Menopause and sweating

Night sweats and hot flushes

Secondary hyperhidrosis can be caused by the menopause. Night sweats are a common symptom of the menopause which are the night-time equivalent of hot flushes. Sweat on the skin at night then makes you go cold and can cause you to wake up. The bed and the pillows get damp and can also then feel cold.

Sweating can be sudden and produce large volumes of sweat. Hot flushes in the day often affect the neck, chest and head and are accompanied by sweating.

Sweating and hot flushes are not the only symptoms of the menopause and many would be surprised to know that there are at least 34 symptoms linked with the menopause. Some of these symptoms include joint pain, skin tingling, irregular heartbeat and a change in body odour.

Clothing is important

Clothing
Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash

The type of clothing you wear can make a big difference to you. It is not going to stop the sweating but what happens to the moisture and how you feel. A problem with traditional weave fabrics is that they absorb the moisture, they become wet, as does the bed, and make you feel cold. More technologically advanced fabrics will help wick the sweat away from the skin and the water evaporates from the fabric not the skin so avoiding the cold feeling. There are now companies in the UK that manufacture clothing designed especially for women going through the menopause such as Esteem – No Pause based in Manchester. They also have a helpful blog that discuss many of the issues related to the menopause including night sweats.

Get help and more information

If you feel that you are affected by sweating that is due to the menopause and have other troublesome symptoms you should speak to your GP. A recent survey undertaken by the British Menopause Society revealed that only half of the women going through the menopause consulted any healthcare professional about their symptoms which is a similar proportion to patients with primary hyperhidrosis.

There are numerous websites with further information including: