In the article, we will consider whether it is normal to wake up in a cold sweat.
Sweating is a natural physiological response of the human body. Such a mechanism exists to maintain a constant temperature in the body and regulate heat transfer. With increased sweating, this can cause some inconvenience. The problem is equally relevant for both the female population and the male population. The situation is especially disturbing when a strong cold sweat appears at night. This can be a sign of the presence of serious pathologies, so it is very important to determine the causes of this condition and eliminate them if possible.
In connection with what can you wake up in a cold sweat?
Factors causing men to sweat heavily at night
Hyperhidrosis, defined as excessive sweating, is becoming a social concernvery many people. Male and female physiology are different.
Male representatives often complain to doctors that they wake up in a cold sweat. The causes and symptoms will be discussed in more detail below.
When it comes to men, night sticky sweat can be caused by the following factors:
- Sudden drop in blood pressure.
- The presence of pathologies of the system of the heart and blood vessels.
- Frequent headaches. If a man suffers from a migraine, a very large amount of adrenaline enters his bloodstream, causing excessive sweating. It is very important to establish the source of persistent migraines. It can be both a common cold and a serious pathology of the internal organs. If a person wakes up in a sweat every night, alcohol addiction may be the cause.
- Too much alcohol. Due to toxic poisoning by the decay products of alcohol, perspiration appears on the body. At the same time, even moderate alcohol consumption disrupts thermoregulatory processes, which may be accompanied by chills or sweating.
- Against the background of emotional conflicts and overloads, constant stress at work or at home, idiopathic hyperhidrosis is formed. This disease causes sweating both at night and during the day. A person feels that he woke up at night in a cold sweat, his palms are wet, there is a frequent heartbeat.
- Sweating at night can cause hormonal imbalance. Too much testosterone is released or synthesis is reduced. This problem is oftenhappens in old age with sexual dysfunction or in adolescents.
If a man wakes up completely wet every morning, then you can judge the presence of significant problems. These may include tuberculosis, diabetes. Intense sweat is a reason to urgently contact a specialist.
It is very unpleasant to sweat in your sleep. Causes in women are described below.
Causes of female sweating
Of course, they can be the same as those listed above in men, but there are a number of special factors that are characteristic only for a woman's body. Physiological sources of sweating can be:
- Irregular menstruation. A woman 3-4 days before the expected period may wake up under a blanket, wet with sweat. This is due to an increase in estrogen in the blood, which also causes general weakness and even fever.
- During pregnancy, the work of the body is significantly rebuilt. Increased sweating is observed mainly in the first trimester, after which everything is normal.
- A woman may sweat a lot during menopause. Menopause is characterized by sleep disturbances, hot flashes and increased irritability.
Possible pathologies
Night sweats in women can be a sign of a number of pathologies:
- high blood sugar;
- dysfunction of the functioning of the endocrine system;
- infections in the body, for example,intestinal;
- pathology of the spine and joints;
- oncology;
- pneumonia with fever and fever;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia.
At night, excessive sweating may indicate intoxication of the body, for example, due to heavy smoking and addiction to alcohol. The liver cannot cope with the neutralization of toxins, and they begin to be intensively excreted in the form of sweat through the skin.
The same reaction can be caused by treatment with a number of drugs, for example, designed to lower blood pressure.
Pathology of the kidneys. When organs cannot naturally remove toxic substances, they must do so through the skin.
If there is no apparent reason for waking up in a cold sweat at night, it is best to consult a specialist.
And what does it mean if a child wakes up in a cold sweat. It is important to identify the causes in a timely manner and eliminate them.
Causes of cold sweat in childhood
This phenomenon often occurs in children. If a baby wakes up sweaty and cold during a feed, this is completely normal. The baby's forehead is perspiring from his efforts to get milk.
If a child has a cold sweat after waking up, this can be triggered:
- rickets due to vitamin D deficiency;
- hereditary predisposition to hyperhidrosis;
- lymphatic diathesis;
- sleeping in a very warm room;
- eruptionteeth, due to which the process of inflammation appears;
- thyroid disorder;
- pathology of the heart and blood vessels.
Actions of parents when a child sweats
Sweating is quite common in children. The problem in most cases goes away as you get older and grow.
However, when observing it for a long time, it is advisable to still contact a specialist and, if necessary, conduct an examination.
What should be done first to help the child?
- maintain comfortable conditions in the home, both during the day and at night;
- try not to eat foods that provoke sweating: smoked meats, spices, Coca-Cola, etc.;
- walk before bed: moderate physical activity and fresh air have a positive effect on the condition of the child's body;
- should wear natural, light, breathable clothing;
- remove heavy blankets;
- when a child has a cold sweat, one can judge that this is a symptom of stress: you need to try to determine if he has any fears, worries and other reasons.
