Characteristics of night sweats caused by tuberculosis

Pulmonary tuberculosis, also known as pulmonary consumption, is a viral disease. Most cases are caused by infection with tuberculosis bacteria, which causes functional disorders of various systems such as metabolism. The main manifestation is excessive sweating during sleep, and it may even cause many complications. Therefore, patients should choose appropriate methods for treatment based on their actual physical conditions. Generally, they should start with the nourishing effect of Chinese herbal medicine and understand the characteristics of night sweats caused by tuberculosis.

Pulmonary tuberculosis is commonly known as "consumption" and is called "pulmonary tuberculosis" in traditional Chinese medicine.

Night sweats are one of the symptoms of tuberculosis poisoning. It is the result of the toxins of tuberculosis bacteria and their metabolites stimulating the central nervous system, leading to dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. Night sweats are characterized by sweating when falling asleep and stopping after waking up. There are many causes of night sweats, and night sweats caused by pulmonary tuberculosis are more common due to yin deficiency, hyperactivity of fire, and deficiency of both qi and yin.

1. The symptoms of Yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire are frequent night sweats, hot flashes in the afternoon, red cheeks, emaciation, coughing and shortness of breath, little sticky sputum, hemoptysis or blood in sputum, restlessness and insomnia, impatience and anger, spermatorrhea in men and irregular menstruation in women, red tongue with little fluid, thin yellow tongue coating, and thready pulse. The treatment should be to nourish yin, reduce fire and restrain sweat. Medicinal herbs include coptis chinensis, phellodendron chinense, scutellaria baicalensis, raw rehmannia root, cooked rehmannia root, astragalus, glutinous rice root, floating wheat, black plum, dragon bone, and oyster. If you have a fever in the afternoon, add Bupleurum chinense, Rehmannia glutinosa, Artemisia annua, and Carapax tricolor; if you have a cough with blood in sputum or hemoptysis, add Lilium bulbus, Ophiopogon japonicus, Scrophularia ningpoensis, Stemona bulbus, donkey-hide gelatin, and Panax notoginseng powder.

2. The symptoms of Qi and Yin deficiency include frequent night sweats, sweating when moving, shortness of breath and low voice, weak cough, occasional blood spots in sputum, low fever in the afternoon, pale yellow complexion, red cheekbones, tender red tongue with teeth marks, thin fur and weak pulse. The treatment should be to tonify Qi, nourish Yin, restrain sweat and clear away heat. Medicinal herbs include Pseudostellaria baicalensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, Poria cocos, Ophiopogon japonicus, Asparagus cochinchinensis, Rehmannia root, Rehmannia root, Angelica sinensis, White Peony Root, Lycium bark, Phellodendron chinense, Anemarrhena asphodeloides, Oyster, Ebony Plum, and Floating Wheat. For cough, add Aster tataricus and Winter Bloom; for phlegm and dampness, add Pinellia ternata and Tangerine Peel; for coughing up blood, add donkey-hide gelatin, Agrimoniae scabra, and Panax notoginseng powder; for loose stools, abdominal distension, and poor appetite, add lentil, coix seed, lotus seed, Shenqu, barley sprout, and malt.

3. Symptoms of deficiency of both Yin and Yang include night sweats, spontaneous sweating, cough and wheezing, shortness of breath, blood in sputum, hot flashes, chills, hoarseness, puffy face and limb swelling, palpitations, purple lips, cold limbs, diarrhea at dawn, spermatorrhea in men, oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea in women, red tongue with little fluid or pale and fat tongue with teeth marks on the edges, thin and rapid pulse or weak and large pulse. Treatment should focus on nourishing yin and yang. Medicinal ginseng, astragalus, yam, tortoise shell, placenta, rehmannia root, ophiopogon japonicus, donkey-hide gelatin, schisandra chinensis, and white peony root. For qi reversal, wheezing and hoarseness, add Cordyceps sinensis and Terminalia chebula; for palpitations, add Amethyst, Salvia miltiorrhiza and Polygala tenuifolia; for early morning diarrhea, add nutmeg and Psoralea corylifolia.

What does night sweats look like in tuberculosis

The symptoms of night sweats due to pulmonary tuberculosis are sweating when falling asleep and stopping sweating after waking up. There are many reasons for night sweats, and night sweats due to pulmonary tuberculosis are more commonly associated with yin deficiency, hyperactivity of fire, and deficiency of both qi and yin. It is recommended to go to a local regular hospital and ask an experienced Chinese medicine doctor to treat the symptoms and prescribe symptomatic medication.

Some patients with night sweats start sweating as soon as they fall asleep, some start sweating in the second half of the night, and some start sweating just after closing their eyes for a while. The amount of sweating varies greatly. If the amount of sweating is not much, it is normal. If the amount of sweating is heavy, it is recommended to go to the hospital's respiratory department for examination. Maintain a regular lifestyle, eat more light foods, and eat less spicy and irritating foods.