What Treatments Are Available
As is the case with most menopausal issues, many treatments involve Hormone Replacement Therapy . In cases where hormone treatments are not ideal in a particular case, there are non-hormonal medications, and alternative ways to potentially treat menopause-related sleep problems.
- ;Hormone Replacement Therapy: There are several types of hormone therapies available to women. They include bioidentical hormones, synthetic hormones and combinations of the aforementioned. Bioidentical hormones are biologically identical to the hormones women produce in their ovaries: estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Hormone replacement therapy can alleviate symptoms by providing the body with adequate hormones for the body to function well.
- Nonhormonal Medication: A doctor may also recommend non-hormonal medications to treat symptoms in lieu of hormone replacement therapy.
- Antidepressants can not only treat depression and mental health issues caused by menopause, but also vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes.
- Brisdelle is medication containing a very low dose of paroxetine, which is branded as Paxil, and is approved only for the treatment of night sweats and hot flashes. The dose is too low to effectively treat depression.
- Gabapentin can decrease the frequency and intensity of hot flashes and night sweats.
- Clonidine is a hypertension medication that may help with vasomotor symptoms but usually not as effectively as the medications mentioned above.
So Can Hormone Imbalance Cause Night Sweats
Yes, hormonal imbalance can cause night sweats, although there is no scientific evidence confirming this relationship.
The reason why hormonal imbalance and night sweats are associated with one another is because they are mostly observed in women during states of hormonal fluctuations. These stages, as aforementioned, include puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.
In fact, up to 75% of women going through the menopausal transition suffer from night sweats, and about one in three of those who are pregnant also experience them.1,2
There Is No Escaping The Impact Menopause Will Have On Us Women We Will Come Out Changed
However, its up to us, exactly how much we let that impact shape us.
If youd like to start taking back control of your menopause journey, join our The Menopause Effect email list and well send you tips, techniques, research findings and other useful info.;
P.S.; If you want a bit more than tips and info, check out Dr Michelle Gordons upcoming free Online Menopause Workshop.
Onward!
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What Causes Hot And Cold Flashes Other Than Menopause
What causes hot and cold flashes other than menopause? Other Causes for Hot FlashesThyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism, which causes an overabundance of thyroid hormone, can increase the bodys metabolism and lead to hot flashes and sweating. While hypothyroidism is the usual culprit in these cases, non-menopausal hot flashes can also be due to thyroid cancer.
Why do I keep getting hot and cold flashes?;Hormonal imbalances, and anxiety and panic are the primary causes of cold flashes, and they can be as disruptive as hot flashes. Talk to a doctor if your cold flashes are a new occurrence, are affecting your quality of life, or they worry you.
How do I stop hot and cold flashes?;A low-dose form of paroxetine is the only nonhormone treatment for hot flashes approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Other antidepressants that have been used to treat hot flashes include: Venlafaxine Paroxetine
What besides menopause causes hot flashes?;Hot flashes can be caused by menopause, certain prescription medications, infections, certain medical conditions, diet, a hot environment, strenuous exercise, or a combination of factors.
The Hormone And Night Sweat Connection
For women, hormones can play a critical role in your mood, your weight and even your body temperature control while you sleep. In fact, a leading cause of night sweats in women is fluctuating estrogen levels. This can occur during your monthly menstrual cycle, pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause and menopause. Of these special stages in a womans life, menopause is known for the most persistent night sweats, as menopausal women often experience hot flashes during the day and night sweats while they sleep. Although they can certainly feel never-ending, these types of night sweats typically dont last forever. A recent Cemcor article states that almost two thirds of women have hot flushes/night sweats in the final year of perimenopause, these continue for two years on average, but have gone away for all except 10-20 percent in the five years following menopause.
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Clinical And Laboratory Features
The presenting symptoms are fever, night sweats, anorexia, weight loss, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Symptoms related to hypertension and pulse deficits are common . In the series reported by Jain et al. , hypertension was the most common mode of presentation, seen in 83% of patients; 16% of patients had congestive heart failure; left ventricular hypertrophy was present in 54% of patients.
Acute phase reactants are elevated. Although plain radiographs may be helpful, diagnosis requires the demonstration of the arteritis and typical findings by magnetic resonance or conventional angiography .
Figure 17.4. Takayasu arteritis demonstrating involvement of aorta.
N.E. Avis, in, 2007
What Can You Do About Your Night Sweats
As mentioned, you should always see your doctor if you are experiencing persistent night sweats, rather than trying to treat them on your own. Once youre at the doctor, treating night sweats is typically focused on treating the underlying cause rather than on the night sweats themselves.
