Causes of night sweats and specific treatments for cold sweats at night

Everyone remembers the words from the song of the Nautilus Pompilius group - “I wake up in a cold sweat,” but many people know this problem firsthand.

She can also talk about serious pathologies.

The prevalence of such a scourge, according to various statistics, is observed from 3% to 15% of the population.

Factors that provoke intense sweating at night in men

Hyperhidrosis, which is excessive sweating, is a social problem that has plagued a large percentage of the population. Women's and men's physiology is slightly different, so the causes of night sweats may vary. If we consider men, then clammy sweat at night can be caused by the following factors:

• A sharp decrease in blood pressure.
• Existing diseases of the cardiovascular system.
• Frequent headaches. If a man suffers from migraine, then a large amount of adrenaline enters the blood, which causes increased sweating.

It is important to determine the cause of persistent migraines. It could be a common cold or a serious disease of the internal organs.

• Alcohol abuse. Toxic poisoning of the body by the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol causes perspiration to appear on the body. Even with moderate alcohol consumption, thermoregulation processes are disrupted, which may be accompanied by sweating or chills.
• Against the background of constant stress, emotional overload and conflicts at home or at work, idiopathic hyperhidrosis develops. This disease causes sweating not only at night, but also during the day. A person feels wet palms and a rapid heartbeat appears.
• A hormonal imbalance can cause night sweats. Testosterone is released either in large quantities or synthesis is reduced. This problem often occurs in adolescence or in old age with sexual dysfunction.

In the male body, the likelihood of producing cold sweat increases with infectious pathologies, influenza, and viral diseases.

If a man wakes up every morning all wet from sweat, then one can suspect the presence of serious problems. For example, diabetes or tuberculosis. Intense sweat is a reason for urgent consultation with a doctor.

Why does a person sweat at night?

People always sweat, and this is considered normal. This is how the body gets rid of excess heat. However, if sweating is profuse, this may indicate some problems, for example, illness.

The amount of sweat produced per day is 500 ml. At night, the appearance of moisture on the surface of the skin is regulated by the vagus nerve and parasympathetic system. This is why sweat is more intense at night.

Cosmetologist Irina Kotova will tell you why hyperhidrosis occurs in various parts of the body, as well as how to treat it.

Causes of sweating in women

They can, of course, be the same as in men, but there are also special factors that are characteristic only of the female body. Physiological causes of sweating include:

• Violation of the monthly cycle. 3-4 days before the next menstruation, a woman may wake up with a blanket wet from sweat. This can be explained by an increase in estrogen in the blood, which also leads to general weakness, sometimes to an increase in temperature.
• Pregnancy radically changes the functioning of the entire body. Increased sweating is most often observed in the first trimester, and then everything returns to normal.
• A woman may sweat a lot during menopause. Menopause is also characterized by sleep disturbances, increased irritability, and hot flashes.

Night sweats in women can be a symptom of certain pathologies:

• Dysfunction in the endocrine system.
• Increased blood sugar levels.
• An infection in the body, such as the intestines.
• Oncology.
• Diseases of the joints and spine.
• Pneumonia, which is accompanied by fever and fever.
• Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD).
• Increased sweating at night may indicate intoxication of the body, for example, as a result of excessive smoking or drinking alcohol. The liver cannot cope with the neutralization of toxins, they begin to be intensely released through the skin in the form of sweat.
• The same reaction can be caused by therapy with certain medications, for example, to lower blood pressure.
• Kidney diseases. If the organs cannot cope with the elimination of toxic substances naturally, then they have to resort to the help of the skin.

If there are no apparent reasons for waking up in the middle of the night with the back of your head wet from sweat, then it is better to consult a doctor.

When to rush to the doctor if you are sweating

Sweating, of course, can cause insomnia and discomfort, but it is not always a sign of a developing serious disease. An adult can sweat due to age, when significant changes occur in the body, due to high weight, poor diet and for many other reasons.

