Causes of night sweats

Medicine calls sweating while awake "spontaneous sweating" and sweating during deep sleep "night sweats". Night sweats are also a common disease in traditional Chinese medicine. Sweating after falling asleep is very abnormal. The phenomenon of night sweats should also attract our attention, especially now that many children have symptoms of night sweats. We should understand the causes of night sweats and regulate the symptoms of night sweats in time.

Normal sweating is a protection for the body, but night sweats are abnormal. We have seen many children sweat a lot when they are asleep. This phenomenon should attract the attention of parents, and they should know the cause of night sweats.

Causes of night sweats in children

Night sweats can be divided into physiological and pathological types, and the incidence of physiological night sweats in children is very high. Children's skin is tender, contains a lot of water, has abundant capillaries, has active metabolism, and their neural regulation functions are not yet perfect, so they are prone to sweating. If you move too much before going to bed and your organs are active, your skin blood vessels will dilate, your sweat glands will secrete more, and you will sweat profusely during sleep to help dissipate heat. In addition, eating before going to bed will increase gastrointestinal motility and increase the secretion of sweat glands, causing more sweating after falling asleep, which is physiological night sweats.

What to do if children have night sweats

Physiological night sweats in children: If a child has night sweats, you should first find out the cause. Physiological night sweats are not recommended for drug treatment. The wisest way is to eliminate the factors that cause high fever in life. Controlling the amount of activity and food intake of children before bedtime can prevent night sweats and help improve sleep quality and control childhood obesity. Maintain a suitable room temperature. The bedroom temperature in winter should be between 24℃ and 28℃, and the thickness of the quilt should be increased or decreased with the change of temperature. In addition, there is no need to worry too much if children occasionally have night sweats. The main loss of body fluids and salt due to night sweats can be replenished through a reasonable diet.

Pathological night sweats in children should be treated according to the cause:

After children fall asleep, sweating mainly in the first half of the night is often caused by low blood calcium. Low calcium can easily increase the excitability of the sympathetic nerves, so calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, etc. should be appropriately supplemented. Get more exposure to sunlight, both outdoor and reflected light. You can do activities outdoors, but don't expose yourself to the sun through glass. Breastfeeding is recommended. Premature infants, twins, children with frequent diarrhea or other digestive tract diseases should pay attention to adding vitamin D.

Night sweats caused by tuberculosis require regular anti-tuberculosis treatment. Night sweats in children with tuberculosis are characterized by sweating all night long. In addition, there are other symptoms such as flushed face, low fever, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Check the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, anti-tuberculosis antibodies, chest X-ray, and the presence of enlarged lymph nodes in the neck.

Care for children's night sweats: After children have night sweats, you should promptly dry their skin with a dry towel, change their clothes, and avoid catching a cold. Replenish water and salt in time. Dry bedding frequently to disinfect and sterilize it.

Causes of night sweats in adults

The transition from winter to spring is a high incidence period of "night sweats", because it is mostly caused by "yin deficiency". That is, after a long winter, the "essence" stored in the human body is insufficient, and physical fitness declines, which will cause night sweats, accompanied by hot flashes, irritability, insomnia, fatigue and other symptoms. In addition, high pressure from work and family, and overdraft of physical strength and energy may lead to nervous disorders. If you do not pay attention to replenishing "qi" in daily life, it is easy to experience night sweats.

People with weak constitutions should take timely spring tonics after the spring begins, and eat more yin-nourishing and replenishing foods, such as: dates, black beans, walnuts, black sesame seeds, glutinous rice, longan, etc.; eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, and less spicy foods; keep a good mood and lead a regular life.

What to do if an adult has night sweats

When symptoms of night sweats occur, pay attention to the cause of sweating and go to the hospital for treatment if necessary. Do not take medicine blindly.

While undergoing treatment, strengthen necessary physical exercise, develop regular living habits, and combine work and rest.

Carry out appropriate dietary therapy. Patients with yin deficiency, blood heat, and yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire should abstain from spicy and irritating foods, avoid drinking alcohol, and eat more fresh vegetables that nourish yin and clear heat, so as to restore the secretory function of the sweat glands.

Adjust the temperature and humidity of the living environment. People with yin deficiency and blood heat should live in a cooler environment.

The reasons for night sweats in different groups of people are different. Especially now, many people who suffer from night sweats are children. When night sweats occur, you should know that some are caused by physiological diseases. Parents of children with night sweats should understand what is going on. Do not blindly use medication for treatment. Instead, you should regulate your diet to relieve the symptoms of night sweats.