Do you often get up drenched in sweat? It may indicate cancer

Night sweats are common. But sometimes, it may be a warning of an underlying health condition. Read on to know more.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Published: September 20, 2019 3:33 pm

excessive consumption of caffeine may also make you sweat profusely at night. © Shutterstock

Sweating is a natural body function. It is necessary to maintain the temperature of your body. In fact, there are more that 2 million sweat glands in a human body that causes sweating.

Many men and women often get up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat. This is a common problem. If the weather is hot and the air conditioner faulty, this is totally expected. But if your bedroom is nice and comfortable, and yet you have this problem often, then it might be a cause for worry. Your body may be trying to tell you about some underlying medical condition. This is a very common problem that affects women going through menopause. Hormonal imbalances, low blood sugar and certain medications may also cause it. In rare cases, it may be due to neurological disorders, some cancers, infections and HIV.

According to a study by Mayo Clinic, excessive consumption of caffeine may also make you sweat profusely at night. Published online by the journal Menopause, this study says that this is especially true for menopausal women.

Let us look at some causes of night sweats

Menopause

Menopause is the time when a woman goes through major changes in her body. Vaginal dryness, hot flashes, mood fluctuations and insomnia are common symptoms. Excessive sweating at night is very normal in menopausal women due to hormonal changes in her body. A study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology says that women can suffer from night sweats even years after menopause. But the frequency, severity and duration may vary considerably.

Hormonal imbalances

If you have any disturbances in the production of hormones by the thyroid gland, you may experience night sweats. A tumour in the adrenal gland stimulates excessive production of catecholamines hormone. This condition is called pheochromocytoma. This causes profuse sweating at night. Sometimes, carcinoid syndrome, a condition where there is excess production of hormones by the lungs and gastrointestinal system tumours can also lead to night sweats. Changes in hormones due to diabetes, puberty and pregnancy are other causes.

Infections

Some infections may cause excessive sweating at night. Tuberculosis is one such disease. Certain bacterial infections may also be the culprits at times. Abscesses as well as inflammation of the heart valves and within the bones due to infection are other reasons. People with HIV are also prone to night sweats.

Cancer

Sometimes, profuse sweating at night may be an indication of cancer. If this is accompanied by low-grade fever and unnatural weight loss, you need to see a doctor immediately. Lymphoma is often associated with night sweats as are breast and prostate cancers. Sometimes, cancer treatments can also make you sweat at night. According to a study at The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), persistent sweating at night may be an indicator of breast cancer. Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) published this study.

Medication

One of the side-effects of anti-depressants is excessive sweating at night. Some other psychiatric drugs can also cause this problem. Certain medication that brings down fever can also cause night sweats. But this is nothing to worry about. It happens because this drug induces sweating to cool your body and brings down the temperature. Anti-convulsants, medicines for migraine and high blood pressure and some medications that are prescribed for reflux and heartburn can lead to this condition as can hormone therapy.

Neurological disorders

In rare cases, this may be due to some neurological disorders like autonomic dysreflexia, autonomic neuropathy, stroke and post-traumatic syringomyelia. You need to consult a doctor immediately if this problem is recurring so that your treatment may be started immediately. Any delay can lead to unwanted complications.

Idiopathic hyperhidrosis

This condition has baffled doctors for many years now. A person suffering from this disorder often wakes up in the middle of the night to find his clothes and bedsheets drenched in sweat. But doctors usually can’t find any medical disorders that may be causing this.

A few other causes

Obesity related health problems are a major reason for this uncomfortable condition. Other causes may be anxiety, substance abuse, cardiovascular disorders, Parkinson’s disease and hypoglycaemia.

Treatment options

Your doctor will treat your condition after taking into consideration several factors like your surroundings, genes, underlying diseases and risk factors. Sweating at night is not a disease. It is just an indicator of a disease or it may also be harmless and normal reaction of your body to its surroundings. Usually, your doctor will treat the symptoms. He may also recommend certain tests to rule out suspected health disorders.

What you can do

Sometimes, you can also take matters into your own hands. Try some relaxation exercises or meditation before going to sleep. Make sure that your bedroom is properly ventilated and not to warm and humid. Wear cotton clothes at night as this will help your skin to breath and keep you comfortable. Also use cotton bedsheets. Try to eat 3 hours before you go to sleep. Avoid heavy and spicy food at night and keep away from tea and coffee at least 6 hours before bedtime and try to stay away from alcohol.

A very important this is that if you are overweight, try to lose your excess weight and exercise regularly. And, of course, stay hydrated. These are all small changes to make for a comfortable night of good and clean sleep. But if none of these things work, you need to see a doctor

Published : September 20, 2019 3:33 pm

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