Excessive sweating of the head or facial sweating it is known as craniofacial hyperhidrosis. It manifests itself on the face, neck and front chest and is frequently associated with the physiological hormonal fluctuations of women.
Cold sweats that appear during the night they are not influenced by the ambient temperature of the bedroom or clothing, being frequently triggered by the “fight or flight” response of the associated organism:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypoglycemic states
- Posttraumatic stress syndrome
- Anxiety disorders
- Night terrors in the case of children.
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Causes profuse sweating during sleep
Night sweats are frequently determined by the high temperature in the bedroom, the use of bed linens made of synthetic materials and/or multiple beds or the adoption of warm clothing during sleep (thick pyjamas).
Apart from these environmental factors and sleeping habits, night sweats can be due to a series of physiological causes, among which are frequently found:
- Hormonal fluctuations specific to ovulation, premenstrual, menopause and pregnancy in the case of women.
- Alcohol consumption.
- Methadone for the treatment of opioid addiction or the use of illicit substances frequently associates profuse night sweats that can sometimes be accompanied by chills and an altered general state of the person in question.
- Hormonal treatments
- Certain drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, chemotherapeutics, antidepressants, painkillers and steroid medication can cause the appearance of side effects manifested by profuse night sweats.
Diseases that cause excessive sweating
The main pathologies whose evolution can associate profuse sweating during the night are represented by:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder a mental condition manifested as a result of severe and/or repeated traumatic experiences such as emotional, physical or sexual abuse. Anxiety disorder and night terrors in the case of children – these conditions can cause the appearance of profuse night sweats accompanied by cardiac and respiratory rhythm disturbances that interrupt night sleep and considerably alter the patient’s quality of life.
- Sleep apnea – the breathing difficulties associated with this pathology can cause night sweats along with headache, feeling of dry mouth and pain in the neck.
- Tuberculosis, brucellosis, bacterial infections and HIV-ul can associate, in addition to sweating during the night, persistent febrile syndrome, chills, altered general condition and unintentional weight loss.
- Pulmonary cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathy COPD.
- Graves’ disease, sarcoidosis and rheumatoid arthritis are autoimmune diseases that frequently develop with febrile syndrome and night sweats.
- Hodgkin lymphoma, carcinoid tumor, leukemia, mezothelium, bone cancer, hepatocarcinoma, pheochromocytoma – these oncological conditions can cause night sweats both through pathological changes in the immune system and/or hormonal synthesis, as well as as a result of anticancer (chemotherapy) or palliative (morphine) therapy.
- Unbalanced diabetes mellitus it causes the appearance of glycemic fluctuations, episodes of hypoglycemia during the night can be felt by the diabetic in the form of cold sweats accompanied by a feeling of dizziness and trembling of the extremities.
When do we go to the doctor for profuse night sweats?
Profuse night sweats that wet the bedclothes and require a change of clothing, those that persist for long periods of time or are accompanied by unintentional weight loss require a visit to the doctor in order to carry out investigations and establish the causes that determine the appearance of these manifestations.
Night sweats accompanied by adenopathy (enlarged lymph nodes), inexplicable persistent fatigue, febrile syndrome, cough or chronic diarrhea attest to the existence of a pathology with increased potential for unfavorable evolution that requires investigations and specialized treatment.
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Night sweats in children
As in the case of adults, night sweats in children can be caused by a high temperature in the bedroom, bedding made of synthetic material that does not allow the body to regulate its temperature and thick clothing.
Other causes favoring the appearance of profuse night sweats in children are represented by:
- Seasonal viral or bacterial infections that associate febrile syndrome
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Night terror
- Idiopathic hyperhidrosis
- Administering certain treatments for allergies or asthma.
Hormonal fluctuations specific to puberty can occur in certain situations, starting with the age of 8-9 years, being accompanied by a series of manifestations, including night sweats.
In the case of children who sweat profusely during the night, it is recommended to change their clothes and bed linen with dry ones to prevent chills by evaporating the moisture accumulated in the pyjamas. Then when the child has a fever, changing wet clothes prevents the additional compensatory increase in temperature that the body generates, in an attempt to replace the heat lost through the evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin.
How do we prevent night sweats?
Night sweats that are not associated with diseases can be prevented both in adults and children by adopting a series of measures involving:
- Maintaining an adequate temperature in the bedroom and avoiding overheating during the night by installing a fan or opening the window
- Use of cotton bed sheets
- Use of thin cotton pajamas
- Avoiding the consumption of spicy food, alcoholic or hot drinks before going to bed
- Maintaining an active lifestyle during the day and avoiding intense physical exercises before going to bed.
Abundant night sweats represent unpleasant manifestations that can affect the quality and quantity of rest through repeated awakenings that interrupt the physiological cycles of sleep. As a result, the person in question may experience irritability and daytime sleepiness, decreased ability to concentrate and productivity at work, which is why it is recommended to carry out a medical consultation to establish the cause and implement an effective management strategy for this manifestation.
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2024-01-04 23:08:46
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