Sweating

It has been discovered that the palms of hands and the soles of feet have the most number of sweat glands as compared to other parts of the body. That is why if you happen to have a sweating condition, your palms of hands and soles of feet are the most affected. This type of problem is common and can affect anyone regardless of age and gender. Sweaty hands and feet can be very embarrassing sometimes especially if you are an outdoor person and you spend most of your time with other people.

What Causes Sweaty Hands and Feet

If you happen to have sweating hands and feet, it should not worry you so much because it is not a disease. The problem can affect even children and if not addressed it can be there to stay. Sources have it that it is a hereditary condition. If you happen to be a stressful and anxious person, these are the things that make this condition worse. Sweating of hands and feet does not occur at night while sleeping. A condition whereby you experience excessive sweating in any part of your skin is commonly known as hyperhidrosis.

Types of hyperhidrosis

There are two types of hyperhidrosis namely: primary and secondary hyperhidrosis.

• A primary hyperhidrosis which is also referred to as focal hyperhidrosis is whereby there is excessive sweating in the palms of hands, underarms, face, and feet with no major reason.
• Secondary hyperhidrosis which is also referred to as generalized hyperhidrosis is whereby there is excessive sweating all over your body or on a large surface of the skin and it is resulted from a medical condition or medication.

Therefore, in this case we are going to majorly look at the primary type of hyperhidrosis. There are many factors that can result to this condition and we are going to discuss most of them below.

Why do I have Sweaty hands and feet?

If you happen to have sweaty hands and feet, it is believed to be a result of being anxious. That is not the only cause but this problem is majorly believed to be caused by mental problems. There are many reasons that can cause your body temperatures to rise suddenly. Ranging from spicy foods, hot weather, stress, vigorous exercise and even panic attack. All these can cause your hands and feet to become sweaty.
To be general, excessive sweating of the body can be the reason why you are having sweaty palms and feet, also known as palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis. There are many other reasons including health issues that can result in abnormal sweating of hands and feet. Knowing why you are sweating at any part of your body is very important when it comes to finding the correct treatment of the condition.

Sweaty Hands and Feet Causes

It is normal to sweat when there is hot humid weather in your environment. However, if you are suffering from any kind of hyperhidrosis expect to sweat much more than other people who are in that environment. In this case you may realize moisture dripping off from your palms or soles as if you washed them alone and did not wipe them. People who have hyperhidrosis can sweat even for no reason.
Normally, sweat glands produce perspiration which is carried to the skin surface in case there is high temperature, have a fever, you are carrying out an exercise, or you are anxious about something. If these factors are not part of you, the nervous that facilitate sweating are usually on hold.
Researches suggest that around 2 to 3% of the total population in the world have a hyperhidrosis condition. In this case, the sweat glands don’t shut off. These people usually sweat even when the conditions that facilitate sweating are not present. Some patients of this condition have gone further to tell their doctors that they sweat even while in swimming pool.

Causes of sweaty hands and feet

The causes of hyperhidrosis mainly depend on the kind of sweating a person is going through. Increased sweating however is not a cause for worry hence cannot cause harm, and there are cases where doctors cannot even explain the causes of excess sweating. There are cases where hyperhidrosis is caused by a medical condition that is lying inside your body. Some of the causes of sweaty hands and feet include the following:

1. Menopause

During menopause or perimenopause period, there is drop in the hormonal level in the body of women. This makes the body system not to function as usual. Therefore there is increased sweating during this period and the hands and feet are not excluded from this condition. Menopause is the main reason why women sweat at night excessively with hot flashes that appear 30 seconds to 10 minutes duration.

2. Caffeinated drinks and alcohol

Drinks such as coffee are said to raise the temperature of the body whenever they are taken. Therefore if you happen to be suffering from a primary hyperhidrosis taking hot coffee will be one way of making your condition worse.
Also, alcohol is known to be absorbed in the liver and as we know very well, liver is used to generate the heat of the body. When you drink alcohol in excessively, it means you are interfering with the liver’s normal regulation of the body temperature. Therefore you may end up with hot flashes that are accompanied with excessive sweaty hands and feet.

3. Hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar

Sugar levels in the body also play an important role when it comes to temperature regulation. Insulin in the liver work in hand to make sure that temperature in the body is regulated as per the environment the body is in. shortage in the sugar level means that things are not working right and that may cause temperatures to be very much high when they should be low or minimum. This condition should be addressed in your doctor’s office so that you are put on drugs that will bring the sugar level to normal. This is very common with people suffering from diabetes.

