Human skin glands constantly produce sweat. This process is necessary to maintain a constant body temperature. Often patients complain of excessive sweating in a dream. In medicine, this condition is called night 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
In most cases, nocturnal hyperhidrosis is caused by external factors. The following circumstances may cause sweating in a dream:
- The use of synthetic bedding. Unnatural tissues pass the air very poorly. 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 themselves with synthetic blankets and wearing nightwear made from artificial fibers. When choosing bedding, as well as shirts or pajamas for sleeping, you should give preference to cotton and linen.
- Unsuitable temperature in the bedroom. The optimum 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 humans, thermoregulation is disturbed. Harmful to sleep in hot and dry air. This can trigger increased sweating and dehydration.
- Alcohol consumption. Sweating at night in a dream may appear after taking alcohol. If a person drank alcohol in the evening, then the quality of night rest is significantly impaired. The sweat glands have to work hard to remove ethanol from the body. In addition, alcohol creates a false sensation of heat and disrupts the process of thermoregulation.
- Overeating at night. After a hearty dinner, 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 stimulate the nervous system (coffee, mate, strong tea).
- Taking medication. Hyperhidrosis can be a side effect of certain medications. Sweating in a dream is often noted during treatment with antipyretics, steroid hormones and antidepressants.
The above reasons can be easily addressed. To get rid of hyperhidrosis, it is necessary to abandon the use of synthetic bedding, maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom, and during dinner do not overeat and do not drink alcohol. If sweating is caused by taking medication, then it completely disappears after adjusting the treatment regimen or after the end of drug therapy.
Possible diseases
In some cases, nocturnal hyperhidrosis is only one of the symptoms of various pathologies. The following diseases and conditions of the body can become the cause of sweating during sleep:
- infectious pathologies;
- thyroid dysfunction;
- malignant tumors;
- hypoglycemia;
- insomnia;
- obstructive sleep apnea;
- idiopathic hyperhidrosis.
Further we will consider these pathologies in more detail.
Infectious diseases
Nocturnal hyperhidrosis is noted in many infectious pathologies accompanied by fever. High body temperature leads to increased work of the skin glands. Severe sweating in a dream occurs with the following diseases:
- flu
- malaria
- rubella;
- measles
- mumps;
- chicken pox;
- ARVI.
Hyperhidrosis intensifies during a sharp decrease in body temperature. This is considered normal. During this period, the patient should be given as much fluid as possible to avoid dehydration. In acute infections, sweating completely disappears after normalization of the patient's condition.
If hyperhidrosis and fever persist for a long period of time, then this may be a sign of chronic infectious pathologies:
- tuberculosis
- HIV infection.
Sweating with tuberculosis is an early symptom of the disease. It occurs even before the onset of signs of lung damage. Hyperhidrosis is accompanied by a slightly elevated body temperature (up to +37 - 37.5 degrees).
Nocturnal hyperhidrosis with HIV infection also appears in the early stages of 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. Excess thyroid hormones stimulate sweating. Hyperhidrosis is worse in the evening and at night.
Hyperthyroidism is also accompanied by the following symptoms:
- strong weight loss;
- tachycardia;
- nervousness
- weakness
- bulging of the front surface of the neck due to enlargement of the gland;
- bulging eyes.
Due to excessive sweating, the skin constantly looks wet. Pathology can be detected using a blood test for hormones. Patients are shown treatment with thyreostatic drugs. After normalization of the hormonal background, hyperhidrosis disappears.
Oncological pathologies
The most dangerous cause of night sweats during sleep is malignant neoplasms. With oncological diseases, the decay products of cancerous tumors accumulate in the body. Sweat glands are forced to work in an intensive mode to remove toxins.
Night hyperhidrosis often appears in the early stages of cancer pathologies, when the pain syndrome is not yet expressed. If sweating is accompanied by weakness, enlarged lymph nodes, a 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 a decrease in blood glucose concentration. Hypoglycemia often occurs due to starvation in patients adhering to an overly strict diet. Pancreatic tumors can also be the cause of the pathology. In diabetics, a sharp drop in glucose levels is observed with an overdose of insulin and other sugar-lowering drugs.
