If you frequently suffer from a wet brow in the middle of the night, you may be experiencing some form of sleep hyperhidrosis.
This basically means you are suffering from the night sweats.
However, your doctor can help you determine if it is an inherent condition or a secondary condition resulting from another health concern.
Primary Hyperhidrosis The primary in the term primary hyperhidrosis simply means that it is a condition in itself rather than a symptom of another condition.
If you are diagnosed with this condition, it can be really frustrating.
Other than surgical removal of particular sweat glands that are causing the sweating, there are currently no clean and permanent solutions to this condition.
Furthermore, we still don't know exactly why some people experience this form of hyperhidrosis.
The primary form of sleep hyperhidrosis appears to have no relation or correlation to hyperhidrosis in those who are awake.
In other words, sometimes people with primary hyperhidrosis sweat both when they are asleep and when they are awake, and sometimes they do not and we do not understand why.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis The secondary in the term secondary hyperhidrosis simply means that the perspiration is caused by another condition or external trigger and that the night sweats are a symptom of that trigger, lifestyle habit or disease.
The following are common causes of secondary sleep hyperhidrosis: menopause, adolescence, alcohol consumption, nicotine, caffeine, spicy and fatty foods, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, diabetes, hypothalamus lesions, antipyretic drugs, anti-nausea medications, tuberculosis and any infection or illness that may raise the body's temperature.
The basis of each of these triggers is that they may confuse or in some way affect the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus basically functions as the human body's internal thermostat.
It interacts with your nervous system and your sweat glands to regulate your body temperature, raising it when it believes it needs to and cooling when it believes it must.
Ironically, sometimes sleep hyperhidrosis occurs when the hypothalamus is inappropriately cooling the body as perspiration is a means for our body to keep itself cool.
This for example, is why you might sweat after taking an antipyretic drug, like Tylenol.
If you believe you may be experiencing either primary or secondary sleep hyperhidrosis, I encourage you to discuss the matter with your primary care physician.
In most cases, the night sweats are innocent and harmless and not the result of a serious underlying condition.
But it is definitely better to be safe rather than sorry.
This basically means you are suffering from the night sweats.
However, your doctor can help you determine if it is an inherent condition or a secondary condition resulting from another health concern.
Primary Hyperhidrosis The primary in the term primary hyperhidrosis simply means that it is a condition in itself rather than a symptom of another condition.
If you are diagnosed with this condition, it can be really frustrating.
Other than surgical removal of particular sweat glands that are causing the sweating, there are currently no clean and permanent solutions to this condition.
Furthermore, we still don't know exactly why some people experience this form of hyperhidrosis.
The primary form of sleep hyperhidrosis appears to have no relation or correlation to hyperhidrosis in those who are awake.
In other words, sometimes people with primary hyperhidrosis sweat both when they are asleep and when they are awake, and sometimes they do not and we do not understand why.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis The secondary in the term secondary hyperhidrosis simply means that the perspiration is caused by another condition or external trigger and that the night sweats are a symptom of that trigger, lifestyle habit or disease.
The following are common causes of secondary sleep hyperhidrosis: menopause, adolescence, alcohol consumption, nicotine, caffeine, spicy and fatty foods, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, diabetes, hypothalamus lesions, antipyretic drugs, anti-nausea medications, tuberculosis and any infection or illness that may raise the body's temperature.
The basis of each of these triggers is that they may confuse or in some way affect the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus basically functions as the human body's internal thermostat.
It interacts with your nervous system and your sweat glands to regulate your body temperature, raising it when it believes it needs to and cooling when it believes it must.
Ironically, sometimes sleep hyperhidrosis occurs when the hypothalamus is inappropriately cooling the body as perspiration is a means for our body to keep itself cool.
This for example, is why you might sweat after taking an antipyretic drug, like Tylenol.
If you believe you may be experiencing either primary or secondary sleep hyperhidrosis, I encourage you to discuss the matter with your primary care physician.
In most cases, the night sweats are innocent and harmless and not the result of a serious underlying condition.
But it is definitely better to be safe rather than sorry.