restless legs syndrome.

Night sweats in the child

In children, it usually comes through, similar to adults Infections to a night sweat. Since the immune system in children is not as well developed as in adults, febrile infections are more common in children than in adults Night sweats can go along. In an emergency, such an infection is a real flu, the influenza. Fortunately, mental problems / worries are relatively rarely the trigger for night sweats in children. One should also look for the cause of night sweats in children Sleeping conditions check whether the child is not wrapped up too warmly or the heating has been set too high. This is the most common reason for night sweats in both children and adults, as children are usually even more caring and want to protect them from freezing, which is sometimes a bit too much. But serious causes can also be responsible for night sweats in children. For example acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which occurs most frequently in childhood. In the beginning it often manifests itself in addition to night sweats fatigue, Exhaustion, Headache and body aches, flu-like symptoms. Otherwise, with a few exceptions (e.g. menopause), the same causes for night sweats as in adults are possible in principle.

diagnosis

In order to determine the cause of the increased night sweats, the attending physician must carry out various examinations and a detailed doctor-patient discussion. If night sweats are the only symptom, a diagnosis is particularly difficult. The family doctor often consults various specialists, such as an internist, neurologist, or oncologist Endocrinologist. During the physical exam, it is important to have blood pressure as well as that Body temperature to eat. It is also important to scan all lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes in combination with night sweats indicate an infection in most cases, but can also indicate a malignant disease. A laboratory test is also carried out. For this purpose, inflammation parameters, the blood count, liver and kidney values, the sex and thyroid hormones, as well as the stress hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline are determined. Also one HIV serology can be done from the blood test. Sometimes this is followed by an X-ray examination, through which, for example, the suspected diagnosis of a tuberculosis can be hardened. An ultrasound diagnosis is often part of the clarification.

therapy

The therapy always corresponds to the underlying cause and therefore, unfortunately, can usually not be described in general terms. Often the night sweats subside after an infection has been overcome. But it also happens that the doctor cannot find a cause for the night sweating, in this case the doctor speaks of a so-called idiopathic night sweats. In these patients, the sweat glands are unknown to be overactive. In these cases, however, patients also sweat more during the day. These patients are usually advised to change their living and sleeping habits. These measures include doing little or nothing in the evening alcohol should drink. Besides alcohol should also caffeinated drinks be avoided. Furthermore, no greasy and spicy foods to be consumed more. The evening meal should ideally take place two to three hours before going to bed. On Smoke should also be omitted. Since night sweats are often provoked by warm outside temperatures or by too warm pajamas or duvets, it is helpful not to wear tight-fitting pajamas, but rather light pajamas. Also the Room temperature should be adjusted in the bedroom. The ideal sleeping temperature is around 18 ° C. If the problem lies in switching off in the evening and going to bed stressful, help before going to bed Relaxation exercises, read or quiet music.

Homeopathy for night sweats

Night sweats are a symptom that can be traced back to many possible causes. It is therefore important to clarify the cause of night sweats before attempting to treat it.

There is no treatment for night sweats as such, as it is always an expression of an underlying disease.
Homeopathic remedies cannot be recommended for night sweats as they neither differentiate according to cause nor are they effective. There are also no standardized recommendations from homeopathy, so that we strongly advise against them.

Some of the possible causes of night sweats require acute treatment, such as cancer. In such cases, the use of homeopathic remedies would be grossly negligent.