If you wake up drenched with sweat despite being cold all over, it could mean that your body temperature has risen too high overnight. Night sweats can happen to anyone—men and women alike—and they’re often accompanied by other symptoms such as feeling tired, weak, restless, and confused. While some cases of night sweats resolve themselves within a few days, others require medical attention.
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What is the causes of night sweats in males
There are several reasons why someone might experience night sweats. One common reason involves hormonal changes. For example, if you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, this condition may affect how your body regulates its temperature during sleep. If you take medication to treat depression, anxiety, insomnia, or any other mental health disorder, these medications may also contribute to night sweats. Other factors include fever, infection, kidney disease, liver problems, diabetes, and thyroid dysfunction. Medical conditions like Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and HIV/AIDS may also lead to night sweats.
In addition to underlying medical issues, certain lifestyle choices may trigger excess sweating at night. These range from alcohol consumption to smoking cigarettes. Alcohol affects the hypothalamus which controls our core body temperature.
Research suggests that moderate drinking reduces our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Smoking increases blood pressure levels, constricts arteries, and raises the heart rate, both of which raise stress hormones and make us sweaty. The nicotine in cigarettes stimulates nerve cells called adrenergic neurons in the brain stem. This leads them to release epinephrine into the bloodstream. As with caffeine and sugar intake, cigarette use makes the sympathetic nervous system more active. When activated, this branch of the autonomic nervous system acts on organs, glands, and muscles throughout the body, including those responsible for regulating fluid balance, controlling muscle tone, and increasing heart rate. It does this through tiny nerves that send messages across the central nervous system.
Another factor that contributes to excessive sweating is a poor diet. Foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes, can increase sodium excretion and reduce water retention. Consuming foods high in salt content, particularly fast food and processed meats, will only worsen night sweats. Eating spicy foods can also induce sweating while eating large amounts of carbohydrates and fats can prevent it. Lastly, consuming caffeinated beverages before going to bed can lead to sleeplessness and increased daytime fatigue.
Most people who suffer from mild bouts of night sweats shouldn’t need treatment beyond simple measures. Drinking plenty of fluids can keep you cool but avoid sugary drinks since they’ll dehydrate you further. Avoiding salty snacks and maintaining healthy weight levels can go a long way towards reducing nighttime sweating. And don’t forget about exercise! Getting enough physical activity every day helps regulate mood and manage stress. You can even incorporate movement breaks into work sessions to improve productivity.
While most sufferers won’t find their condition resolves itself without intervention, there are treatments available for serious cases of night sweats. Read on to learn what options are out there.
Night sweats after surgery
Treatments for severe night sweats vary based on the specific problem causing the sweating. However, regardless of whether the issue stems from underlying medical concerns or unhealthy habits, treating the root cause is usually necessary. Talk to your doctor about your situation and see if he or she recommends any particular therapies or medications. Here are just a few examples of possible solutions:
Medications: Certain classes of drugs known as anticholinergics may be prescribed for patients suffering from night sweats due to neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis. Antihistamines, antidepressants, and beta-blockers are also used to ease the discomfort associated with sleeping pills.
- Heat therapy: Heat packs placed strategically around the legs can provide relief for sufferers experiencing post-surgery pain. Specialized spas offer heat wraps and saunas designed specifically to combat night sweats caused by arthritis.
- Special beds: Beds equipped with special mattresses that allow air circulation beneath the mattress are recommended for individuals dealing with osteoarthritis. Some people choose massage therapy to decrease swelling and relieve aches and pains related to arthritic flare-ups.
- Sleep apnea devices: Patients who snore loudly at night may benefit from using CPAP machines that supply oxygen directly to the lungs instead of ambient air. Sleep apnea is a breathing pattern characterized by pauses lasting 10 seconds or longer during sleep. Snoring occurs because of blocked nasal passages, the low oxygen level in the blood, and enlarged tonsils blocking the back of the throat. Treating sleep apnea can minimize the number of times we awaken each night, resulting in fewer night sweats.
