According to studies, around 41 percent out of more than 2000 patients of primary care physicians have complained of experiencing sweating at night.
What exactly is the cause of night sweats? Why do some people experience such things? Could there be an underlying disease for this condition?
Experts say that there are many reasons as to why a person could experience sweating at night. A person who suffers from this may have a certain condition called idiopathic hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis is a medical term that refers to a condition wherein a person suffers from excessive sweating. However, they may not only sweat during the night, but also during other times of the day. Idiopathic means that the cause of the condition is unknown.
For women, a possible reason could be menopause. During this period in a woman’s life, a change in hormone level occurs thus the hot flashes. This menopause symptom often occurs at night, which is why it also came to be called night sweating.
Another cause can be taking in certain types of medications. The most common of these are the antidepressants, which has night sweating as a side effect. Certain psychiatric drugs also have the same effects.In addition, some types of medicine, such as those used to lower fever, could also be another cause.
Infections may also be another cause of night sweats. Usually, those who have tuberculosis are the most common people who suffer from this condition.
However, this may also occur to people who have bacterial infection such as an inflammation in the heart valves or within the bones, abscess or AIDS. Cancer is also another possible reason why a person would experience sweating at night. Lymphoma, or cancer which starts at the cells, is most often associated as the cause sweating while sleeping, among other types of cancer.
Hypoglycemia may also be another cause, as a low level of glucose in the blood could cause this condition
Neurologic conditions, like stroke, could also be the reason for this although such cases are very uncommon. Other reasons have also been linked as a cause of night sweats.
Practical ones include experiencing nightmares during sleep, stress and emotional problems, sleep apnea and many others. Hot drinks, spicy food and exercising before going to sleep are also on the list as well as a hot and humid weather, a hot bedroom and too many blankets.