4. Medication side effects

Side effects that result from taking drugs such as painkillers, antidepressants, cardiovascular can as well result into excessive sweaty hands and feet. If you realize that your hands started sweating more than normal after you took a certain drug, then that could be the reason for your palmar hyperhidrosis. Dugs that have severe side effects should be addressed to the doctor to see if they can be changed.

5. Hyperthyroidism or overactive thyroid

Hyperthyroidism is a condition whereby your thyroid glands are overacted. This condition can also cause a serious excessive sweating that is not anticipated. Thyroid glands also have a stake when it comes to sweating on the skin. You can talk to your doctor about this condition.

6. Stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety have an effect on the hormones and every time you allow stress to overwhelm you, you are likely to end up with hormonal related conditions. Much stress cause the hormonal activities to increase thereby causing body temperature to rise up, when body temperature is high, there is increased sweating and this will eventually cause sweaty hands and feet for people who have hyperhidrosis.
Medical conditions that cause sweaty hands and feet

1. Pregnancy

Some women while pregnant it is normal for them to have increased sweating in their palms and sole of feet. This condition is very common especially in the second and third trimester. In severe conditions, pregnant women also experience swelling in these areas as well. This is because while pregnant, the hormone level specifically the estrogen goes down and this may cause temperatures of the body to rise up. This may be associated with sweating at night and hot flashes.

2. Obesity

Obesity is a condition of having excessive weight more than your body is supposed to withstand. Obesity makes the metabolic activities in the body not to take place as required. Obese persons are known to sweat uncontrollably especially on face, armpit, hands and feet and even groin. Obesity can be dealt with by doing exercise and observing keenly your diet.

3. Infections

Some infections that result from bacterial or viral germs can cause you to develop an increased sweating on the skin. For example, malaria is known to be associated with fever as its main symptom. When you have fever, you may sweat since fever increases the body temperature thereby resulting into excessive sweating in palm and soles and even armpit.
Some of the other health factors that may result in excessive sweaty hands and feet include the following:

• Gout
• Diabetes
• Parkinson’s disease
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lymphoma

Sweaty Palms Anxiety

As we have shared above, increased sweating in the palms of your hands is commonly referred to as palmar hyperhidrosis. The condition can be stressful and emotional since most of the jobs are done by use of hands, and touching things is usually difficult with wet hands. As we said above there are many conditions that result in sweaty palms and one of the major cause is anxiety. Anxiety is usually referred to as an emotional state of being in a panic mood or a state of worry.
Anxiety causes the hypothalamus part of the brain not command its activities normally since the hormone that facilitates its regulation of temperature is messed up with. This means, while you are anxious, there will be reduced communication from the hypothalamus part of the brain to reduce or control the rising temperatures of the body. While this happen, there will be increased sweating to let out some of the excess temperature and if you happen to have hyperhidrosis condition, your palms and soles of feet will sweat more.
This is because sources have revealed that there are many sweat glands in the palms of hands and soles of feet, therefore expect to perspire more sweats I those areas.

Sweaty Hands and Feet Home Remedies

Some types of hyperhidrosis do not call for serious medical intervention and they can just be left alone or treated by simple home remedies that can do wonders. We are going to provide you with useful information that you can use to manage your condition just at the comfort of your home.  Usually, sweaty palms and soles can be irritating so much and their major problem is psychological condition whereby you are not able to carry on well with your daily activities due to problems arising from hyperhidrosis.
It can even make you fear shaking people’s hands since you may leave them looking at their hands to confirm if what just happened is real. Here are a few ways you can use to treat sweaty hands and feet by use of home remedies.

1. Use of baking soda

Basic soda has alkaline content that is very useful when it comes to dealing with excessive sweat in your hands and feet. You simply need to mix 2 to 3 spoonful of baking soda with warm water and stir until it completely dissolve. Then dip in your hands and feet in the solution for about 20 to 30 minutes before you remove them. While in the water you should keep rubbing your hands and feet with the soda powder. After that, remove them and pat them dry. Do this daily for two weeks and you will realize excellent results.

2. Rose water

In this case you will have to acquire organic rosewater from the market store and prepare your own solution by boiling rose petals in the water. After the mixture is ready late it cools a bit before using a cotton swab to apply it on your hands and feet. Rosewater is known to have a cooling impact on your sweaty hands and feet.

3. Cold water

The most immediate way of controlling increased sweating is by dipping yourself into cold water.  Cold water will bring down the body temperature and therefore this will reduce sweating. I  this case you just have to dip your sweaty palms and feet into cold water and this will stop the sweating immediately although it will not heal the underlying condition.