Hyperhidrosis
Baby sweating can be a sign of hyperhidrosis. This most often applies to teenagers, but in principle, age does not really matter.
The task of parents becomes tracking the provoking factor: any food, physical activity, drinks, anxiety, stressful situations, etc. This is difficult to do, so consultation is required.specialist.
Diagnosis of hyperhidrosis at an early stage will help cure the child and prevent future psychological problems.
So, a person wakes up in a cold sweat. What to do?
When should I see a doctor?
Naturally, sweating can cause discomfort, insomnia, however, it is not always a symptom of a serious illness. An adult often sweats due to age, if significant changes occur in the body, due to dietary disorders, heavy weight and many other reasons.
However, there are cases when the sign of sweating cannot be ignored:
- every night throws in a sticky, cold sweat;
- protracted stressful situation, especially when joining sweating sensations of anxiety, fear, excessive irritability;
- when there are signs of systemic diseases, for example, suspected HIV;
- obvious bad smell of sweat;
- when sweat not only interferes with sleep at night, but also sweating occurs during temperature changes, after exposure to the sun.
Why do I wake up in a cold sweat at night? This is a common question from patients. To get rid of such a problem, you need to determine the cause of sweating, and not try to self-medicate, as the situation will only get worse.
Dermatologist Visit
If you have heavy night sweats in your sleep, you need to go to a dermatologist. The specialist examines the skin, learns about sensations and symptoms. There is a possibility that the doctor will send for tests and other necessary studies.
When observing sweating in adolescence, you should first visit a pediatrician. If there is a suspicion of the development of a cold as a source of sweating, you need to pay attention to other signs, such as a runny nose, cough.
When a patient wakes up in a cold sweat, therapy should be comprehensive.
Sweating treatment
With little sweating and occasional pain, no medication is required. Most often, you can cope with the problem if you normalize the activity of the digestive tract, engage in physical activity according to your strength and get rid of bad habits.
The following measures will help eliminate sweating:
- Great remedy - taking a shower before bedtime. The alternation of cold and hot water makes it possible to relax, reduce the intensity of the activity of the sweat glands. And this is the main reason for sweating in the morning. What to do with the problem is interesting to many.
- Create comfortable conditions for sleep: clothes should be made of natural fabrics, comfortable, the same applies to bed linen. Before going to bed, the room is ventilated.
- Use antiperspirants.
- Eat low-fat meals before bed.
- If anxiety sets in before going to bed, drink a decoction of soothing herbs.
- You canresort to meditation.
- The bedroom should have a normal microclimate. The temperature should be maintained around 18-20 degrees.
In the absence of the effectiveness of the above measures and the remaining manifestations, if a person wakes up in a dream from a cold sweat, you will have to use other methods to combat this pathology.
Wake up in a cold sweat in the morning, what should I do? What medications to take?
Using medication
In the absence of serious reasons for excessive sweating, the following medicinal methods can be advised:
- The use of medical antiperspirants. Such preparations contain salicylic acid, aluminum s alts, ethyl alcohol, which clog the ducts of the sweat glands.
- You need to be aware that prolonged use of antiperspirants can cause swelling, dermatitis and inflammation in the ducts.
- You can use medicines that prevent sweating. These include: Bellataminal, Belloid, Bellaspon.
- When determining the nervous system disorders as a source of sweating, sedatives based on belladonna, valerian and motherwort are prescribed.
- With the lability of the nervous system, you may need a course of tranquilizers that help relieve excitability and help you survive a stressful situation. However, you need to keep in mind that they should be taken only as directed by a doctor and for a short course, otherwise there is a threat of addiction.
In addition to medication, you can also resort to physiotherapy.
The man woke up in a cold sweat, why this happens is now clear. What else can be done to get rid of the disease?
Physiotherapy against sweating
To the drugs, you can additionally add a visit to the physiotherapy room to eliminate the problem of sweating. Effective procedures are as follows:
- Pine-s alt baths.
- Hydrotherapy.
- Electro sleep. This method is based on the use of low frequency pulses that affect the brain. Such sessions help relieve excitement, strengthen the patient's nervous system.
- Electrophoresis. Affects the neck area with current simultaneously with drugs. The procedure temporarily dehydrates the areas of the body with high perspiration. The drugs, getting into the skin, block the formation of sweat for the next twenty days.
When taking a course of physiotherapy and taking medication at the same time, you can see a significant relief and decrease in sweating.
Folk remedies for excessive sweating
Thanks to folk recipes, sweating can be reduced. Effective remedies include the following:
- Application of vinegar, which wipes areas of the body with increased sweating.
- Taking a sage and chamomile bath.
- Using birchbrooms in the bath.
- Coniferous baths with potassium permanganate.
We looked at why you wake up covered in sweat. And also told what to do with such a pathology.