Although research into night sweats among women is fairly common, due to menopause and other issues, night sweating causes in men is something that has been largely ignored until recently. Some attribute that to the fact that men are less willing to admit that they suffer from excessive sweating at night, while others have been quick to dismiss the issue as nothing more than warm air temperatures and excessive clothing or blankets. Thankfully, the healthcare community is realizing night sweats is a real issue for men and are now looking into it.
Night Sweats and Hyperhidrosis
Defined in its most general sense, hyperhidrosis is simply excessive sweating. It can occur anywhere on the human body but is most common in the forehead, armpits, hands, and feet. Depending on where an individual suffers from hyperhidrosis, it is given a more specific name. For instance, palmar hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating in the hands and feet. Night sweats, also known as night sweating, is a general form of hyperhidrosis which usually occurs in the upper body.
Night sweating is unlike most other forms of hyperhidrosis due to the fact that in most cases, stress and anxiety are not triggers. Unless the patient complains of intense dreams and/or nightmares, researchers need to begin looking elsewhere for the night sweating causes in men. Some of those causes are indeed related to warm air temperature and excessive clothing, but other causes are related to medical issues such as systemic illnesses, localized illnesses, allergies, and reactions to medications.
Air Temperature and the Male Body
Believe it or not, one of the leading night sweating causes in men relates to warm air temperature and the natural tendency of the male body to produce more heat. If you’re married, you should probably already have an idea what we’re talking about here. Because men are larger in size and tend to have more muscle than females, their bodies have a natural tendency to put off more heat. On nights when the air temperature is above the 60° dissipating that heat can be a challenge for the male body. The result will be perspiration. The higher the temperature goes, the more perspiration will be produced.
Unfortunately, what many people fail to realize is that body heat can raise the air temperature in your bedroom significantly. If you keep your bedroom door closed for example and you don’t open windows for air circulation, a couple can raise the ambient air temperature during the course of a night by several degrees. In a situation where the air temperature is already warm, we’re simply making matters worse. Add to that heavy bedclothes or excessive sheets and blankets, and you have a recipe for night sweats. Men who suffer from night sweats due to these circumstances can help alleviate it by leaving a window open, sleeping nude and using light sheets.
Night Sweating Causes in Men – Medical Causes
Night sweating causes in men sometimes have a medical foundation, as previously mentioned. If you have thoroughly investigated the previous causes and found them not to be applicable in your case, you might want to consider a medical cause. The most common of these causes are systemic illnesses like diabetes and hypoglycemia. With both of these conditions, your body’s a self-regulating temperature control is a thrown off when blood sugar levels are not consistently maintained. It is quite common for sufferers of these two conditions to have some amount of night sweating issues.
There are more serious medical conditions that can include night sweats as an early warning sign. Examples of these conditions include some types of cancers, heart issues, serious bacterial infections, and AIDS. It’s important for you not to jump the gun if you have night sweats and assume you have one of the serious illnesses. You’re better off making an appointment with your doctor so that you can be examined thoroughly.
A third type of medical issue revolves around reactions to certain types of medication. Whenever we take drugs into our bodies, they always have some sort of side effects. Sometimes those side effects include the onset of night sweating. When this is the case, a simple call to your physician will usually allow him to prescribe an alternative medication which will eliminate the night sweats. If not, you may just have to live with it until the medication is no longer required.
Andropause
Although it’s rarely talked about in men’s circles, males have their own version of menopause known as andropause (male menopause). Just like in women, men experience a significant change in hormone levels as they get older. The resulting andropause is one of the leading night sweating causes in men. You’ll know if you’re suffering from it if you experience hot flashes that come and go on a regular basis. Andropause can be controlled with certain hormonal medications.
There is certainly more we could talk about in this article, but we’ve included the most important information for you here. If you believe that none of these night sweating causes in men apply to you, you should see your doctor for a thorough examination.
