Night sweats, characterized by intense perspiration that soaks through clothing and bedding, can significantly disrupt sleep.
Sweating around neck and chest at night in female is often associated with menopause, especially when accompanied by hot flashes and an irregular heartbeat.
Night sweats can also indicate other underlying health problems.
These problems can range from low blood sugar and infections to certain cancers, thyroid problems, medication side effects, or even environmental factors.
We’ll explore these possible causes together in more detail.
Causes of Night Sweats in Women: Neck and Chest
Sweating around the neck and chest at night in females is usually associated with hormonal changes that occur during menopause or premenopause.
Women can also suffer from night sweats due to premenstrual syndrome.
Here are the most prominent causes of night sweats in women:
- Menopause: During premenopause and menopause, the body has difficulty regulating its temperature due to severe hormonal changes that occur to it, which causes hot flashes and night sweats.
- Menstrual cycle: A woman can suffer from night sweats at any stage of her menstrual cycle, especially if she suffers from premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
- Pregnancy and childbirth: These are other cases of hormonal changes that can cause night sweats in women.
- Some types of medications: such as hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants, aspirin, acetaminophen, or glaucoma treatment medications can cause night sweats.
- Microbial infection: as in endocarditis, osteomyelitis, and tuberculosis
Other health conditions that can cause night sweats:
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Hypoglycemia.
- Panic attacks.
- Depression.
- Anxiety.
- Posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
- Cancers like carcinoid syndrome.
- Hyperhidrosis (Sleep foundation, n.d.)
Hormonal and Non-Hormonal Triggers of Night Sweats
Hormonal causes of Sweating around neck and chest at night in female include:
- Menopause.
- Premenstrual syndrome.
- Pregnancy and postpartum.
- Hormone replacement therapy.
- Vitamin B12 deficiency, which is responsible for producing hormones that help regulate body temperature.
Read Also: Right-Side Chest Pain When Breathing
Non-hormonal causes of night sweats in women include:
- Microbial infections include tuberculosis, HIV, endocarditis, and osteomyelitis
- Medications such as antidepressants and hormone replacement therapy.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Sleep disorders
- Environmental factors such as high room temperature.
- Lifestyle such as strenuous exercise, eating spicy foods, drinking alcohol, and smoking.
- Thyroid disorders
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Panic attacks
- Depression
- Posttraumatic stress disorder
- Some types of cancer. (American Osteopathic Association, n.d.)
Managing Night Sweats: Practical Tips for Women
If you suffer from the problem of sweating around neck and chest at night in female, here are some tips that may help you overcome this condition:
- Set your bedroom temperature to a suitable degree and take care of ventilation.
- Wear loose pajamas that allow the body to breathe and are made of cotton that absorbs sweat.
- Use lightweight covers that you can easily remove when needed.
- Keep your body hydrated.
- Avoid triggers such as eating spicy foods, smoking, or drinking alcohol.
- Practice meditation and deep breathing before bed.
- You can use a container containing cooling gel under your pillow.
- If the problem of night sweats is caused by a hormonal imbalance, you should follow up with a specialist doctor to prescribe hormone replacement therapy.
References
- American Osteopathic Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from Night Sweats
- Sleep foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from Night Sweats in Women: Causes, Remedies, and Tips