If your doctor is in the process of determining the underlying cause of your night sweats and/or they were unable to pinpoint a cause, you can alleviate the discomfort of night sweats by wearing layers to bed, considering bedsheets with breathable fabrics, setting up a fan in your bedroom, using air conditioning, and opening windows, says Roth.
Lastly, though night sweats can be confusing and uncomfortable, dont feel like theres nothing that can be done, says Roth. As mentioned, Its important to bring up your night sweats to your doctor so they can determine if there is a more serious issue that needs treatment, says Roth. They can also help you figure out solutions for more comfortable sleep.
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Buyer Beware: Unproven Nonscientific Treatments For Hot Flashes
You may have heard about black cohosh, DHEA, or soy isoflavones from friends who are using them to try to treat their hot flashes. These products are not proven to be effective, and some carry risks like liver damage.
Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like substances found in some cereals, vegetables, and legumes , and herbs. They might work in the body like a weak form of estrogen, but they have not been consistently shown to be effective in research studies, and their long-term safety is unclear.
At this time, it is unknown whether herbs or other “natural” products are helpful or safe. The benefits and risks are still being studied. Always talk with your doctor before taking any herb or supplement to treat your hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms.
How Can You Determine Whats Causing Your Night Sweats
If youre regularly waking up sweaty, you should first make sure that an environmental factorlike too many blankets or an extra-hot bedroomisnt to blame, says Tully.
If youve ruled those factors out, you should definitely bring up the issue with your doctor rather than ignoring it or trying to determine the underlying cause by yourself. ;It wouldn’t be something I’d recommend Googling or trying to figure out your own because there are so many different things that could be contributing, says Tully.
Once your doctor is looped in, they will likely analyze your medical history, taking into account, for instance, if you are a woman in the age range for menopause, if you take any medications, and/or if you are experiencing other symptoms, like weight loss, daytime fevers or decreased energy, which could be a sign of more serious illness. If needed, they may order blood work or other tests to confirm or rule out the more serious causes.
That said, usually, we don’t figure out what caused the night sweats, says Simmons, which she says is okay, as long as you rule out the dangerous things. In those unsolved cases, the night sweats may go away on their own, or the sweaty sleeper will try different options for managing them, says Simmons, like lowering the temperature in the bedroom or buying breathable sheets.
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Night Sweats: Causes And Treatments For Men And Women
Sweating is your bodys way of cooling itself down. Its healthy to perspire when youre exercising, rushing to catch a bus, or outside on a sweltering day. However, sweating that happens while youre sleeping is different.
Night sweats can be a signal from your body that theres something going on that needs attention. Read on to learn about the most common causes of this uncomfortable condition, and how to treat them.
What are night sweats?
Night sweats, which experts call sleep hyperhidrosis, refers to excessive perspiration that occurs while youre asleep and isnt caused by an external stimulus The excessive part is key: Merely feeling a tad hot or sticky doesnt qualify as night sweats. Patients frequently talk about waking up drenched, says Joseph Ojile, MD, founder and chief executive officer of the Clayton Sleep Institute in St. Louis, Missouri. They have to get up in the middle of the night and change their clothessometimes even their sheets.
Night sweats are fairly common and can affect any gender. A study from the University of Oklahoma found that 41 percent of people told their primary care doctor that they had experienced night sweats. In addition to being uncomfortable, night sweats interrupt your sleep, which can negatively affect your health. Sleep disruptions can make you feel more irritable, stressed, and anxious; and they increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
What causes night sweats?
1. Medication
Night Sweats In Women
A common symptom of menopause, night sweats are similar to hot flashes or hot flushes. However, a night sweat occurs in your sleep and causes more sweating than a normal hot flash, often significantly dampening the bed. Upon waking, you often feel either too hot or too cold.
Night sweats, known by the medical community as sleep hyperhidrosis, is the occurrence of profuse sweating due to an increase in body temperature, not related to the external environment. The occurrence of night sweats is very similar to a hot flash, however it is often more severe causing the sufferers clothing and bed sheets to become soaked with sweat. This condition is classified as a sleep disorder driven by an impairment of the bodys sympathetic nervous system and its temporary failure to effectively regulate internal temperatures. Upon waking, the sufferer may feel too hot or too cold and the sleep cycle becomes greatly disturbed due to the discomfort of sleeping in wet clothing and sheets and the general necessity to change both. Night sweats may be related to a number of adverse health conditions such as hormone imbalances, chronic illness, certain medications or age-related conditions, such as andropause and menopause.
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Are Night Sweats Ruining Your Sleep
You climb into your bed to relax your mind and allow your body to recover from the day. Sleep is a vital part of life, and without proper amounts of sleep, you cannot survive. Yet, many people face times where their sleep is regularly disrupted, causing their sleep to be interrupted and day-to-day life to suffer. Night sweats are commonly attributed to sabotaging a good nights sleep. Most women can blame their hormones for these disruptions, and if night sweats consistently plague you, then it is time to talk to your doctor.
