Doctors frequently hear their patients protest of night sweats. Night sweats refer to excessive sweating during the night. But if your bedroom is strangely hot or you are wearing too many bedclothes, you might sweat during the sleep, and this is normal. True night sweats are severe hot flashes occurring at the night that can soak the clothes and sheets and that are not related to an overheated environment.
It is important to note that the blushing a warmth and redness of face or body might be hard to distinguish from the true night sweats.
There are many different causes of the night sweats. To find the cause, a doctor must get a detailed medical history and order tests to decide if another medical condition is responsible for night sweats. Some of the known conditions that can cause sweats during the night or 8 reasons of night sweats are:
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Menopause.
The hot flashes that escort menopause can occur at the night and cause sweating. This is the very common cause of the night sweats in women.
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis.
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is the condition in which body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause.
Infections.
Tuberculosis is an infection most commonly associated with the night sweats. But bacterial infections, such as endocarditis- inflammation of heart valves, osteomyelitis -inflammation in bones, and swelling can cause night sweats. Night sweats are also the symptom of HIV infection.
Cancers.
Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. The most common type of cancer associated with the night sweats is lymphoma. Although, people who have undiagnosed cancer often have other symptoms as well, such as unexplained the weight loss and fevers.
Medications.
Making sure medications can lead to the night sweats. Antidepressant medications are a common type of drug that can lead to night sweats. From 8 percent to 22 percent of people taking antidepressant drugs have the night sweats. Other psychiatric drugs have also been associated with the night sweats. Medicines taken to lower the fever, such as aspirin and acetaminophen, can sometimes lead to sweating. Many other drugs can be reasons to night sweats or flushing.
Hypoglycemia.
Low blood sugar can also cause sweating. People who are taking insulin or the oral diabetes medications might have hypoglycemia at night that is accompanied by the sweating.
Hormone disorders.
Sweating or flushing can be seen with the several hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and hyperthyroidism.
Neurologic conditions.
Uncommonly, neurologic conditions including an autonomic dysreflexia, posttraumatic syringomyelia, stroke, and autonomic neuropathy might cause increased sweating and might lead to the night sweats.