Night sweats in men are the main causes of the problem

Normally, during sleep, all physiological processes in the body are slowed down, including the process of sweating that occurs less intensely. There may be several reasons why sweat production may increase in men during sleep, which can be roughly divided into physiological and pathological. Read more about them in the general article; here we will analyze the specifics of male sweating. You also need to understand that it is impossible to consider heavy sweating in isolation as the cause of some pathology, because this symptom is not specific and is usually combined with something else.

Cold sweat

It is “the body’s fight-or-flight response to stress that mobilizes all the body’s forces in a dangerous situation.” It occurs suddenly and can provoke the production of cold sweat. It can also be caused by stress, nightmares, a heart attack, severe trauma that causes severe pain, shortness of breath, shock, low blood sugar, etc.

Understanding what exactly night sweats are, let’s take a closer look at the symptoms in men of different age categories.

Why does sweating increase at night?

Night sweats have the following causes in men:

• external stimuli;
• alcohol intoxication;
• andropause;
• neurological disorders, including stress;
• diseases of the endocrine system.

External irritants include stuffy bedrooms and synthetic bedding. Sleeping in a stuffy room does not allow the body to rest properly. In this case, sweat is produced to maintain optimal body temperature.

Other Possible Causes

In addition to what has already been described, there are other, less likely causes of night sweats in men. Among them:

• Stroke and post-traumatic syringomyelia (cystic growth that develops on the spinal cord and fills with fluid)
• Numbness in legs and arms
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease GERD
• Substance abuse
• Sleep disturbances such as difficulty breathing at night, especially in people with sleep apnea
• Parkinson's disease
• Excess weight
• Large or very warm blanket
• Eating too spicy food before bed
• The air temperature in the room where you sleep is too high
• Active exercises before bed
• Poor air conditioning in warm weather
• The heater thermostat is set too high
• "Drinking hot drinks before bed" [Healthline.com]
• Excessive caffeine consumption

Overheating during sleep - what to do?

Excessive sweating does not just happen. It may indicate that the body is simply overheating during sleep, or it may signal the development of a serious illness.

Increased activity of the sweat glands always indicates an imbalance in the body.

The causes of night sweats in men can be divided into the following groups:

• associated with external factors (too high temperature in the bedroom, thick blanket, etc.);
• caused by somatic or mental pathology (all kinds of diseases from the common cold to the most severe).

There are cases when night sweats are idiopathic, i.e. occurs for no apparent reason.

The cause of increased sweating at night in men may be simple overheating of the body as a result of non-compliance with the temperature regime in the bedroom.

The quality of bedding is of great importance:

• preference should be given to natural bed linen;
• the blanket should be light and not hot.

It is better to choose cotton, not synthetic, sleepwear. It should have good absorbent properties and easily conduct heat.

The air temperature in a room intended for sleeping should be between 16 - 21 degrees!

Sweating is necessary for normal human thermoregulation. It is a response to an increase in body temperature due to various factors.

The liquid evaporates from the surface of the skin, cooling it. But there are conditions in which the glands work with increased activity, their secretion is produced very intensively.

This phenomenon causes discomfort even when feeling normal.

Very sweaty palms, wet armpits, and droplets running down the face, neck, chest and back look unsightly during the day and interfere with sleep at night. A husband covered in sticky sweat will not evoke positive emotions in a woman. To fix the problem, you need to understand the reason for this process.

The amount of sweat produced by each person depends on many factors. The number of glands, features of the autonomic nervous system, and other hereditary factors are individual to the body and affect sweating during the day and during sleep in men and women.

Normal and excessive sweat production is a relative concept and cannot be calculated using a table. It depends on the individual characteristics of the body, the type of work performed, and nervous excitability.

But if a person sleeps in a cool room, is not covered with an excessively warm blanket, he does not have nightmares, and the man’s severe sweating at night is very pronounced, this may be associated with the presence of the disease.

Symptoms may include:

• sticky palms;
• wet hair, damp pajamas;
• damp pillow and other bedding (unsightly yellow stains remain on them);
• irritation, redness, itching;
• unpleasant odor;
• restless sleep.

The sudden appearance of such a syndrome should be especially alarming.

Whatever the causes of night sweats in men, the main consequence is dehydration.

