The human skin glands constantly produce sweat. This process is necessary to maintain a constant body temperature. Often, patients complain of excessive sweating during sleep. In medicine, this condition is called nocturnal hyperhidrosis. It can be triggered by both external factors and various pathologies. What diseases cause increased sweating at night? And how to get rid of hyperhidrosis? We will answer these questions in the article.
Non-pathological causes
Most cases of nocturnal hyperhidrosis are caused by external factors. The reason for sweating in a dream can be the following circumstances:
- Using synthetic bedding. Non-natural fabrics are very poorly breathable. The human body overheats, which leads to increased work of the sweat glands. In addition, synthetics do not absorb moisture. Therefore, doctors do not recommend covering yourself with synthetic blankets andwear night clothes made of artificial fibers. When choosing bedding, as well as shirts or pajamas for sleep, cotton and linen should be preferred.
- Wrong temperature in the bedroom. The optimal air temperature for sleeping is from +18 to +24 degrees. If the bedroom is too hot, then the sweat glands work in an enhanced mode. The microclimate in the room also matters. With high humidity in a person, thermoregulation is disturbed. It is harmful to sleep in hot and dry air. This can cause increased sweating and dehydration.
- Drinking alcohol. Sweating at night in a dream can appear after drinking alcohol. If a person consumed alcoholic beverages in the evening, then the quality of a night's rest deteriorates significantly. The sweat glands have to work hard to remove ethanol from the body. In addition, alcohol creates a false sensation of warmth and disrupts the process of thermoregulation.
- Overeating at night. After a hearty meal, a person falls asleep with a full stomach. This organ presses on the diaphragm, which makes it difficult for air to enter the lungs. As a result, a person has to breathe more often. This causes an increase in body temperature and can provoke nocturnal hyperhidrosis. It is especially harmful to eat fatty, fried and carbohydrate foods for dinner, as well as drinks that excite the nervous system (coffee, mate, strong tea).
- Medication taking. Hyperhidrosis can be a side effect of certain medications. Sleep sweating is often noted during treatment with antipyretics.drugs, steroid hormones and antidepressants.
The above reasons can be easily eliminated. To get rid of hyperhidrosis, you must stop using synthetic bedding, maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom, and do not overeat or drink alcohol during dinner. If the sweating is caused by medication, then it completely disappears after adjusting the treatment regimen or stopping drug therapy.
Possible diseases
In some cases, nocturnal hyperhidrosis is just one of the symptoms of various pathologies. The following diseases and conditions of the body can be the cause of sweating during sleep:
- infectious pathologies;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- malignant tumors;
- hypoglycemia;
- insomnia;
- obstructive sleep apnea;
- idiopathic hyperhidrosis.
Next, we will consider these pathologies in more detail.
Infectious diseases
Night hyperhidrosis is observed in many infectious pathologies accompanied by fever. High body temperature leads to increased work of the skin glands. Severe sweating during sleep is noted in the following diseases:
- flu;
- malaria;
- rubella;
- measles;
- mumps;
- chickenpox;
- ARVI.
Hyperhidrosis increases during a sharp drop in body temperature. This is considereda normal occurrence. During this period, the patient should be allowed to drink as much liquid as possible to avoid dehydration. In acute infections, sweating disappears completely after the patient's condition returns to normal.
If hyperhidrosis and fever persist for a long period of time, then this may be a sign of chronic infectious pathologies:
- tuberculosis;
- HIV infections.
Sweating in tuberculosis is an early symptom of the disease. It occurs even before the appearance of signs of lung damage. Hyperhidrosis is accompanied by a slightly elevated body temperature (up to +37 - 37.5 degrees).
Nocturnal hyperhidrosis in HIV infection also appears early in the disease. Most often, the back of the head, forehead, neck and temples sweat. This is accompanied by severe headache and weakness.
Thyroid disease
Sweating at night during sleep can be one of the manifestations of hyperthyroidism. This disease is characterized by increased thyroid function. An excess of thyroid hormones stimulates sweating. Hyperhidrosis increases in the evening and at night.
Hyperthyroidism is also accompanied by the following symptoms:
- strong weight loss;
- tachycardia;
- nervousness;
- weakness;
- protrusion of the anterior surface of the neck due to enlargement of the gland;
- bulging eyes.
Due to excessive sweating, the skin constantly lookswet. You can identify the pathology with the help of a blood test for hormones. Patients are treated with thyreostatic drugs. After the normalization of the hormonal background, hyperhidrosis disappears.
Oncological pathologies
The most dangerous cause of night sweats during sleep are malignant neoplasms. In oncological diseases, the decay products of cancerous tumors accumulate in the body. The sweat glands are forced to work in an enhanced mode to remove toxins.
Night hyperhidrosis often appears in the early stages of oncological pathologies, when the pain syndrome is not yet expressed. If sweating is accompanied by weakness, swollen lymph nodes, slight fever and weight loss, then such symptoms should be alarming. In such cases, it is necessary to be examined by an oncologist.