4. Cornstarch or talcum powder

Both of these powders work in the same way as they pat the skin dry. You simply have to take either of these powders and dust it on your palms of hands and soles of feet. In the case you are using talcum powder, try not use a perfumed one as a non-perfumed one is more natural and better, hence more useful for this case.

5. Drink more water

Drinking more water will means more of the excess temperature is brought down by extra liquids in the body. This therefore will make you to lose more of the temperature and toxic material though urine and not through sweat.

6. Stay in a well ventilated and cool place.

Avoid areas that will keep your temperatures high such as scotch sun and high humid areas. Also avoid things like coffee and alcohol if you have a hyperhidrosis condition as all these make your condition worse.

Sweaty Hands and Feet Cure

There are numerous ways your doctor may advise you or use to treat a hyperhidrosis condition. Apart from surgery, which may only be necessary if your condition is very much severe, there are a number of treatments that have proven successful to a too much sweating condition. Before you thing of moving to chiller areas or hiding your condition in bulky clothing, you should try the following ways:

1. Treatment with antiperspirants

This is medication that has been proven to be the easiest while dealing with excessive sweating. Most people use this medication on a daily basis. They are known to contain aluminum salt, which when they are rolled on the skin, they stop perspiration process immediately. These drugs can be acquired over the counter in the local stores. However it will be well if your doctor prescribed them for you. It is said that over the counter antiperspirants are less irritating as compared to prescribed ones. Therefore you may start with the over the counter first before opting for prescribed ones.

2. Medical treatment

In case your case is much beyond antiperspirants treatment, your doctor may provide the following treatment options:

• Iontophoresis: in this case, you sit with your sweaty hands and feet in a shallow tray of water for around 20 to 30 minutes while a low electrical current is allowed through the water. It is not known how this treatment works, but sources have it that it can help in blocking excess sweat glands to reduce sweating on the skin surface. The treatment is done several times before excellent results are archived.
• Botulinum toxin: in this case, a patient is given sweating injections of botulinum toxin which is the same medicine used for wrinkles. Botox is a medicine that is approved in treatment of excessive sweating in the underarms but it can as well be used in the case of palms and soles of feet.

Note: A specialist or doctor should be the only one to prescribe a medication for your after examining you for other medical complications.

How to Cure Sweaty Hands Permanently

You need to pay a keen observation of your sweating pattern and you will realize that you sweat more during a certain period or when certain factors are highly active. For you to treat sweaty palms and feet completely, you should make sure that all the factors that we have talked above are not part of you. In case you are suffering from a certain medical condition, you should make sure it is treated so that its symptoms are put under control.
Therefore a permanent cure for sweaty hands and feet is by first eliminating the causal factor completely and then this symptom will disappear. If the condition is caused by health conditions that cannot be treated such as diabetes, there are controls mechanisms that your doctor will provide that can bring down its symptoms.
More references

1. Sweaty palms and feet: https://www.healthxchange.sg/head-neck/brain-nervous-system/sweaty-palms-feet-coping-tips
2. Who gets sweaty hands and feet: http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0301/p1121.html
3. Sweaty hands: https://www.sweathelp.org/where-do-you-sweat/sweaty-hands.html
4. Hyperhidrosis: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/182130.php
5. Excessive sweating: http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hyperhidrosis-treatment-11#1

A condition whereby a person sweats excessively is commonly referred to as hyperhidrosis. Sweating is a normal part of your body metabolism but whet it occurs in excessively it can be a reason to worry. This too much sweating may affect the whole of your body or just some parts of the body such as the armpits, palms of the hands, your face and chest, your soles of feet and in the groin. Usually, the condition will affect both sides of the specific part of the body equally- for example, both feet and palms of your hands.
In many cases, sweating is not a cause of serious issues to your health; however, it can be embarrassing to walk on the streets with wet drenched armpits, which is clearly seen on your shirt as a huge patch. The main problem with sweating too much is that, it affects and individual’s quality of life since it may bring about depression and a lot of anxiety.

