*Welcome to the OutUK series looking at gay men and their health brought to you in association with the NHS* website.**
	Each week we'll tackle a different topic in our A to Z of Gay Health. We'll have features and advice on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. You can follow any of links provided below for more information direct from the NHS website, or see this week's feature L: Laxatives.

Night Sweats

Most people sweat during the night. If you regularly wake up with soaking wet sheets you should get it checked by a GP.

What night sweats are

It's normal to sweat during the night if the room or your bedding is making you too hot.

Night sweats are when you sweat so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you're sleeping is cool.

Adults and children can get night sweats.

you have night sweats regularly that wake you up or worry you
you also have a very high temperature (or feel hot and shivery), a cough or diarrhoea
you have night sweats and you're losing weight for no reason

If you have night sweats, you will not usually need treatment, but the GP will want to check if you have any other symptoms.

If you're taking medicine and the GP thinks it might be causing night sweats, they may prescribe a different one.

The most common reasons for night sweats are:

menopause symptoms ("hot flushes")
anxiety
medicines, such as some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers
low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
alcohol or drug use
a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time

Sometimes the cause of night sweats is unknown.

OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health continues and you can read this week's feature L: Laxatives. We have covered many subjects in this series and you can catch up with all of our Previous A to Z Features. If you want to find out more about this particular topic you can visit the Original article on the NHS website. If you are worried by any aspect of your health make sure you go and see your doctor or book an appointment at your local clinic.
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