Hypoglycemia
Sweating at night during sleep can be one of the signs of low blood glucose levels. Hypoglycemia often occurs due to starvation in patients adhering to an overly strict diet. The cause of the pathology can also be tumors of the pancreas. In diabetics, a sharp drop in glucose levels is noted with an overdose of insulin and other sugar-lowering drugs.
Sweating in hyperglycemia is accompanied by intense hunger, nausea and acetone breath odor. A drop in glucose levels at night can be life-threatening. After all, in a dream, the patient is not able to control his condition. In severe cases, hypoglycemic coma occurs, which can cause death.exodus.
Insomnia
Insomnia itself is not the cause of night sweats. However, chronic sleep disturbance can trigger an anxiety disorder. Unsuccessfully trying to sleep, a person experiences constant stress. Such an emotional reaction leads to overexcitation of the autonomic nervous system. As a result, the patient develops night sweats, accompanied by tachycardia, a feeling of pressure in the chest, increased blood pressure.
In addition, with insomnia, patients often have to take sleeping pills. Hyperhidrosis may be related to the side effects of sedative medications.
Obstructive sleep apnea
By the term "apnea" doctors mean a sudden stoppage of breathing. With this pathology, during sleep, the soft tissues of the pharynx close, and the flow of air into the respiratory tract is temporarily blocked.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea snore heavily in their sleep. Then the snoring suddenly stops and respiratory arrest occurs. After that, the person snores loudly and begins to breathe again. Apnea lasts about 10 seconds. Respiratory arrest can be repeated up to 300 times per night. This significantly impairs the quality of the patient's sleep.
Sweating during sleep occurs during a break in breathing. Oxygen deficiency leads to increased production of adrenaline and increased sweating. Obstructive sleep apnea is more common in patients aged 40 to 60 years. This diseasepeople with certain anatomical features of the face and neck are especially susceptible.
Idiopathic sweating
Sometimes a comprehensive examination does not reveal any reason for sweating during sleep. The results of the tests indicate that the patient is completely he althy. In this case, doctors diagnose "idiopathic hyperhidrosis". The exact etiology of this disease has not been established. It is assumed that the causes of such sweating are related to stress.
The disease most often begins in adolescence. Sometimes it disappears after the end of puberty, but in some cases it can persist throughout life. Increased sweating is the only symptom of pathology. There is no specific treatment for idiopathic hyperhidrosis. Patients are advised to use antiperspirants that reduce sweat production. In some cases, sedatives are indicated.
Hyperhidrosis in men
There are specific causes of nocturnal hyperhidrosis that only affect male patients. The sweat glands are regulated by the hormone testosterone. Nocturnal hyperhidrosis may be associated with the following male pathologies:
- hormonal disorders;
- prostate diseases.
Sweating during sleep in men is often due to testosterone deficiency. With a lack of this hormone, the amount of subcutaneous fat increases sharply, and the muscles become flabby. Also, the patient's potency and libido decrease, weakness and frequent mood swings occur. Suchthe condition requires urgent treatment with hormonal drugs.
Sweating during sleep in men can be one of the signs of prostatitis. Usually nocturnal hyperhidrosis occurs with a chronic form of pathology. Profuse sweating is noted in the perineum. This is due to the autonomic response of the body to the inflammatory process.
Hyperhidrosis in women
In the female body there are frequent fluctuations in hormonal levels. This affects the functioning of the sweat glands. Estrogen deficiency can cause night sweats. Hyperhidrosis is also noted with elevated levels of androgens (male hormones).
Sweating during sleep in women can also be associated with the following physiological conditions of the body:
- Menstrual period. Before menstruation, women experience strong fluctuations in hormonal levels. This may be accompanied by an increase in body temperature and increased secretion of sweat glands.
- Pregnancy. During gestation, the load on the female body increases, which often leads to sweating at night. Hyperhidrosis is most often observed in the first trimester and later. The functioning of the sweat glands usually returns to normal after childbirth. However, in some cases nocturnal hyperhidrosis persists during lactation.
- Menopause. During menopause, women often experience flushing of the face and a feeling of heat. At night there is profuse sweating. This is due to the natural drop in estrogen levels inbody. You can eliminate the unpleasant manifestations of menopause with the help of hormone replacement therapy.
What to do with hyperhidrosis
How to get rid of sweating in your sleep? If hyperhidrosis is associated with exposure to adverse external factors, then it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for a night's rest, as well as reconsider your diet and lifestyle.
If night sweats are constantly bothering you, then you need to consult a specialist, undergo a comprehensive examination and a course of therapy. Of particular concern should be hyperhidrosis, accompanied by persistent low fever. This may be a sign of a chronic infectious process or oncological pathology.
It is important to remember that abnormal sweating is not subject to symptomatic treatment. Hyperhidrosis completely disappears only after its cause is eliminated.