Can smoking cause night sweats
Smoking tobacco products puts additional demands on cardiovascular function, leading to higher resting heart rates and increased systolic pressures. Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals that irritate tissues and inflame the lining of the lungs. Tobacco smokers’ bodies react to inhaled toxins by producing extra mucus, inflammatory agents, and free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules formed when atoms gain electrons. They damage important cellular components such as proteins, DNA, and lipids and disrupt normal metabolic processes. Because of their unstable nature, free radicals can harm almost everything in our bodies.
The effects of cigarette smoking on the skin have not yet been proven, although studies suggest that exposure may slightly lower collagen production. Collagen provides strength and elasticity to connective tissue structures, namely tendons and ligaments. A lack of collagen can result in brittle nails, rough dry hair, and wrinkles. Skin thickness decreases significantly over time among smokers, making facial features appear thinner than non-smokers’. Overall, smoking appears to weaken and discolor the appearance of the skin. According to the Mayo Clinic, smoking can impair wound healing and delay recovery following surgical procedures.
Cigarette smoking adversely affects nearly every organ in the human body and impairs immune function, metabolism, digestion, and reproductive capabilities. Exposure to secondhand smoke poses significant risks to children, pregnant women, and older adults. Quitting smoking lowers the risk of coronary artery diseases and stroke prevents lung cancer and improves overall well-being.
How to stop night sweats in men?
Although night sweats typically aren’t dangerous per se, they can become problematic if left untreated for extended periods. Milder cases respond best to home remedies ranging from behavioral modifications to dietary recommendations. Severe cases warrant medical attention. Treatment plans must be tailored according to individual needs and preferences. Your physician should always consider the possibility of drug interactions between different prescription medications you take regularly.
Your doctor may prescribe medications to control your condition. Most commonly, antihistamine tablets or eye drops may help relieve itching, burning, and red eyes. Some topical creams and ointments can temporarily alleviate the symptoms of eczema. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream relieves inflammation and itchiness. Steroid sprays and oral corticosteroids also contain strong anti-inflammatory properties. Doctors recommend taking short courses of steroids to mitigate allergic reactions.
Medical professionals sometimes prescribe antibiotics to clear infections that cause night sweats. Topical antibiotic creams applied topically to affected areas can kill bacteria quickly. Oral antibiotics are taken daily to fight chronic bacterial infections. Drugs to combat fungal infections include azole derivatives, allylamines, and polyenes. Depending on the severity of illness, intravenous injections of amphotericin B may also be administered. Amphotericin B works against fungi, yeasts, and molds.
Because night sweats can occur secondary to underlying illnesses, proper diagnosis is essential before initiating any kind of treatment plan.
Once identified, however, effective management requires a multidisciplinary approach involving physicians specializing in internal medicine, dermatology, neurology, and psychiatry. Together, they develop personalized treatment guidelines unique to each patient.
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When should you seek help?
People who suffer from persistent bouts of night sweats should consult with their doctors immediately. Excessive sweating interferes with quality of sleep and general well-being. Although rare, severe forms of night sweats can indicate a potentially fatal form of hyperhidrosis called primary focal dermal hypoplasia. Primary Focal Dermal Hypoplasia is a group of genetic disorders affecting one percent of the population. Symptoms include generalized obesity, abnormal pigmentation, skeletal deformities, fingertip enlargement, joint laxity, and recurrent blistering sores. People afflicted with PFKD rarely live past childhood due to complications stemming from congenital defects.
Primary focal dermal hypoplasia was first described by French surgeon Jean Louis Petit in 1766. He noticed unusual blisters covering the backsides of two young boys he operated upon for tumors behind the earlobes. Histological examination revealed thickened subcutaneous layers containing clumps of fat and fibrous elements. Blister formation occurred whenever the boys sweated heavily. Similar lesions were later discovered on the arms and thighs of patients suffering from Menkes kinky hairs syndrome.
Menkes kinky hairs syndrome refers to a group of autosomal recessive neurodegenerative copper transport deficiencies found exclusively in North America. Affected infants exhibit abnormally thinning hair with sparse tufts sticking straight up from the scalp. Lesions resembling bruises soon emerge on the chest and abdomen where copper deposits accumulate. Children eventually die prematurely of pneumonia, respiratory failure, or seizure