Sweating too much

While finding how normal sweating or excessive sweating appears like, there are no clear guidelines on this issue, but if you find that you sweat to an extend you are uncomfortable, sometimes even when the weather is not that warm, or if you realize that your sweating is causing you any discomfort then that is what is referred to as too much sweating.
As Periser explains,” just as many people vary by their heights, there is also much to explain when it comes to different levels of sweating. Therefore, some people produce more sweat as compared to others.”
However, your psychology will juts communicate to you when thing are out of normal and you will just know when you are sweating too much. A person is said to be suffering from hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating if he/she:

• Always have wet palms of hands that make it hard to do simple things like shaking hands or even handling a paper or pen without it being wet.
• Finds it hard in getting involved in physical activities or exercises due to the fear of over wetting his/her garments with sweat.
• Unable to carry out the day to day cores such as having difficult in handling tools at work or even typing on a computer.
• Is always having wet under arms which show up as large soaked patches that appear on clothing area around the armpit. In some cases, too much sweating end up leaving a permanent green yellowish patch on cloths on the area around armpits and groin.
• Is socially withdrawn and self-conscious just because of sweating
• Is un able even to drive due to wet sweaty hands
• Is completely unable to cop up with his/her sweating situation, for example, frequently changing clothing due to increased drenching mostly in the groin and under arms.

Causes of excessive sweating

Hyperhidrosis itself is a condition that causes too much sweating. To be simple enough, this mean that having too much sweating is because of too much sweating. I know many will no understand this. Since sweating is excessively is commonly referred to as hyperhidrosis, this is as well one of the condition that causes increased sweating.
A part from that, there are many other conditions that can result in increased sweating some of them being medical conditions such as, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, leukemia, hiatal hernia and many more.
However, there are other factors that may as well result in this condition and we are going to discuss most of them in this text. Knowing what causing you sweating too much can be helpful when it comes to finding out the best treatment that will help clear the condition.

Causes of excessive sweating

Factors that facilitate too much sweating

1. Gender

Sources have it that men sweat excessively as compared to women. Have you ever visited male’s locker area in a busy firm and find out how the area is different from a female’s one?
A research was carried out by use of men and women cycling on stationary bikes actively for an hour in a certain studio that was heated to 86 degrees Celsius. The researcher wanted to find out how many sweat glands were active during riding for each person and generally the sweat rate for each of them.
In this study it was found that men who are fit perspired the most especially when the exercise was more intense. Then the fit women produce the second most sweat, while sedentary group of women perspired the least of all. It is said that even though women have more sweat glands as compared to men, they produce less sweat from each of their glands as compared to men who have lesser glands.

2. Body mass

Another cause of sweating too much is because of body mass. Research has revealed that people with large body mass tend to sweat more than others. In this case, by using the same case study as the one above, men tend to have large body mass, more muscles which make them to produce more heat than women. More researches have shown that the more or higher a person’s BMI or body mass index is, the more sweat that person will produce.

3. Use of coffee

When you drink a hot coffee will bring up your body temperature there by encouraging sweating. Musto says that if your coffee’s diuretic effect occurs before carrying out your physical exercise and you go to the bathroom before work out, then you will sweat less.
That will equal out to a less work out, therefore you are supposed to drink much water whenever you take coffee to stay hydrated all the time. Study in the America recommends drinking enough water prior to the exercise and enough after you are through with working out as well.

4. Alcohol

Usually, alcohol increases the heart rate and also dilates blood vessels in your skin there by bringing blood to the surface of the skin.
That is why if you drink you always feel thirsty after some few cocktails. After all this happens, your body temperature will be increased thereby resulting into more sweat. Those who believe that you can reduce your alcoholic state by a hot yoga should know that, only 5% of alcohol leave the body through sweat and urine and the rest is metabolized in the liver.
Also, it has been found out that those people who are addicted to alcohol tend to have sweaty palms of hand and soles of feet. In some cases, they as well sweat in the face especially on the forehead and on nose. Not much research has been carried out about this but some few sources have found out that alcohol is one of the reasons for sweating too much.

5. Spicy foods

It has also been revealed that eating spicy foods may as well trigger the body temperature to go up, hence making it to produce more sweat than usual. In case you sweat a ton while you are having your nice meal which makes you not comfortable, this could be as a result of Frey’s syndrome or gustatory type of sweating. People who suffer from Frey’s syndrome usually sweat more due to a very little taste of any food. This is an issue that should never be ignored and therefore visiting a doctor could be important.

6. Hot weather

Sweating too much can be because there is too much sun or warmly environment. When the weather is warm, the body temperature is raised and this increases the flow of blood so that temperature could be brought into normal conditions. In a humid weather condition, there is much moisture in the air thus making it hard for you to sweat in order to evaporate thereby preventing a cooling process in the body.
All these factors are referred to as primary hyperhidrosis causes since they are not underlying medical conditions. All these types happens when your nerves that are responsible to trigger your sweat glands become more reactive and therefore call for more perspiration even when it is not required. These types of causes- primary hyperhidrosis are not hereditary and also are not permanent.

