The most commonly accepted definition of night sweats is an occurrence during which a sufferer begins sweating suddenly during the night, enough to soak the sheets and bedclothes significantly. This sweating cannot be due to an abnormally warm sleeping environment or by wearing too much clothing or blankets. Treatments for night sweats depend entirely on the cause of the sweats, and night sweats can be caused by a significant number of maladies or conditions. A doctor must first discover the cause of the problem before diagnosing any treatments for night sweats.
Night sweats are often a symptom of another problem, which means treatments for night sweats are actually treatments for other illnesses. Medications are one of the most common causes of night sweats, as every person's body will react differently to certain medications. In this case, cessation of the medication may be one of the only treatments for night sweats, or consulting a doctor about an alternative medication to replace the one causing the sweats. Another one of the treatments for night sweats caused by medication is to alter the time of day that the medication is taken, thereby avoiding a reaction during the night time. This may not work for all patients.
Sometimes intense sweating at night can be indicative of a much larger problem. Tuberculosis is an infection commonly associated with night sweats, and all treatments for night sweats caused by tuberculosis focus on battling the infection rather than the sweating. Tuberculosis is a serious infection that most often affects the lungs, and vaccinations are available to help prevent the infection. Antibiotics are often used to treat tuberculosis, and in more severe cases, surgery may be necessary to remove affected parts of the lungs.
Night sweats can also be caused by low blood sugar. People with diabetes may suffer from night sweats, and medications may be administered to help control blood sugar. Others suffering from night sweats due to low blood sugar who are not diabetic would benefit from a change in diet. Other causes of night sweats include menopause or the onset of menopause; consulting a doctor about the best course of action for dealing with the symptoms of menopause would be in order to treat night sweats. Cancer, especially lymphoma, can cause night sweats, and chemotherapy is often necessary to treat the condition. Less serious causes of night sweat may include high stress levels or injuries; to treat such causes, one must make appropriate changes in his or her daily routine to accommodate the injury or to effectively lower stress levels throughout the day.