Keypoints

Fever and night sweats

Fever and night sweats are common symptoms of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and are used in the staging of the disease, along with unexplained weight loss. They can also can occur as a result of treatment with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In addition to drugs that reduce fevers and night sweats, such as paracetamol, which your family doctor or lymphoma team may prescribe, many patients find that relaxation techniques that reduce stress can help. Regular gentle exercise may also be of benefit, although it is important that patients choose an activity that they enjoy and feel comfortable with. Certain foods and drinks, such as spicy foods, caffeine, alcohol, sugar and hot drinks, can make fevers and night sweats worse, so it may help to avoid those.

There are also practical tips that patients can adopt to help cope with fevers and night sweats. These include:

• Wearing cotton clothing, as the material absorbs moisture and still provides warmth after the fever is over
• Wearing layers of clothing that can be removed and put on as the body temperature changes
• Using several layers of bedclothes made of natural fabrics, as they can be removed as necessary
• Using sprays and moist wipes to lower the skin temperature. Adding pleasant smelling oils to the spray may also be of benefit, such as peppermint, which is cooling, or lavender, which is relaxing