Heath conditions that cause sweating too much

1. Diabetes

Diabetes is a hereditary medical condition that affects the glucose level in the body. You may have too much glucose or very little glucose in the body and therefore we have more than one type of diabetes. However, your increased sweating can be triggered by this condition since it affects the insulin activities in the body and we know this is an important hormone when it comes to body temperature.

2. Fever of any kind

Fever usually causes your body temperature to rise or go down. In many cases while this happen, the affected person may also sweat since increased body temperatures leads to increased perspiration. A fever that results in some conditions such as malaria can as well been seen by a patient sweating excessively.

3. An anxiety disorder

An anxiety can also be a condition that may call for medical attention. Usually, there are some people who have been affected by anxiety until it has become a disorder.
When faced with this problem, these people are likely to swat especially in the armpits, groin and face. I once had this problem and I could be easily frightened even by persons I thought they could pose danger to me. When frightened, the affected person usually may sweat more than normal.

4. Heart exhaustion

This is a condition whereby your heart can no longer perform its activities of pumping blood normally. It may occur especially if your heart is surrounded by a layer fats. This makes the heart unable to expand and contract normally to pump blood. In this case, blood does not reach the destined place so that it can facilitate the required functions including the regulation of body temperature. In this case, you find the affected person sweating too much than normal.

5. Other medical conditions that result in sweating more than normal include the following:

• Hiatal hernia
• HIV/AIDS
• Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroids)
• Leukemia
• Medication side effects
• Stress
• Obesity
• Tuberculosis
• gastritis

Excessive Sweating Head

Sweating too much on your head can be a cause of worry sometimes. Experts link this condition to hormonal changes in the body although almost all of the conditions we have talked above can result to an excessive sweating that is specifically focused on the head.
In some cases, you may experience an excessive sweating on the head that does not respond to any treatment. The sweating may be constant and not affecting other place on the body.
In most cases, sweating too much on the head that result in a dripping sweat that runs from the head to the face and neck can be linked to issues related to circulatory problems. Many people who are affected with arterial fibrillation condition are seen with this symptom. However, it is important to talk to your doctor if you are suffering from conditions you are unable to treat on your own.

Sweating too much on face

A condition whereby your forehead pours beads of sweat is commonly referred to as craniofacial hyperhidrosis, or in simple words, excessive sweating of the face. Sweating too much in the face is a common condition and it usually resulting in stress and discomfort to the patient as compared to increased sweating in other areas of the body.
By this I mean that, too much sweating on the face is much bothersome than excessive sweating in your armpit, palms of hands and soles of legs. This is because the face is the picture of everything we are and it cannot be hidden not unless you stay indoors forever.
People who are epileptic are commonly seen with face sweat that is not normal. A part from that, any person can get this condition and it will only depend on the condition that resulted to the excess sweat. Weather permanent or temporary, sweating too much in face is a condition that should be addressed in the doctor’s office and treatment done to bring the condition to normal.
If the cause is a medical condition, your doctor will solve it by treating the problem and after which the sweating will go back to normal.

Sudden sweating for no Reason

In your case, you may see sudden sweating to be of no reason but there is always a reason why this happens. We have talked about numerous conditions that cause excessive sweating and some of them can appear without your knowledge.
For example, when you become overwhelmed by a case of worrying rapidly can result in anxiety which may lead to sudden sweating without a reason. There are other numerous things that can make you to sweat unexpectedly.
An autonomic nervous dysfunction can be another reason why you sweat thinking that there is no reason. An autonomic nervous system mainly controls a person’s fight or air travel reactions and therefore if it is triggered it may cause someone to break into a sudden sweat.
This condition can be normal but not if it occurs numerously. If it happens that you undergo this feeling regularly then there is some dysfunction with your nervous system.

Sweating more than unusual

Although we said hot weather is a condition that can lead to sweating too much, you are not supposed to assume that all increased sweating is normal. There are some underlying medical conditions that may be revealed though excessive sweating.
Sweating normally is a body’s way of cooling itself. In this case, water leaves the body through the skin enabling it to cool down. If the sweating is more than unusual then your body is trying to communicate something that you should not assume.
In many cases, many people usually will not consider this as an issue especially if the underlying condition does not pose other serious symptoms. However some excessive sweating conditions can be hereditary condition, but always check out to find out if your unusual sweating is as a result of a serious health condition.

