Night Sweats in Spanish

What it means

Night sweats are episodes of excessive sweating that occur during sleep. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) dictionary adds that night sweats can be severe and soak a person's bedclothes and bed sheets, which may cause the person to wake up. Night sweats are a common symptom of menopause, and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) explains that hot flashes are called night sweats when they happen at night. According to NCI, night sweats may also be caused by illness or medical conditions, such as infection, cancer, low blood sugar, hormone disorders, and neurologic conditions. They may also be a side effect of certain medicines, cancer treatment, too much caffeine or alcohol, or tobacco or drug use. This page explains the term only.

Spanish term: Sudoración nocturna
Gender and article: feminine: la sudoración nocturna
Pronunciation: soo-doh-rah-SYOHN nohk-TOOR-nah

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
sudores nocturnos	General	The entry of the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary, which gives sudoración nocturna as another name; also used by the National Institute on Aging's Spanish page.
hiperhidrosis nocturna	General	Given by the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary as another name.

Sudoración nocturna is a feminine phrase: the Real Academia Española dictionary enters sudoración as a feminine noun meaning the secretion of sweat (secreción de sudor). The National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the symptom under the masculine plural sudores nocturnos and says it is also called hiperhidrosis nocturna and sudoración nocturna. The National Institute on Aging's Spanish page uses sudores nocturnos as well.

With the plural form the verbs are plural too: the NCI entry says los sudores nocturnos a veces son abundantes, empapan la ropa y las sábanas, y despiertan a la persona (they are sometimes heavy, soak the clothes and the sheets, and wake the person). The NIA's Spanish page ties the term to calores súbitos, also known there as sofocos (hot flashes): when these happen at night, it says, se les llama sudores nocturnos. Other words in the NCI entry are menopausia (menopause), azúcar sanguíneo bajo (low blood sugar) and efecto secundario (side effect).

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I wake up at night with my clothes soaked in sweat.	Me despierto por la noche con la ropa empapada de sudor.
Clinician	How long have you had night sweats?	¿Desde cuándo tiene sudoración nocturna?
Patient	For about a month, three or four nights a week.	Desde hace más o menos un mes, tres o cuatro noches por semana.
Clinician	Do you have to change your clothes or your sheets?	¿Tiene que cambiarse de ropa o cambiar las sábanas?
Patient	Yes, the sheets get wet even when the bedroom is cool.	Sí, las sábanas se mojan aunque el dormitorio esté fresco.
Clinician	Have you had a fever, or have you lost weight without trying?	¿Ha tenido fiebre, o ha bajado de peso sin proponérselo?
Clinician	Have you started taking any new medicine recently?	¿Ha empezado a tomar algún medicamento nuevo recientemente?
Patient	Could my night sweats be from menopause?	¿Mis sudores nocturnos podrían deberse a la menopausia?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Night Sweats
Spanish (Español)	Sudoración nocturna
Chinese (中文)	盜汗
Korean (한국어)	야간 발한
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Đổ mồ hôi đêm
Filipino (Tagalog)	Pawis sa gabi
Portuguese (Português)	Suores noturnos
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	เหงื่อออกตอนกลางคืน
Japanese (日本語)	寝汗

Where you'll see it

chartintake formmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: R61 → Generalized hyperhidrosis

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: General care: tests, procedures and medicines

All terms in this area: General care: tests, procedures and medicines — Atención general: pruebas, procedimientos y medicamentos

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.