There are many different causes of night sweats. To determine what is causing night sweats in a particular individual, a doctor must obtain a detailed medical history and order tests to decide if an underlying medical condition is responsible for the night sweats. Some of the known conditions that can cause night sweats are:

1. Menopause - The hot flashes that accompany the menopausal transition can occur at night and cause sweating. This is a very common cause of night sweats in perimenopausal women.

2. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis - Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a condition in which the body chronically produces too much sweat without any identifiable medical cause.

3. Infections - Classically, tuberculosis is the infection most commonly associated with night sweats. However, bacterial infections, such as endocarditis (inflammation of the heart valves), osteomyelitis (inflammation within the bones), and abscesses all may result in night sweats. Night sweats are also a symptom of AIDS virus (HIV) infection.

4. Cancers - Night sweats are an early symptom of some cancers. The most common type of cancer associated with night sweats is lymphoma. However, people who have an undiagnosed cancer frequently have other symptoms as well, such as unexplained weight loss and fevers.

5. Medications - Taking certain medications can lead to night sweats. In cases without other physical symptoms or signs of tumor or infection, medications are often determined to be the cause of night sweats. Antidepressant medications are a common type of medication that can lead to night sweats. All types of antidepressants can cause night sweats as a side effect, with a range in incidence from 8 to 22% of persons taking antidepressant drugs. Other psychiatric drugs have also been associated with night sweats. Medicines taken to lower fever such as aspirin and acetaminophen can sometimes lead to sweating. Other types of drugs can cause flushing, which, as mentioned above, may be confused with night sweats. Some of the many drugs that can cause flushing include:

* niacin (taken in the higher doses used for lipid disorders),
* tamoxifen,
* hydralazine,
* nitroglycerine, and
* sildenafil (Viagra).

Many other drugs not mentioned above, including cortisone medications such as prednisone and prednisolone, may also be associated with flushing or night sweats.

6. Hypoglycemia - Sometimes low blood glucose can cause sweating. People who are taking insulin or oral anti-diabetic medications may experience hypoglycemia at night that is accompanied by sweating.

7. Hormone disorders - Sweating or flushing can be seen with several hormone disorders, including pheochromocytoma, carcinoid syndrome, and hyperthyroidism.

8. Neurologic conditions - Uncommonly, neurologic conditions including autonomic dysreflexia, post-traumatic syringomyelia, stroke, and autonomic neuropathy may cause increased sweating and possibly lead to night sweats.

Answered by Alok , an ibibo Master, at 11:14 AM on October 16, 2008

Night sweats, also known as nocturnal hyperhidrosis, is a menopause symptom that almost all women will suffer before, during or after menopause.

It is a common perspiration disorder that occurs when a warm sensation causes your body to perspire.

So, it refers to any excess sweating occurring from the body during the night.

Night sweats occur due to fluctuation in estrogen levels. The good news is that nocturnal hyperhidrosis can be dealt successfully. Most of the experts believe that night sweats are due to the reduction of hormones as well as a rise in FSH and LH hormones.

Answered by SESHAN , an ibibo Master, at 10:47 AM on October 16, 2008

The term "night sweats" describes the exact symptom you have. Night sweats are not simply sweating a lot at night, but literally drenching the bed. If you are a woman, night sweats (or their daytime version, hot flashes) may be your first symptom of menopause; in both cases, the profuse sweating follows a brief but intense wave of heat, usually in the face and chest. Infections, malignancy and other diseases can also cause night sweats. When night sweats are due to an infection, the sweating usually occurs as the body temperature drops suddenly after running a fever.

Infections causing night sweats are usually chronic, and they may have been present for quite a while before a person seeks medical care. Tuberculosis (TB) is the classic cause, and the fact that you had a positive tine test is interesting. As I have mentioned on this site before, positive PPD (skin test for TB) and tine test signify that you were likely infected with the tuberculosis organism. At this stage, the immune system typically controls the infection and few if any symptoms develop. Then, later in life, the infection may reactivate, causing a chronic pneumonia with fever, night sweats, weight loss and cough. Sometimes the infection involves the lungs minimally, if at all. If you have had night sweats for more than a month or two without any other symptoms, tuberculosis would be less likely but not impossible.

Various fungal infections may also be associated with chronic night sweats. Histoplasmosis, an infection usually seen in the southeastern, mid-Atlantic and central United States, is one such illness. You are less likely to have histoplasmosis (or any other fungal infection for that matter) if you have been ill for more than a few months with no other symptoms.

Another possibility is an abscess (a collection of pus due to infection) in the liver or spleen. Such an abscess can cause fever and sweats without many other symptoms. There are several other infectious causes of fevers and night sweats, too many to detail here. However, if an infection is responsible for your illness, I would expect that you would eventually start having other symptoms that point to the specific diagnosis.


Non-infectious illnesses can cause night sweats as well. The first that comes to mind is a malignancy. The most common symptoms of lymphoma, a tumor of the lymphatic system, are swollen lymph nodes, often in the neck. In addition, some people also have fever, night sweats and weight loss. Several other malignancies and other diseases can lead to night sweats as well.

Finally, the vague chest pain you describe is somewhat concerning. When I see a patient with chronic fevers and night sweats, a single complaint such as chest pain usually points to the source of the fever.

What I suggest you do is the following. First, figure out how long you have had night sweats. If you have had them more than several months, infection is less likely but not ruled out. Check to see if you are having true fever. The best time to check is in the evening, around 6:00 p.m., the usual time of highest temperature and before your night sweats. Then, talk to your physician. If you are really having chronic fevers, night sweats and chest symptoms, a physical examination and some testing are probably in order. A blood count could show evidence of an infection or malignancy. A chest X-ray and possibly a CT scan of the chest may show signs of tuberculosis, another infection or another chest abnormality responsible for your fever. If all these tests reveal nothing, a CT scan of the abdomen may show an abscess. I certainly do not think you need all these tests up front, but sometimes chronic fever requires quite a lot of testing to arrive at the correct diagnosis.

And for more information visit the source site:
http://yourtotalhealth.ivill age.com/what-causes-night-sweats.ht ml

Answered by Dinesh , an ibibo Master, at 6:29 AM on October 16, 2008

Night sweats are usually defined as episodes of significant nighttime sweating that soaks your bed clothes or bedding. This is a fairly common problem that many people experience from time to time.

Although uncomfortable, nighttime sweating typically isn't a sign of a serious underlying medical condition. It may be triggered by something as simple as too warm a room or too many blankets on the bed. Potential medical causes of night sweats include:
Menopause
Anxiety
Medic ations such as certain high blood pressure drugs, over-the-counter fever reducers and antipsychotics
Drug or alcohol abuse
Gastrointestinal reflux disease (GERD)
Diabetes

See your doctor if night sweats occur on a regular basis and interrupt your sleep. Treatment is directed at the underlying cause, if it can be determined. Occasionally, night sweats are a symptom of a serious condition, such as cancer or infection. But in such cases, night sweats are often accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as fever and unexplained weight loss.

Source:
http://www.mayocl inic.com/health/night-sweats/AN0104 2

Answered by Mohd Saqib , an ibibo Master, at 12:30 AM on October 16, 2008