Excessive Sweating during Exercise

While you are working out, increased sweating is quite normal since there I s increased heat in the body which should be removed out and in most cases this is done through the skin.
Also when working out, there is increased metabolism whereby, glucose is burned to produce energy used in the exercise and this case, waste materials such as urea, excess salt and water are released through the skin. During this activity, expect to sweat more than normal which is healthy.
It is advisable therefore that you take plenty of water before going for workout and if possible have water breaks while in the session. Also, after working out again just drink enough water so that you are not fatigued and to facilitate normal functioning of the cells.

How to Stop Excessive Sweating

The best treatment for this condition is by solving the causal problem. If you can’t identify the reason why you are sweating too much it is better you visit your GP especially if it affects your daily activities and bring your morale down. In most cases, it has been realized that many people who suffer from hyperhidrosis are embarrassed to seek medical assistance and this makes them to suffer more.
How to treat excessive sweating
While finding the best treatment for this condition can be challenging, treatments are available for different kinds of health factors that result into this problem. Your doctor will recommend that you start with very common invasive treatments before figuring out medication that will suit the problem. This will include:

• staying hydrated always
• wearing loose cloths while you do your exercise or go to sleep
• taking a bathe at least every day
• avoiding harsh environments
• keep off triggers such as spicy foods, and alcohol
• wearing black or white clothing to minimize signs of sweating

In the case all these are not helping, you will be put to treatments of specific causal health factor so that as the condition heals, your case of sweating too much also resolves. Hyperhidrosis is normally considered as a long term condition, but is can however be controlled under strict medical care and preventive measures observation.
More references

1. Hyperhidrosis: http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hyperhidrosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
2. Why do some people sweat more than others: https://greatist.com/move/why-do-i-sweat-so-much
3. Excessive sweating: http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/excessive-sweating/basics/causes/sym-20050780
4. Sweaty head and face: https://www.sweathelp.org/where-do-you-sweat/sweaty-face-and-head.html
5. Sudden profuse sweating causes: https://profusesweatingblog1.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/sudden-profuse-sweating-causes/

Night sweating is a common problem that affects both men and women. Get an update on the causes, symptoms and how to stop night sweating.

Why do I Sweat at Night?

There are numerous underlying conditions that are associated with this kind of symptom. Just to outline some of them, you may find that when women are in perimenopause or menopause, under medication, with hormonal complications, with low blood sugar and with neurological problems, they are likely to sweat at night. Sweating in the night sometimes is not a cause of worry and should be left alone.
If your sweating is because you have a condition in your body, there are other symptoms that may also experience. In case you have numerous other symptoms apart from sweating in the night, it is good if you book an appointment with your doctor. Other symptoms include the following:

• Chills or shaking due to fever
• Vaginal dryness in women
• Change in moods
• Lose of breath
• Increased heart beat
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Hot flashes
• Forgetting so easily or issues with concentration

All these symptoms may rely on a specific problem that resulted to sweating in the night. Although not common, sweating can also be caused by infections and cancer. Your doctor will treat your night sweat by diagnosing the underlying cause and treating it.

Sweating at Night Causes

To explain this  problem further, doctors who work in primary fields are used to hearing of complains about night sweat almost in day to day occasions. Usually, night sweats can be explained as excess sweating that occurs during the night. However, there are cases when your sweating at night is just as a result of keeping your room temperatures high or sleeping with too many cloths, hence this is a normal thing.
For you to separate a serious condition from a normal one, doctors may describe a true sweating as serious hot flashes that occur during the night which may drench your sleepwear and sheets, which are not resulting from the issues of the environment. According to some researches done in the United States, it has been discovered that excessive sweating in the night is a common thing. It is important for you to know that flushing may also be mistaken for night sweats.

Causes of Night Sweats or What Causes Sweating at Night

It is important you know that sweating in the night is a condition that can affect any one regardless of gender or age. There are many issues that may result to sweating that occur in the night. For you to know what is causing your condition or that of your child, your doctor may ask some questions relating to your past medical history or carry out some tests to find out what type of medical underlying condition could be the cause for sweating at night. Note that, knowing the underlying cause is the beginning of an effective treatment of night sweats.
If the night sweats are more serious, you may experience other signs such as drastic weight loss which c cannot be explained due to lymphoma, shaking due to fever and many more. All conditions that cause increased sweating generally (which is not specifically at night) will as well cause sweating in any other time of the day.
The following are some of the reasons for night sweats:

1. Perimenopause and menopause

When a woman is undergoing menopausal transition, she may experience some hot flashes which are fond of occurring at night and may result in sweating. Usually, this is a common cause of sweating in the night in women undergoing perimenopause. Usually, women should know that hot flashes in association with vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, and mood changes which are symptoms of perimenopause can as well precede the actual menopause stage by a number of years.

