Repeated occurrences of night sweats in men over 50 can point to a certain underlying condition. Read on, to learn about the causes behind this condition.
Night sweats is the condition where one gets excessive nighttime sweating, which makes the bedding and nightclothes wet and makes a person feel excessively hot. It is an uncomfortable condition, however it doesn’t necessarily point towards a certain medical condition. But, if you are showing such symptoms with other symptoms, then it is possible that you might be suffering from a certain condition, which needs medical attention.
Causes
There are many conditions associated with night sweats in men. Certain medications or changes in hormones can give men these sweats. However, some common reasons like too much of alcohol or eating spicy foodstuffs can also cause the sweats as a side effect.
Andropause: If you are getting hot flashes accompanied with sweating then it is can be caused due to hormonal changes taking place in your body. Similar to women’s menopause, men experience andropause when the testosterone levels in the body starts decreasing to a great degree. Once men get over this stage, such symptoms of andropause stop.
Idiopathic Hyperhidrosis: Men suffering from this condition suffer from excessive sweating at night. The cause of this condition is still not known. However, some research suggest that it occurs due to wrong signals sent by the nervous system to the body, which makes the body to sweat excessively.
Alcoholism: Night sweats and alcohol are closely related. Due to excessive intake of alcohol, it is possible that a person can get the sweats. Especially, people who are trying to quit drinking or are in a rehabilitation might experience night sweats along with alcohol withdrawal symptoms like tremors, nightmares, hallucinations, etc.
Other Disorders: It might also occur if they are suffering from particular conditions like cancer, tuberculosis, AIDS, pheochromocytoma, Lyme disease, or from some bacterial or viral infections. In such a case the sweats can occur as one of the side effects of the related health disorder.
Stress: Stress is a common reason for this condition. A person suffering from anxiety, depression, or stress due to emotional reasons can suffer from this condition.
Diet: Changes in diet or poor digestive health can give a person night sweats. If you are following a spicy diet, or suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or having particular foodstuffs at dinner like red meats, garlic, or onion then the sweats can occur.
Medications: Another common cause of this condition in women and men is medicines. Men who are on a particular medication like anti-depressant drugs, niacin, tamoxifen, and nitroglycerine can experience severe night sweats as a side effect.
Neurological Disorders: Men who are suffering from neurological conditions like autonomic neuropathy, post traumatic stress disorder, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, dysreflexia, etc., might also get excessive sweating while sleeping.
Blood Sugar Level Changes: Blood sugar levels fall after 50. Men who are diabetic and are on medications which help to bring down the blood sugar levels might suffer from night sweats as a side effect. Night sweats might also occur when they suffer from hypoglycemia.
It is important that you get a doctor’s appointment if you are getting night sweats on a regular basis or sweats which interrupt your sleep, and if you are having fever or other symptoms like unexpected weight loss along with night sweats. If you are getting these sweats, then wear light cotton clothes while sleeping and keep the room ventilated, also avoid smoking and alcohol and follow a light diet. An hour long session of meditation or yoga can also help to bring down your stress and control the condition.
Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
