Sometimes people may wake up feeling overheating. However, night sweats are quite different as these involve extreme sweating where your sheets and clothes are damp. This form of sweating can be due to numerous health reasons. Here are a seven of them explained.
Menopause or perimenopause – Due to the hormonal changes involved in menopause or perimenopause, 40% of women over the age of 50 can experience night sweats.
Heart disease – Night sweats can also be due to cardiovascular disease. Other related factors include overweight people who have high blood pressure or diabetes.
Infection – If your body is fighting an infection which included fever, you may experience night sweats for days or weeks after the symptoms of the infection have faded.
Genetic mutation – Certain genetic mutations of women can have increased night sweats, especially if they have hormonal problems, delayed or early puberty or have had problems conceiving.
Thyroid problems – An overactive thyroid can cause night sweats. To test your thyroid’s functions, speak to your GP and request for a thyroid hormone test.
Medication – Antidepressants, hormone treatments, and diabetes drugs can cause a person’s blood sugar to drop when they sleep, which can trigger night sweats.
Immune system – Autoimmune disorders can cause your body to identify something in your body as dangerous mistakenly. Your body will then try to fight an infection that doesn’t exist, causing night sweats.