2. Hypoglycemia

There are cases where low levels of blood glucose may result to night sweats. This condition is also referred to as hypoglycemia. Persons who suffer from diabetes are commonly known to have this symptom especially those who are taking insulin or oral anti-diabetic medications. They may experience a hypoglycemia in the night which is associated with sweating.

3. Hormone levels disorders

This is another common condition that is known to resulting in increased sweating in the night. There are several hormonal disorders such as pheochromocytoma which is a type of adrenal gland tumor which overproduce hormones referred to as catecholamines, carcinoid syndrome which is a condition whereby there is overproduction of some hormones by tumors of lungs and gastrointestinal system, and hyperthyroidism – excess in levels of thyroid hormones, which are known to appear with sweating at night and flushing symptoms.

4. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis

Some sources have revealed that, there are some times when your body can just produce excess sweat without any identifiable cause. This is what is referred to as idiopathic hyperhidrosis. This is normal condition and it should not cause you to go into a panic mode.

5. An infection

There are several infections that are known to show up with symptoms such as sweating at night. For example, people suffering from tuberculosis usually experience night sweat that is also associated with increased coughing. Also, there are other many bacterial infections that associate night sweat as their common symptom. These may include: endocarditis infection which is an inflammation of heart valves, osteomyelitis – the inflammation of the bones due to an infection, abscess such as boils, tonsils, and aids virus infection.

6. Cancer

As we have said above, though in rare cases, you may experience sweating at night which is as a result of cancer infection. This is considered as one of the early symptoms of cancer. Sources have revealed that sweating at night is associated mostly with lymphoma type of cancer. However, if the cancer condition has not yet been diagnosed, there are other symptoms that you may experience apart from night sweats.

7. Antidepressants

There are some medications that may as well cause you to sweat at night. In case you do not have any other physical signs such as tumor or an infection, and you have taken some medications such as anti-depressants, then that could be the reason why you are sweating in the night.
It has been concluded that all types of anti- depressants can resulting in sweating at night as a side effect, which mostly covers a range of between 8 to 20% of people using them. Apart from that, even other psychiatric medications can cause you to sweat at night.

8. Obstruction sleep apnea

This is a condition whereby the walls of your throat may narrow causing restricted breathing. This is the reason why you may hear some people snoring at night. However, a part from snoring, a person suffering from this condition may also sweat at night. Research reveals that those people who have untreated obstructive sleep apnea are three time common as compared to other people.

9. GERD

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is a condition that affects the esophagus. Some of the symptoms that are associated with condition include heartburn and sweating at night as well.

10. Obesity

Obesity is a condition of having too much weight as compared to what your height should withstand. People who have increased body mass have difficult in doing most of the things including normal metabolic processes. Therefore, during the night these people may experience increased sweating even if they are not covered with thick clothing or duvets.

11. Other medications side effects

Also, medications that are taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen may sometimes be associated with sweating at night. Some other drugs may as well result in flushing or reddening of the skin around cheeks and neck as said above, and this may be confused with sweating that occur at night.

12. Neurological conditions

Researchers also have concluded that there are some neurologic conditions that may result in sweating at night and even at day time. Some of these conditions may include stroke, autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia as well as autonomic neuropathy.

Night Sweats Men

Sweating at night in male is usually considered as serious hot flashes that commonly appear at night. When a man has night sweats, this may result in excess drench of night clothing as well as beddings. Often, sweating that occur at night may result in loss of sleep since you are feeling an intense heat that is above the normal warmth that bring about nice sleep.
There are several causes of sweating in the night but when it comes to men, we specify on some of them. Usually, sweating in men in the night is not as a result of intense heat alone but may also be caused by the malfunctioning of the hypothalamus – the part of brain that control temperature regulation. This malfunctioning occurs in this way; the hypothalamus receives a wrong signal as a result of hormonal imbalance communicating that the body has more heat and this causes the body to react immediately to remove the non-existing excess heat.
The low levels of testosterone hormones which are found in andropausal men are known to be the common cause of false signals the hypothalamus receive. High levels of stress or cortisol and a poor diet are known to be the main contributors of sweating at night. Also, men who have poor body fitness may sweat in the night.

