Page 23 - Florida Sentinel 11-22-19

Health
•Sleep Apnea
•Acid Reflux
You could break into a sweat when your room feels warm or you've piled on too many blankets. But that's not what we're talking about. "Night sweats" refers to repeated drenching per- spiration in the middle of the night that's likely to wake you, and sometimes so much that you need to change your sheets. It's usually related to a medical issue.
•Overactive Thyroid
Sweating more and being sensitive to heat are notable symptoms of hyperthy- roidism. Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism, so when it makes too much hor- mone, your body goes into overdrive. Your body temper- ature rises, and you could be
hungrier or thirstier, have a racing pulse or shaking hands, feel tired and out of sorts, get diarrhea, and lose weight.
foods -- like those that are fatty, fried, or tomato-based. See your doctor if your symptoms are severe or happen more than a couple of times a week.
When you have this condition, you briefly stop breathing over and over during the night. Be- cause your body isn't get- ting oxygen, it may slip into "fight or flight" mode, which triggers sweating. Each time it has to kick-start breathing means a burst of work
from your muscles, too. People who use a CPAP machine to help them breathe at night have night sweats about as often as those who don't have sleep apnea.
• Low Blood Sugar
It's not only the heart- burn and chest pain that can wake you up. GERD hasn't been studied much as a cause of night sweats, but doctors say there’s a possible connection. And treating it can often ease your night sweats. Eat smaller meals, and not before bed. Avoid trigger
•Medications
Lots of drugs may cause night sweats, including over-the-counter fever re- ducers like acetaminophen and NSAIDs such as as- pirin and ibuprofen. Older antidepressants, called tri- cyclics or TCAs, as well as bupropion and venlafaxine, hormone replacement
betes, that may be responsible for your overnight hypo- glycemia. When your glucose is lower than 140 mg/dL before bed, or it could fall in a few hours, have a snack.
Do you have diabetes? While your blood glucose may be OK when you turn in, it can drop while you're asleep. Maybe you had a very active day, or exercised in the evening, or had a late dinner. If you use insulin or take a sulfonylurea-type drug to manage your dia-
therapy, and steroids like cortisone and prednisone are common suspects. Some medicines for glaucoma and dry mouth also stimulate your sweat glands. Check with your pharmacist or doctor.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2019 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 11-B