Many minerals are also lost, which leads to water-salt imbalance and disruption of the functioning of organs and systems.

People suffering from hyperhidrosis make a mistake when they try to drink less to prevent moisture from appearing on the skin; in this case, drinking water is mandatory.

Skin that is constantly exposed to sweat is usually damaged, causing diaper rash and dermatitis in the skin folds.

Advice! It is imperative to carry out hygiene procedures, use special antiperspirants, powders, pillows and linen should be washed frequently. This will help prevent the development of pathogenic bacteria that contribute to the appearance of a strong unpleasant odor and pustular diseases.

Example reasons

At the moment of rest, a person is in a calm state, hardly moves, and under favorable conditions, sweating should not occur during sleep.

If such a symptom appears, the reasons for this may lie in external factors or in somatic diseases, mental pathologies, and nervous tension.

Only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis and determine why hyperhidrosis occurs. It is imperative to undergo an examination to prevent the development of serious pathologies.

Hormonal imbalances

The higher a man's testosterone level, the more sweating occurs during physical activity, stress, or hyperthermia. This symptom is accompanied by various pathologies of the endocrine system.

Diabetes mellitus, dysfunction of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and obesity cause increased sweat production. Hormonally active tumors of various locations give the same picture.

Severe stress

Any excitement, and especially severe stress, releases a large amount of adrenaline into the blood. Palms, forehead, face, head may sweat when experiencing, anticipating some event, or having a nightmare. At the same time, the person rotates from the right side to the left.

The causes of night sweats in men often lie in the presence of mental disorders such as nervous exhaustion, hysteria, depression, and schizophrenia. This symptom accompanies the abuse of various psychoactive substances.

Diseases

The production of sweat gland secretion can be observed in various diseases. Most often it is a common runny nose, a cold, accompanied by elevated body temperature and weakness. Profuse sweat, especially at night, is one of the manifestations of tuberculosis.

• endocrine system disorders;
• infectious diseases;
• autoimmune pathologies;
• malignant neoplasms;
• problems in the nervous system;
• multiple sclerosis;
• HIV;
• hepatitis;
• somatic diseases.

Bad habits can cause such symptoms. Some medications, especially their uncontrolled use, often cause side effects such as profuse sweating. Stopping medications helps get rid of the problem.

Excess body weight itself can cause excessive sweating. Often such people suffer from apnea, attacks of sudden cessation of breathing during sleep as a result of snoring. The body perceives this as stress, a threat to life. A large amount of adrenaline is released into the blood, causing cold sweat to be produced.

Stuffy bedroom

The emerging complaint – “I sweat a lot at night” – can arise when the reason lies in the uncomfortable sleeping conditions of men. High temperature, stuffiness, and lack of fresh air often cause increased release of moisture from the sweat glands.

An unfavorable factor is a blanket that is too warm, synthetic bedding, or pajamas. By eliminating these reasons, you can easily get rid of hyperhidrosis.

Alcohol is excreted not only by the kidneys, but also through the skin, which causes moisture to appear on its surface. Increased sweating the day after abuse is a sign of withdrawal syndrome, which indicates addiction and binge drinking.

Large amounts of sweat may occur when eating certain types of food. They cause vasodilation and a rush of blood. These products include:

• spicy seasonings;
• coffee;
• chocolate;
• fizzy drinks;
• liquids containing alcohol, even beer.

Hot food, especially in the warm season, provokes hyperhidrosis. It is necessary to eat light, low-calorie food in the evening. Smoking can often cause this symptom. Quitting cigarettes in many cases helps solve the problem.

It is believed that only women suffer from menopause. But night sweats that occur may be a consequence of a reason such as hormonal changes in men that occur with age.

Typically, the first symptoms appear after 50 years in a third of the stronger sex. They experience vasodilation, which provokes temperature changes and hyperhidrosis.

Hot flashes, dizziness, palpitations, pain in the left chest, shortness of breath, neuroses, and insomnia occur.

Attention! This process is natural in mature men; it is a bad sign if it is observed in young guys. In this case, there is a high probability of serious pathologies of the genitourinary and endocrine systems, which require immediate examination and medical care.