Sweating with hyperglycemia is accompanied by a strong feeling of hunger, nausea and an acetone breath. A drop in glucose at night can be life threatening. Indeed, in a dream, the patient is not able to control his condition. In severe cases, a hypoglycemic coma occurs, which can cause death.
Insomnia
Insomnia per se is not the cause of night sweats. However, chronic sleep disturbance can trigger 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 constriction in the chest, and an increase in blood pressure.
In addition, with insomnia, patients often have to take sleeping pills. Hyperhidrosis may be associated with side effects of sedative medications.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
By the term "apnea" doctors mean a sudden stop in breathing. With this pathology, during sleep, the soft tissues of the pharynx are closed, and air intake into the respiratory tract is temporarily blocked.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea very much snore. Then snoring suddenly stops and respiratory arrest occurs. After that, a man 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 patient's quality of sleep.
Sweating in a dream occurs during a break in breathing. Oxygen deficiency leads to increased adrenaline production and increased sweating. Obstructive sleep apnea is more often seen in patients aged 40 to 60 years. This disease is especially susceptible to people with certain anatomical features of the structure of the face and neck.
Idiopathic sweating
Sometimes a comprehensive examination does not reveal any causes of sweating during sleep. Test results indicate that the patient is completely healthy. In this case, doctors are diagnosed with idiopathic hyperhidrosis. The exact etiology of this disease has not been established. It is assumed that the causes of such sweating are associated with stress.
The disease most often begins in adolescence. Sometimes it disappears after the end of the puberty, but in some cases it can persist throughout life. Increased sweating is the only symptom of pathology. Specific treatment for idiopathic hyperhidrosis has not been developed. Patients are advised to use antiperspirants that reduce sweat production. In some cases, sedation is indicated.
Hyperhidrosis in men
There are specific causes of nocturnal hyperhidrosis, which are characteristic only for male patients. The work of the sweat glands is regulated by the hormone testosterone. Night hyperhidrosis can be associated with the following male pathologies:
- hormonal disorders;
- prostate diseases.
Sweating in a dream in men often occurs due to a deficiency of testosterone. With a lack of this hormone, the amount of subcutaneous fat increases sharply, and the muscles become flabby. Also, the patient decreases potency and libido, there is weakness and frequent mood swings. This condition requires urgent treatment with hormonal drugs.
Sweating during sleep in men can be one of the signs of prostatitis. Usually nocturnal hyperhidrosis occurs in a chronic form of pathology. Profuse sweating is noted in the perineum. This is due to the autonomic reaction of the body to the inflammatory process.
Hyperhidrosis in women
In the female body, frequent fluctuations in the hormonal background occur. This affects the functioning of the sweat glands. Estrogen deficiency can trigger night sweats. Hyperhidrosis is also noted with an increased level of androgens (male hormones).
Sweating in a dream in women can also be associated with the following physiological conditions of the body:
- Menstrual period. Before menstruation in women, there are strong fluctuations in the hormonal background. This may be accompanied by fever 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 noted in the first trimester and in later periods. The functioning of the sweat glands usually normalizes after childbirth. However, in some cases, nighttime hyperhidrosis persists during lactation.
- Menopause. In the menopause, women often experience flushing and a feeling of heat. At night, there is profuse sweating. This is due to the natural decline in estrogen levels in the body. 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 a dream? If hyperhidrosis is associated with the influence of adverse external factors, then it is necessary to create comfortable conditions for a night's rest, and also to reconsider your diet and lifestyle.
If night sweats worry constantly, then you need to contact a specialist, undergo a comprehensive examination and a course of therapy. Hyperhidrosis, accompanied by persistent small fever, should be especially wary. This may be a sign of a chronic infectious process or cancer pathology.
It is important to remember that pathological sweating is not subject to symptomatic treatment. Hyperhidrosis completely disappears only after the elimination of its cause.