How To Tell If You Have Excessive Sweating
Sweating is a natural and necessary process that regulates internal temperature. It is the body's way of cooling down when we are hot, exercising, or feeling anxious. However, excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis occurs when the body overproduces sweat for no clear reason. All body processes vary over time. This makes it difficult to determine if we're sweating abnormally. Excessive sweating may be its own medical condition or indicate other, more serious, conditions. It is important to monitor your perspiration and follow up with a physician if you have concerns.
Types of Excess Sweating
The most common type of excessive sweating is Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis. Characterized by localized sweating, it is a benign medical condition that does not affect your health. This form of excessive sweating involves a specific area of the body. Typically, the underarms, groin, head, face, hands, or feet. It usually affects both sides of the body equally. Although this type of sweating does not impact your physical health, it leads to anxiety, stress, and embarrassment.
Secondary General Hyperhidrosis is generalized sweating. Rather than excessive sweating in a specific body part, the entire body sweats. It often occurs at night. Cases can be so severe that individuals soak their bedding. This type of excessive sweating results from a medical condition. It is important to consult with a physician immediately if you experience generalized excessive sweating.
Signs and Symptoms of Excessive Sweating
People with excessive sweating have overactive sweat glands. This causes overproduction and they sweat with no connection to temperature, exertion level, or stress. Sweating excessively causes embarrassment and feelings of isolation. Despite these anxieties, it is important to monitor symptoms because excessive sweating can be a sign of greater health issues. In addition, numerous treatments exist for localized excessive sweating. Signs you may have excessive sweating include:
- You sweat so severely that it pools under your arms, across your back, or in your groin.
- Sweat soaks through your shirt, underwear, or pants to the point you need to change your clothing.
- Sweat beads or drips down your face, hands, or feet when you don't feel hot.
- Generalized sweating at night while you're asleep. You wake up with sweat on your body or have pillows and bedding damp with perspiration when the room's temperature is comfortable.
- Full body sweating rather than in localized areas.
- Discolored and wrinkled skin from excessive dampness. The involved areas become itchy and inflamed.
- Asymmetrical sweating, meaning you sweat on one side of the body. For example, only in one armpit or one side of the groin.
- Unexplained changes in sweating. For example, the amount of localized sweating suddenly worsens without a clear connection to temperature, exertion, or stress.
- Developing heavier or generalized sweating in middle age.
- Sweating more than usual while having other symptoms like fatigue, cough, extreme thirst, or changes in urination.
Causes of Excessive Sweating
Localized excessive sweating has no clear causes. It is thought to be partially hereditary. Researchers also believe there may be a nervous system cause, but further study is necessary.
There are several possible causes for generalized excessive sweating. Because it most likely results from an underlying medical condition, it is important to speak with a doctor.
- Medication Side Effects--Certain beta-blockers, anti-depressants, insulin, and diabetes medications can cause excessive sweating
- Pregnancy or Menopause--Because sweating is partially controlled by hormones, conditions associated with hormones changes affect sweating
- Leukemia or Lymphoma--Generalized sweating and night sweats are a symptom of certain cancers or malignancies
- Infections or Disease--Certain infections, neurological diseases, or adrenal tumors cause excessive sweating
- Diabetes--New onset or uncontrolled diabetes results in excessive sweating
- Thyroid Disease--Problems with the thyroid gland cause hormonal and metabolic changes that affect sweat production
Treatments
Localized excessive sweating does not have a cure, but there are several effective treatment options.
- Special Anti-Perspitirants--There are several prescription and OTC gels, sprays, and roll-on options
- Oral Medications--Prescription drugs suppress sweat gland activity
- Botox--Injections disrupt nerves from activating sweat glands for excessive underarm sweat
- Iontophoresis--Low level electric impulses disrupt sweat gland production
- Surgery--Nerves that control sweat glands are severed or glands themselves are removed
Generalized excessive sweating is managed by addressing the underlying medical condition. Once your doctor determines the cause of the excessive sweat and treats it, generalized sweating will resolve. For example, excessive sweating caused by hyperthyroidism is resolved with thyroid medication. Similarly, if excessive sweating is a side effect of a medication, your doctor may prescribe an alternative or adjust the dosage.
Conclusion
While excessive sweating causes embarrassment and anxiety, it is important to address the condition. Sweating across the entire body is a symptom of a more serious condition. Consultation with your doctor is necessary to resolve the underlying condition, with the added benefit of solving the excessive sweat problem. Localized excessive sweating causes stress that impacts social and works relationships. Fortunately, there are several effective treatment options. Ignoring excessive sweating is both unnecessary and potentially dangerous. It is important to be aware of changes in your body and address them quickly.
