Night Sweats, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Night Sweats, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related DiseasesThe main thing that I remembered about night sweats as a medical student was that it is one of the signs of Tuberculosis. The other thing about night sweats was that it occurred very frequently in menopause. Night sweats are episodes of perspiration that happen at night while the patient is sleeping. People who have this disorder normally report waking with wet bedclothes or sheets, having a fast heart rate, and chills for 1-4 minutes.
Menopause or a fever are leading causes of night sweats, but they can also be related to some cancers or be a side effect of certain cancer treatmentsIf the patient keeps the bedroom temperature unusually hot or the patient is sleeping in too many clothes, the patient may sweat during the sleep, which is normal. In order to differentiate night sweats that develop from medical causes from those that happen because one's surroundings are too warm, doctors normally indicate that true night sweats as severe hot flashes happening at night that can drench sleepwear and sheets, which are not linked to an overheated environment.
It is important to know that flushing (a warmth and redness of the face or trunk) also may be difficult to differentiate from true night sweats. Night sweats are recurring events of extreme perspiration that may soak the nightclothes or bedding and are linked to an underlying medical disorder or illness. Most frequent causes are:1. Women in peri menopause or menopause;2. Medicines, 3. Hormone disorders, 4.
Low blood sugar, and5. Neurological disorders. The patient depending upon the cause may have other symptoms like:1. Chills, or shaking with a fever, 2. Vaginal dryness, or3. Mood changesLess frequent causes of night sweats are:1. Infections such as Tuberculosis2. Cancers. Depending upon the underlying cause of the night sweats, other symptoms may happen together with the sweating.1. Certain infections and cancers2.
Shaking and chills can occasionally happen if the patient has a fever.3. Unexplained weight loss due to lymphoma.4. Night sweats due to the menopausal period are normally associated with other symptoms of menopause such as vaginal dryness, daytime hot flashes, and mood changes.5. Night sweats that happen as a side effect of medications can be followed by other medicine side effects, depending upon the specific drug.
DiagnosisIt is important first to find out whether the cause is primary or secondary and a methodical history will help to distinguish that. If a secondary cause is implicated, the doctors should request:1. Full blood count, 2. Basic metabolic panel, 3. Thyroid-stimulating hormone, 4. Sedimentation rate, 5. ANA, 6. HbA1c.7. Chest x-rayThese tests will help in excluding diseases which can all be linked with night sweats:1.
Infection, 2. Kidney dysfunction, 3. Malignancy, 4. Diabetes mellitus, 5. Thyroid disease, 6. An inflammatory disorder, or7. Connective tissue disease. TreatmentThe treatment for night sweats is dependent upon the underlying causeThere are steps the patient can take that may help better regulate body temperature and relieve the symptoms of night sweats:1. The patient can use sheets and bedclothes made from natural fibers, like cotton.2.
The patient might also wish to try wick-away fabrics that absorb moisture1. First-line therapy for night sweats is aluminum chloride hexahydrate 20% (Drysol) applied for 3 to 4 nights then nightly as needed.2. Oral anticholinergic medicines may reduce sweating3. Iontophoresis and botulinum toxin A injections may help4. Invasive treatment measures such as sympathectomy or local excision may be used as a last resortTABLE OF CONTENTIntroductionChapter...