Are you waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat? While the occasional bout of night sweats may simply mean that you need to turn down the thermostat in your bedroom before heading to bed if this is something that you are dealing with regularly then this could be a sign of an underlying health problem or condition. If your night sweats are regularly interrupting your sleep an osteopath may be able to help.
What causes night sweats?
When we think of night sweats, we most often associate this symptom with menopausal women; however, night sweats don’t just happen to women and they aren’t just a sign of menopause. If you are dealing with frequent night sweat episodes they could be caused by:
Excessive or chronic sweating: Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a condition that causes people to sweat excessively regardless of the temperature. If your sweating isn’t just confined to the evening but you also drench multiple shirts during the day or sweat profusely for no reason, then you could have hyperhidrosis.
Infections: Sometimes night sweats are your body’s way of alerting you to the fact that you are sick. Certain infections can cause night sweats including tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, and endocarditis.
Stress: If you find yourself going to bed feeling anxious and worried then you may not be surprised to discover that stress and anxiety can also lead to excessive sweating, even at night.
Medication: If you take certain medications you may just have found your culprit. While not as common, certain drugs can cause night sweats. You may be more prone to night sweats if you are taking:
- Medication for diabetes
- Certain types of antidepressants (tricyclic or SSRIs)
- Pain medications
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs
- Steroids
How can an osteopath treat my night sweats?
First, we need to figure out what’s causing your symptom before we treat it. It’s not just about alleviating your night sweats but alleviating the root cause. We will go through your medical history and ask you questions about your symptoms before determining which tests need to be run.
You may need blood testing, thyroid tests, or tests that check for certain infections. We can recommend different medications, stress management options, ways to treat underlying infections or ways to manage chronic conditions that could be causing your symptoms. We are always focused on ways to improve your lifestyle to prevent problems from happening in the first place.
If you’ve made changes to your lifestyle and are still dealing with night sweats then it’s time to contact a qualified osteopath to find out how we can help you get a better, sweat-free night’s rest.