Hormones play a critical role in a womans life. They control weight gain/loss, the bodys ability to control its temperature, emotions and moods, the menstrual cycle, and the bodys ability to conceive. Fluctuations in hormones happen throughout a womans life with peak fluctuations at puberty, pregnancy, post-partum, perimenopause, and menopause. Out of all of these stages, menopause is known for causing the most persistent night sweats as menopausal women generally experience hot flashes during the day and night sweats during sleep.
Women who are plagued by night sweats caused by hormones may have the option of taking hormone replacement therapy to ease their symptoms. Talk to your OB/GYN about your options. Other at-home options include turning down the thermostat at night, sleeping on a cooling pillow, or sleeping under or next to a fan.
For more information regarding treatment for night sweats, please contact Marietta OB/GYN Affiliates.
The Typical Hot Flush Experience
Mostly affecting the face and neck, hot flushes can also affect the whole body. Women report having to remove clothing and stand in front of the air conditioner or fan. The typical description: âSuddenly my face goes red, beads of sweat appear on my forehead and run down my face and neck accompanied with feeling hot and sticky.â
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Maintain A Healthy Weight
Carrying extra pounds can cause night sweats and also be a risk factor for developing obstructive sleep apnea, where the throat narrows, restricting your breathing.;
If you find that you have night sweats and wake up tired, ask your doctor for a sleep test to determine if you have a sleep disorder, like sleep apnea. Losing weight can help reduce night sweats and also your risk of developing sleep apnea.
I encourage people with persistent night sweats to make an appointment with their doctor, says Dr. Mark. Keep a log of whats going on in your life and what you eat or drink before bedtime. Your doctor can work with you on treatment to help you sleep comfortably through the night.
What Causes Night Sweats
Night sweats are common is women who are going through perimenopause and menopause. Perimenopause is a normal, natural phase of a womans life. During this time, a womans ovaries produce less estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, and menstrual periods become irregular. The low or changing levels of estrogen in particular are the cause of night sweats.
Perimenopause usually happens between ages 40 and 50. It is the transition step before menopause. A woman has reached menopause when she hasnt had a period for 12 months in a row. The average age of menopause is 51.
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What Causes Hot Flashes
The exact reason why hot flashes happen during menopause isnt clear, , MD, a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale Medical School tells Health. But its thought that the decrease in your bodys production of reproductive hormones, including estrogen, during menopause can make you more sensitive to slight changes in body temperature, says Dr. Sholes-Douglas.
The estrogen hormones fluctuate and, although the total estrogen levels may not be low, there are moments where estrogen levels fall relative to where they were, she explains. This then triggers a change in your blood vessels, which can make you feel hot and sweaty.
While you can just have a hot flash for seemingly no reason, hot flashes can be exacerbated by things like sugar, stress, spicy foods, and alcohol, says Dr. Sholes-Douglas.
When you have a hot flash during the night, its often referred to as night sweats. But these are essentially the same, says Dr. Sholes-Douglas. Night sweats tend to wake women up and can make it tough to sleep.
Common Causes Of Night Sweats
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How Can I Cope With Night Sweats Due To Hormonal Imbalance
Women can implement a number of coping strategies to reduce the frequency of night sweats and improve the quality of their sleep. They include the following:
- Choosing the right nightwear and bed sheets for night sweats
- Keeping the bedroom cool with air conditioning, fans, or open windows
- Having a cool glass of water next to the bed
- Avoiding alcohol and hot or spicy food, especially right before bedtime
Perimenopause Symptoms And Signs
Perimenopause describes the time period when a woman is approaching menopause. During this time is when symptoms and signs begin. Examples include, weight gain, vaginal dryness, mood changes, painful sex, and hot flashes.
The complex hormonal changes that accompany the aging process, in particular the declining levels of estrogen as a woman approaches menopause, are thought to be the underlying cause of hot flashes. A disorder in thermoregulation is responsible for the heat sensation, but the exact way in which the changing hormone levels affect thermoregulation is not fully understood.
Hot flashes are considered to be a characteristic symptom of the menopausal transition. They also occur in men and in circumstances other than the perimenopause in women as a result of certain uncommon medical conditions that affect the process of thermoregulation. For example, the carcinoid syndrome, which results from a type of endocrine tumor that secretes large amounts of the hormone serotonin can cause hot flashes. Hot flashes can also develop as a side effect of some medications and sometimes occur with severe infections or cancers that may be associated with fevers and/or night sweats.
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