Influence of alcohol

The consumption of alcohol can lead to increased sweating. Many sweat glands are localized especially on the hands, which is why you often get wet hands when drinking alcohol. Alcohol has a sudorific effect, i.e. it promotes the excretion of fluids and thus removes water and minerals from the body.

During the night, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to very heavy sweating, as alcohol boosts the metabolism and thus the production of heat. It can also cause trembling, nausea, headaches, dizziness and restlessness. These are all symptoms which, like increased sweating, belong to the so-called withdrawal symptoms after alcohol consumption.

Sweating at night due to alcohol consumption can be easily avoided by abstinence from alcohol.Should increased sweating continue to occur at night despite the avoidance of alcohol and other triggers such as spicy foods, coffee, nicotine or excessively warm sleeping conditions, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the possible causes. Excessive alcohol consumption over a longer period of time can damage the liver, which in turn can lead to increased sweating at night. Increased sweating at night during pregnancy is usually not a symptom of illness, but a natural reaction of the body to the hormonal changes caused by pregnancy.

Changes in hormone levels increase the blood supply to the skin, which can lead to an increased sensation of warmth and to rosy to reddish skin symptoms. Added to this is the increasing physical strain caused by the growing weight of the unborn child, which, similar to sporting activity, leads to increased sweat production. During pregnancy, sweating often manifests itself in hot flushes and outbreaks of sweating, which are harmless for both the baby and the mother.

The more advanced the pregnancy is, the more severe the symptoms can be, as the pregnant woman’s metabolism is running at full speed. The unborn child and the mother-to-be increasingly need energy that is obtained from food. Energy is produced by the body’s own combustion of protein, fat and carbohydrates.

This produces additional heat which is transported to the body surface (i.e. the skin) and stimulates sweat production there. Even light exertion during pregnancy causes you to sweat more quickly. Particularly at night, pronounced sweating can occur during pregnancy, and care should be taken to ensure that the room temperature is sufficiently cool and that thin blankets are used.

Even tight-fitting clothing should be avoided, natural materials such as cotton, linen or untreated wool can make sweating more bearable. It can also help if you put a cold and damp washcloth by your bed, with which you can wipe your face if necessary. As a rule, you should drink a lot, as sweating increases the need for fluids.

Teas, unsweetened fruit juice spritzers and mineral water are particularly suitable for compensating for the loss of fluid. In some cases, heavy sweating can lead to an undersupply of minerals such as sodium, magnesium and potassium. If necessary, suitable dietary supplements can ensure that the pregnant woman is sufficiently supplied with minerals.

However, taking dietary supplements during pregnancy should only be started in consultation with the doctor treating the pregnant woman. In most cases, increased sweating occurs from the second trimester of pregnancy onwards and increases until birth. Sometimes there are also further sweating outbreaks after birth.

This is especially the case when the baby is breastfed and the mother’s hormone balance is still subject to strong fluctuations. Numerous different pathogens can trigger infectious diseases that are accompanied by fever. These include viruses, bacteria, fungi, worms and parasites.

When such pathogens trigger an acute infection, in most cases there is a rise in body temperature. This increase in body temperature is called “fever” and is a consequence of the activities of the body’s own defense system and its messenger substances, since the warming of the body in turn activates certain defense mechanisms. The fever causes symptoms such as chills and shivers.

Acute infectious diseases in particular are associated with increased sweating during the night, for example influenza triggered by viruses (influenza). Endocarditis is also a typical disease associated with fever, chills and night sweats. This bacterial inflammation of the inner lining of the heart can occur acutely with pronounced signs of disease or over a longer period of time, creeping and undetected (subacute).

People with heart valve defects or an artificial heart valve are particularly affected by a subacute course of the disease. In these cases, increased sweating can be an important first symptom of such hidden endocarditis. Certain (in our latitudes rather rare) diseases such as malaria, for example, can be accompanied by a characteristic fever course with a stressful alternation of sweating and chills.

Especially the increased sweating during the night can lead to restless sleep in these cases.In the case of chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, HIV infection or AIDS, the increased sweating at night can accumulate and occur over the long term. In the case of chronic diseases, the body’s own defense system may be permanently activated, resulting in fever attacks and increased sweating. Tuberculosis often does not show typical signs of illness at the beginning.

Increased sweating in the morning hours in connection with fever, weight loss and coughing can be the first signs of the disease. Some cancers may also be accompanied by increased sweating at night and fever. If in addition to unintentional heavy weight loss in a short period of time, fatigue and general malaise, a serious illness such as leukaemia (blood cancer) may also be behind the symptoms. If you experience increased temperature or fever over a longer period of time in combination with heavy sweating during the night, it is advisable to consult a doctor to find out and treat possible causes for the symptoms.