What does night sweats mean

In traditional Chinese medicine, night sweats are actually a disease, which is the phenomenon of abnormal sweating after falling asleep. In the face of this problem, we need to pay attention to improvements in our lives, strengthen physical exercise, pay attention to the combination of work and rest, and eat scientifically.

1. Clinical manifestations

Some patients with night sweats start sweating as soon as they fall asleep, some start sweating after falling asleep at midnight, and some start sweating just after closing their eyes for a while. The amount of sweat produced varies greatly.

2. Self-care

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that "sweat is the fluid of the heart". If night sweats do not stop for a long time, the heart yin is severely damaged and should be actively treated. While receiving treatment, you should also pay special attention to self-care. The main points are as follows:

(1) While taking medication, you should also strengthen your physical exercise, develop a regular lifestyle, and pay attention to the combination of work and rest.

(2) In terms of diet, one should find out the dietary rules that are beneficial or harmful to one’s condition and adopt the dietary therapy that best suits one’s condition. Patients with yin deficiency, blood heat, or yin deficiency and hyperactivity of fire should abstain from spicy and irritating foods, avoid drinking alcohol, and eat more fresh vegetables that nourish yin and clear heat, so that the secretory function of the sweat glands can be restored firmly on the basis of the body's health [1].

(3) When conditions permit, adjust the temperature and humidity of the living environment appropriately. For example, the living environment of those with yin deficiency and blood heat should be slightly cooler.

(4) The patient’s bedding, bed boards, pajamas, etc. should be washed or aired regularly to keep them dry, and the patient should take a bath regularly to reduce the irritation of sweat to the skin.

(5) For patients with severe night sweats and long-term bedriddenness, family members should pay special attention to strengthening care to avoid bedsores. Also pay attention to the patient's complexion, consciousness, and sweating amount, and report any special changes to the doctor in time.