To treat hyperhidrosis, it is necessary to find out the causes of night sweats in men. The correctness of the selected therapy depends on this. You should definitely see a doctor, undergo laboratory tests, and get advice from specialists.

If a pathology is detected, medications may be prescribed:

• antiallergic;
• antibacterial;
• sedatives;
• antiviral;
• increasing immunity;
• vitamins;
• hormones.

The selection will depend on the underlying reason. Timely seeking help will help cure the disease faster and more effectively. Traditional medicine recommends the use of soothing herbal decoctions: lemon balm, mint, St. John's wort. Apply them several times a day. You can use oak bark baths to cure sweaty palms and feet.

The old method, electrophoresis, gives good results. To do this, you should consult a physiotherapist. Sessions should be carried out in the recommended course; interruption will interfere with receiving therapeutic feedback.

In severe cases of sweating, the question of surgical intervention may arise; the sweat glands are removed. This aspect is decided individually, the doctor considers all indications and possible negative consequences.

When heavy sweating occurs at night in men, an analysis of living conditions and habits should be carried out. This will help identify external causes of the symptom and take measures to eliminate them. Prevention includes the following recommendations:

• creating the right daily routine;
• maintaining optimal temperature and humidity in the bedroom;
• proper bed linen and pajamas: they should be made from natural fabrics;
• healthy eating: in the evening, do not eat foods that increase sweating;
• refusal to drink alcohol, smoke;
• hydro procedures: before going to bed, take a warm, not hot, shower.

You should not watch action-packed films and programs in the evening; it is better to take a short walk. If the day has been hard and eventful, you can drink a soothing herbal decoction. This will help normalize the nervous system and reduce the likelihood of hyperhidrosis.

Conclusion

In men over 50 years of age

In 50-year-old men, night sweats may be associated with “male menopause” (andropause). In addition, any other condition we described above can cause excessive night sweats in men over 50 years of age. For example, sweating and weight loss in men in this category can be caused by any of the types of cancer such as lymphoma, lung cancer and others, or diabetes.

Treatment in mature and elderly men will be similar to other age categories, unless sweating is caused by andropause.

Therapy

If hyperhidrosis is not a symptom of the disease, then the following types of therapeutic effects are used:

1. Psychotherapeutic treatment methods that eliminate the patient’s internal experiences. This is effective in cases of psychogenic hyperhidrosis due to night sweats in men.
2. Local drug therapy. It is not used only in the case of generalized hyperhidrosis, since pharmacotherapy involves the use of drugs that contain formaldehyde.
3. The reason for prescribing tranquilizers and sedatives is the lability of the nervous system. The doctor must choose the drug itself, as well as its dose.
4. Physiotherapeutic methods (contrast shower, pine-salt baths, electrosleep and UHF). Allows you to obtain temporary relief for up to 20 days.

Comprehensive measures (psychotherapy, Botox and antiperspirants, pharmacotherapy and physiotherapy) help to achieve a lasting clinical effect. For people with diabetes, treatment is prescribed according to symptoms.

All conservative methods of treating hyperhidrosis are a temporary measure, since sweating can only be completely overcome by surgical methods.

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Sweating without fever

Night sweats may naturally be accompanied by shakiness, chills, or fever, especially if there is an infection or cancer. By raising the temperature, the body increases its resistance and prevents pathogenic microorganisms from multiplying in the presence of a bacterial or viral infection.

However, it is possible that sweating will occur on its own, without being accompanied by a fever, since it is not a disease, but the body's reaction to a specific problem that is not caused by an infection.

Treatment

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis in order to understand what exactly leads to excessive sweating. Based on this, the correct treatment tactics are prescribed, since each disease requires specific therapy.

Treatments for the main causes of night sweats are summarized below:

• For a bacterial infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to help get rid of the bacteria that causes excessive sweating during sleep.
• Cancer . Treatment includes various methods such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, hormonal and drug therapy, stem cell transplantation, and immunotherapy. Unfortunately, if treatment is the cause of sweating during sleep, it is difficult to influence it, since cancer therapy is more important.
• Alcohol and drugs . To get rid of night sweats in this case you will have to fight alcohol and drug addiction. Qualified medical specialists will help you with this.
• Diabetes . Patients with diabetes should monitor their insulin and blood sugar levels, especially before bed. It will be helpful to use a continuous glucose monitoring device.
• Medicines . If sweating is caused by taking certain medications, you should consult your doctor. He will help you choose alternative remedies without such side effects.
• Andropause . There are many different remedies that can help relieve the symptoms of “male menopause.”
• Other treatments : To treat excessive sweating, you can try Botox injections, antidepressants, drugs that block the activity of the nervous system, and others.
• If increased sweat production occurs only in the armpits, you can remove the sweat glands. In addition, you can try electric shock treatment (not for pregnant women or those who have a pacemaker).
• Anticholinergic drugs . Try using these medications as they help reduce sweat production at night.
• Apply antiperspirants to your armpits, legs, arms, hairline, chest, groin, chest, and other areas that are prone to sweating.
• Relaxation therapy – If you wake up with severe night sweats, try relaxation breathing therapy or exercises.

Ways to fight sweat

Initially, you should establish the causes of heavy sweating at night. In parallel, you can follow some recommendations:

1. Before going to bed, you need to take a warm shower and ventilate the room.
2. You definitely need to choose a comfortable mattress and bed linen made from natural fabrics.
3. Sleep should be restful, so the room should be dark and quiet.
4. You should not eat food immediately before bed.
5. Sleepwear should be chosen from natural fabrics, for example, cotton, silk, linen.
6. Alcohol and nicotine are excluded.
7. Before going to bed, you can take a bath with the addition of decoctions based on medicinal herbs such as chamomile, celandine, string, and oak bark.

The following groups of drugs are often prescribed:

1. You can stop the excessive formation of sweat using the pharmaceutical drug Formagel. The product is applied to sweating areas of the body once. As a result, the functions of the sweat glands decrease and odors disappear. The effect lasts for a week. Then it is recommended to apply the gel again.
2. You can use Teymur's paste, but not more than 4 times a day.

1. Antiperspirants can come to the rescue.
2. Botox may be injected under the skin. As a result, acetylcholine ceases to be produced. Without acetylcholine, the sweat glands cannot produce sweat. The problem does not bother the patient for a long time.

For night or daytime hyperhidrosis, antihistamines, antibacterial, antiviral, sedatives, vitamins and immunomodulators are prescribed.

The speed of a positive result depends on timely contact with specialists. It is possible that serious illnesses that caused the problem may be discovered, so do not delay visiting a doctor and deal with the problem yourself.

Natural remedies and methods

Apart from the above-mentioned treatments, you can also consider some traditional methods to combat sweating. Among them:

Herb Black cohosh

This plant is one of the best medicinal herbs for treating night sweats. Often recommended for women who have menopausal hot flashes, but may also help anyone with a sweating problem. This is because it helps lower body temperature, thereby reducing excessive sweating at night in men. You should not use it if you have liver disease.

Quercetin

This substance, which is made from onion skins, may help reduce chronic night sweats, especially among cancer patients, as it has an effect on cancer cells.

Avoid things that make you sweat

When describing the causes of increased sweating, the use of foods such as spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, and others was mentioned. By excluding them from your diet, you can solve the problem of excessive sweating.

Set the thermostat to a lower temperature

To avoid excessive sweating while sleeping, you can lower the thermostat on your heating system or space heater by a few degrees.

Air conditioner

Having an air conditioner is another way to combat sweating as it will keep air circulating and help prevent overheating.

Lifestyle and clothing

Shower daily, change your underwear frequently, and keep your feet clean and dry. This will help avoid overheating and, therefore, excessive sweating. It is also recommended to use bedding made from natural, breathable materials.

Also, take time to exercise daily, control your weight, and avoid spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, and drugs. The last meal should be no later than 2 hours before bedtime.

Oncological diseases and primarily lymphoma

As pathology develops, lymphocytes in the blood quickly increase in number, but they are unable to maintain their shape and are destroyed. Their breakdown products affect the areas of the brain responsible for thermoregulation, causing a person to break out in a sweat.

Blood cancer is a curable disease if treatment is started at an early stage. Therefore, if sleep is interrupted due to the fact that a person is covered in sweat, and there is no visible reason, you should immediately consult a doctor and take a general blood test to determine the level of lymphocytes.