4. Night Sweats: More Than a Warm Night Under the Blankets
One of the more unsettling signs of NHL in children is severe, drenching night sweats. These are not the result of an overly warm room or too many blankets.
They are episodes where a child wakes up in the middle of the night, sheets and pajamas soaked through with sweat. It’s an excessive sweating that is clearly out of the ordinary and unrelated to the room’s temperature.
Parents might first dismiss this symptom as a fluke or attribute it to a nightmare or bad dream. But these night sweats are persistent and notable in their severity.
It’s more than just a little sweat; it’s waking up with bedding that’s noticeably wet, night after night. This can lead to additional problems for the child, such as disrupted sleep and subsequent fatigue.
Night sweats are a body’s way of trying to fight and eliminate something it perceives as a threat. In the case of NHL, it’s a manifestation of the body’s immune response to cancerous cells. While night sweats are common in various conditions, the persistent and severe nature of these sweats, especially when combined with other symptoms on this list, is a sign that medical evaluation is needed.
When a child experiences consistent, significant night sweats, it’s not just an inconvenience—it’s a signal. It’s a call for action that parents and caregivers need to heed.
Immediate consultation with a healthcare professional is essential. Detailing the frequency and severity of these sweats can help the doctor to form a clearer picture of what might be happening internally. (4)