Night Sweats Women

In some women, hot flashes and sweating in the night are usually not so much frequent and they can be managed. However, in others, the conditions can be intense and therefore cause problems when it comes to normal quality life.
Women who experience sweating in the night may be having problems with hormonal imbalances. In recent cases, it was thought that having low levels of estrogen would cause problems. However, sources have revealed that having too much estrogen and too little progesterone could be the cause for sweating at night in women.
Also, dis-functioning of some other hormones in the body that come from adrenals, ovaries, thyroid pancreas and gastrointestinal tract can result to night sweats in women. Most of the conditions we have talked about above may cause women to sweat as well. It is usually a process to keep these systems in balance, and it may be challenging in women since they undergo several midlife changes. However, we shall discuss several activities in this post that can help in dealing with these conditions.

Cold Sweats at Night

Cold sweats are not same as night sweats. Cold sweats usually occur when you experience a sudden chill in the body which is associated with increased sweating, regardless of the hot or cold weather that may be around your area. In most cases, cold sweats usually appear in the palms, armpits and soles of your legs. When compared to normal sweating, cold sweating at night is not as a result of much exercise or higher temperatures.
When experiencing normal night sweats, you may wake up in the middle of the night soaked in drenches of sweat which may make all your beddings and night cloths wet. Night sweat usually occurs while you are sleeping while cold sweats can occur at night even before sleep. As we have said above, cold sweats only occur in specific areas and not the whole body and they are not limited to sleeping time or being in bed.

 Causes of cold sweats

There are numerous issues that can result in cold sweats. In most cases, cold sweats are associated with fight or response. This is a condition that occur when your body respond to fear hence prepare to run away or when you get hurt. Also, cold sweats show up in conditions which prevent oxygen or blood from moving around the body. There are some conditions that can cause cold sweats as we have shared below:

1. Shock

Shock is a response that occurs when the body reacts to harsh environmental conditions or a serious trauma. When you experience shock, organs of the body usually do not get enough oxygen or blood as they normally do. If your body stays in this state for longer hours, your body organs can fail. If not treated, shock can develop into a fatal condition.

2. Infection and sepsis

Usually, infections are caused by disease causing organisms such as bacteria and viruses that affect the body tissues. Often, infections causes the body tissues to be inflamed as the immune system is compromised due to increased fighting with germs.
Sepsis is a condition that occurs when the immune system responds to severe disease causing germs in the body tissues and organs. When sepsis occurs, there is inflammation in the whole body. This may result in internal blood clotting or blood spillage out of the vessels, hence making some organs not to receive fresh blood with oxygen, therefore resulting in cold sweating at night. This is a life threatening condition and should never be taken for granted.
Other conditions that may result in cold sweat include:

• Nausea or vertigo
• Fainting
• Intense pain from injury
• Stress and anxiety
• migraines

How to Stop Night Sweats

In many cases, treatment of sweating in the night usually relies on the underlying condition that caused it. As we have said above, there are some night sweats that are harmless and clear off without medical intervention. However, if there are severe signs associated with night sweats, it important that you visit the nearest medical center.
Doctors that treat sweating at night
Normally, this condition is usually treated by internists, gynecologists or family practice specialists. In case the sweating in the night is caused by a specific kind of condition, a doctor specialized in that condition will be the best in treating that condition and therefore sweating will go away.
How to stop sweating in the night
For you to stop this condition there are several things you must look at in order to stop the problem. This includes the following:

1. avoid the triggers

You should make sure you stay away from triggers of night sweats at all times. For example, smoking, wearing tight clothing while sleeping, use of heavy duvets, drinking alcohol and overwarming your rooms and allowing yourself to be overwhelmed with stress are issues that should be avoided.

2. Establish helpful habits

Also, there are habits that are carried on day to day activities that can also help in treating this condition.  You have to make sure you are free from stress before going to bed. This may be done by exercising during the day. Make sure you wear loose cloths while you go to bed.

3. Find relief when you are sleeping

Sweating at night and hot flashes usually occur when you try to sleep. However, finding a way to get relief quickly may help you go back to your sleep immediately. You may try to relax to cool your body and also turn down temperatures in your bed room by making sure it is well aerated.

4. Add supplements to your diet

Use of natural foods and supplements may help also to bring down this condition if it is caused by hormonal problems or lack of some nutrients. Some sources have revealed that some supplements work marvelous when it comes to solving hot flashes and sweating at night.
More references

1. Night sweats and treatments involved: http://www.medicinenet.com/night_sweats/article.htm
2. Night sweats causes: http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/night-sweats/basics/causes/sym-20050768
3. Causes of night sweats: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/296818.php
4. What area night sweats in men: https://www.bodylogicmd.com/for-men/night-sweats
5. Hot flashes and night sweats: https://womeninbalance.org/symptoms-solutions/hot-flashes-night-sweats/