Severe Night Sweats

The word Menopause leaves a negative impression in many women’s minds.

It elicits fears of severe night sweats, mood swings and other physical and mental manifestations that are unpleasant and uncomfortable.  There are also fears of the unknown.

So many women do not know what to expect from menopause or when to expect symptoms to begin.  It is all this negativity and lack of concrete information that leads women to fear the word Menopause.

Night sweats are one symptom that is often associated with women and menopause.  The theory as to what causes these night sweats is a broad as the treatments for it.

One group of theorist consider the symptoms the result of a decrease in estrogen production.  During menopause the ovaries cease to produce estrogen.

This estrogen deficit causes the changes in the body typically associated with menopause.  Symptoms such as food cravings, hot flashes, mood swings and insomnia just to name a few.  The subscribers to this theory feel that replacing the estrogen will result in a decrease of the symptoms.  There is a whole debate over the use of estrogen to treat menopause symptoms that will not be reviewed here.

The other main theory is that symptoms are caused by progesterone deficiency.  This leads to estrogen overload and thus the well known symptom pattern.

Providing progesterone replacement will lead to a normal hormonal balance that will in turn resolve the symptoms.  Progesterone therapy seems to be tolerated with fewer side effects that estrogen therapy, although both are controversial.

Regardless of the origin night sweats can be a big problem for women of menopausal age.  The average age for menopause is around fifty two years old.  There are other types of relief out there if the woman is put off by hormone therapy.

There are many herbal remedies that claim to support the body and treat or prevent various symptoms such as night sweats.  They work for some and do not for others.  One thing has become clear to all those who study it,  there is no common course.

Every woman will have different symptoms, severity and longevity of symptoms, and will react to various treatments uniquely.

Night sweats are annoying and disturbing.  Sufferers need to talk with others that have experienced the problem.  Then come up with a strategy that will work best for the individual.

Whether that involves supportive therapies such as cool showers, changes of clothes and other non-invasive approaches or medication.  Perhaps a combination of the two will provide the best relief.