But there are situations when this symptom of sweating should not be ignored:

• Breaks out into a cold, sticky sweat every night.
• The stressful situation has dragged on. Especially if sweating is accompanied by a feeling of fear, anxiety, or increased irritability.
• If symptoms of systemic pathologies appear, for example, suspicion of HIV.
• Sweat has a pronounced unpleasant odor.
• If sweat not only interferes with sleep at night, but also bothers you with sweating after being in the sun, when there are temperature changes.

To get rid of the problem of sweat, it is important to identify the cause, and not self-medicate, which will only worsen the situation.

Which doctor should you visit if you have excessive sweating?

If you sweat a lot at night in your sleep, then you should rush to the dermatologist. The doctor will examine your skin and ask about your symptoms and sensations. There is a possibility that a specialist will direct you to take tests and undergo other studies.

Based on the results, the doctor will prescribe treatment with medications for external use and medications for internal use. If no skin pathologies are identified, then most likely the doctor will refer you to other specialists. For example, if you suspect hormonal disorders with excessive sweating, you will need to consult an endocrinologist. If you have problems with alcohol, you cannot do without the help of a narcologist.

If the problem of sweat is observed in adolescence, then you should first visit a pediatrician. If you suspect a developing cold as the cause of sweating, you need to pay attention to other symptoms, for example, cough, runny nose.

When can excessive sweating be normal?

If you do not take into account high ambient temperatures, physical activity or fever due to acute respiratory viral infections and influenza (sweating in these cases is inevitable and normal), then excessive sweating can also be the norm in adolescents and women in menopause, shortly before its onset and during pregnancy, as well as in people with large body weight (excess weight in itself is not the norm, and its causes need to be dealt with, but sweat in this case is not the main problem).

Synthetic underwear can also cause night sweats, and this is also easy to explain: such material does not allow oxygen to pass through, the skin under it does not breathe, and therefore the body starts the process of sweating. There is no need to worry in cases where sweat prevents you from falling asleep after a heavy dinner, watching a horror movie or other emotional shock, or after drinking alcohol. However, “normal” sweat should not have a strong ammonia smell or leave white marks on clothing; if this happens, you should consult a doctor to check your kidney function, especially during pregnancy.

Some medications can also cause increased sweating. As a rule, the instructions will write about this, but most often this side effect occurs with antipyretics, antidepressants and medications that lower blood pressure.

Sweating therapy

If sweating is minor and torments a person periodically, then drug therapy is not required. Most often, the problem can be dealt with by normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, getting rid of bad habits and engaging in feasible physical activity.

The following measures will help get rid of sweating:

• A great remedy is to shower before bed. Alternating hot and cold water allows you to relax and reduce the intensity of the sweat glands. As a result, the level of sweating decreases.
• Create comfortable conditions for sleeping: clothes should be comfortable and made of natural fabrics, the same goes for bed linen. Ventilate the room before going to bed.
• Use antiperspirants.
• Dinner before bed should not consist of fatty foods.
• If you are nervous, you can take a decoction of sedative herbs at night.
• You can call on meditation to help.
• Create a normal microclimate in the bedroom. The temperature should be maintained at 18-20 degrees.

If the above measures do not help to cope with intense sweating, and the person continues to sweat in his sleep, then he will have to resort to other methods of combating the pathology.

Use of drug therapy

If there are no serious reasons for severe sweating, then the following drug therapy can be recommended:

1. Use of medical antiperspirants. Such drugs contain aluminum salts, salicylic acid, ethyl alcohol, which simply clog the ducts of the sweat glands.

It is important to know that long-term use of antiperspirants is fraught with the development of dermatitis, swelling and inflammatory processes in the ducts.

1. Use of medications to prevent sweating. These include: “Bellaspon”, “Belloid”, “Bellataminal”.
2. When problems in the nervous system are identified as the cause of sweating, sedatives based on motherwort, valerian, and belladonna are prescribed.
3. If the nervous system is unstable, you may need a course of tranquilizers that will relieve increased excitability and help you survive a stressful situation. BUT we must keep in mind that they should be taken only on the recommendation of a doctor and for a short course so as not to cause addiction.

