‘Bone sweating’ or ‘bone-melting sweating’ is a term commonly used by the elderly. This condition occurs when the body sweats heavily even after the AC is turned on at night, and even the clothes and bedsheets get wet, along with feeling extremely cold and shivering from the inside of the bones. Scientifically, this is called Night Sweats. This is due to changes in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls our body temperature. Here are the 5 main scientific reasons behind bone sweating:
Persistent infections and infections that occur with fever: The most important scientific reason behind severe night sweats is some chronic infections that affect the body. One of the most prominent of these is tuberculosis (TB). People with TB experience a rise in body temperature at night and sweat profusely with bone-chilling cold. Along with this, infections such as osteomyelitis, malaria, and HIV can also cause this.
Hypoglycemia: When diabetic patients take insulin or high-dose pills before going to bed at night, their blood glucose levels tend to drop below normal levels at night. Scientifically, this is called hypoglycemia. At this time, the body releases the hormone adrenaline for survival, which causes a jolt from sleep with severe palpitations and bone-chilling sweats.
Hormonal Changes and Menopause (Menopause & Hot Flashes): Menopause is a condition in which menstruation stops completely in women after the age of 45. During this time, the level of the female hormone estrogen decreases sharply in the body. This disrupts the thermostat in the brain (Hypothalamus) and causes a condition called Hot Flashes, where the body suddenly becomes hot and sweats at night. This is also due to a decrease in the testosterone hormone in men.
Hyperthyroidism and stress: People with hyperthyroidism, which is an overactive thyroid gland, have a very high metabolism. They always feel very hot and sweat excessively at night. Along with this, severe mental stress and anxiety disorders can cause bone sweating by increasing stress hormones at night.
Medication Side Effects: People who take antidepressants, diabetes medications, and painkillers (NSAIDs/Paracetamol) for high fever often sweat excessively at night. Rarely, night sweats can also be seen as an early symptom of certain types of blood cancers (Lymphoma).
