Hormonal changes can be the culprit of excess sweating during pregnancy. Most women experience sweating more than usual in pregnancy. A slight increase in temperature can make a pregnant woman feel hot and sweat a lot. Although it is uncomfortable, sweating is not a cause for concern in pregnancy. You can drink more water to compensate for the water loss through sweating. Read on to know more about sweating during pregnancy and ways to deal with it.
When Does Excessive Sweating Start During Pregnancy?
You may experience sweating throughout the pregnancy. An increase in body temperature during pregnancy might result in sweating. Sweating is nature’s way of helping the body to regulate its temperature. Hypothalamus controls body temperature. During pregnancy, the body temperature increases slightly which is a natural byproduct of the growing baby. Hormonal changes, increased blood volume, and weight gain contribute to this phenomenon. Excessive sweating is experienced more during the night than during the day. And this condition is termed as sleep hyperhidrosis or night sweats (1), which is usually considered as one of the symptoms of menopause. However, in the case of pregnant women, it could be due to a sudden rise and fall of the pregnancy hormones, estrogen, and progesterone (2). There could be various reasons for excessive sweating during pregnancy.
What Are The Causes Of Sweating/ Excessive Sweating During Pregnancy?
Some women may have sweating during the day while others at night. A few may sweat during the day and night too. Below are some of the common reasons why you could sweat during pregnancy: Irrespective of the cause of sweating, there are a few ways that could help manage it and avoid the discomfort.
How To Deal With Excessive Sweating In Pregnancy?
While you cannot entirely avoid sweating during pregnancy, you could follow some simple tips to reduce the severity and discomfort. These tips could help you manage sweating during pregnancy. However, the condition may not end right away. It might continue after the delivery as well. Nevertheless, it tends to go away with time. Although it is not a harmful condition, sweating could become a major discomfort and would need medical intervention in some cases.
When Should You Consult The Doctor?
If you are sweating profusely, even when the weather is pleasant and cool, tell your doctor about it. Also, fever, increased heart rate, and too much discomfort accompanied by sweating should be reported. The doctor will examine your symptoms and advise you accordingly. In the next section, we answer some of your common concerns about sweating during pregnancy.