In addition to medications, you can use physical therapy.

Physiotherapy against sweating

In addition to medications, you can visit a physical therapy office to eliminate the sweat problem. Among the effective procedures are the following:

• Hydrotherapy.
• Pine-salt baths.
• Electrosleep. The method is based on the use of low-frequency impulses affecting the brain. Such sessions relieve anxiety and strengthen the nervous system.
• Electrophoresis. The neck area is exposed to electric current together with medications. The time procedure dehydrates areas of the body with increased sweating. The drugs, penetrating the skin, block the formation of sweat over the next 20 days.

If you undergo a course of physiotherapeutic procedures and simultaneously take prescribed medications, you can notice significant relief and a decrease in sweat production.

Folk remedies to combat sweating

Traditional medicine recipes can reduce the intensity of sweating and get rid of the problem. Among the effective recipes are the following:

• Use vinegar to wipe areas of the body with excessive sweat. You can use a decoction of oak bark for these purposes.
• Take a bath with the addition of a decoction of chamomile and sage.
• Visit to the steam room with birch brooms.
• Coniferous baths with the addition of potassium permanganate.

Popular methods to combat sweating

In addition to medication, physiotherapy and traditional treatment, there are methods that are also popular. Among them:

1. Botox injections. This procedure blocks nerve endings for up to six months and profuse sweating stops. Such manipulation can only be entrusted to a trusted professional.
2. Laser therapy for hyperhidrosis. Using laser radiation, the sweat glands are destroyed. Just one session is enough to eliminate excessive sweating in the armpits.
3. Surgical removal of sweat glands. A radical method, which is used in extreme cases, if other therapy does not produce results.

If sweating is not associated with a serious diagnosis, then you can try to prevent it.

Some secrets

Excessive night sweats can be eliminated by the following measures:

1. Water treatments before bed. Alternating cold and hot water will have a relaxing effect, thereby reducing sweat production. Taking a bath with a decoction of herbs will have a beneficial effect.
2. Cleaning areas of the skin where hyperhidrosis is noted using apple cider vinegar or a decoction of oak bark. Thanks to these useful remedies, the pores narrow and the appearance of excessive sweat during sleep is eliminated.
3. Daily ventilation of premises.
4. Use of medical or special deodorants.
5. In the evening, you should not eat spicy foods or alcohol-containing drinks.
6. To sleep, you should wear loose clothing made from natural fabrics.

Since there are a large number of reasons that cause increased hyperhidrosis in men at night, simply following preventive measures may not be enough to eliminate it. A comprehensive examination of the body and treatment prescribed by a specialist may be required.

Prevention of hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating is recommended to be treated, but preventative measures can be taken to reduce the intensity. To do this, doctors advise following the following rules:

1. Find out the cause of high sweating and try to eliminate it.
2. If medications cause a side effect such as sweating, then you should reconsider the dosage or discuss changing the drug with your doctor.
3. To improve air exchange in the bedroom, you need to ventilate the room before going to bed.
4. In the afternoon, include more vegetables and fruits in your diet, and drink plenty of clean water.
5. Avoid chronic stressful situations. Learn relaxation techniques.
6. Maintain personal hygiene, use antiperspirants, but choose them carefully so as not to aggravate the situation.

If the reasons for excessive sweating are determined and timely measures are taken to eliminate the problem, the prognosis for a person is quite favorable. After some time, the unpleasant symptom will cease to bother you.

Treatment

All drugs that are aimed at eliminating hyperhidrosis are divided into two categories. The first includes components that act directly on the skin glands that secrete sweat and eliminate secretion at the cellular level. They contain formaldehyde and aluminum chloride.

Among such drugs o. The second category includes drugs that calm the nervous system.

The specialist may also prescribe:

1. Botox injections are an effective but expensive method. This treatment process must be repeated several times.
2. Galvanization helps eliminate perspiration that appears on the legs and arms.
3. Surgery is the most effective method to eliminate excessive sweating.