There are times when we notice that we are sweating excessively. It may be after a little walk up and down your office or home , or even while just doing normal chores and routine work.
Excessive sweating is when you sweat more than you might expect based on the surrounding temperature or your activity level or stress. Excessive sweating can disrupt daily activities and cause social anxiety or embarrassment.
Excessive sweating, can affect your entire body or just certain areas, particularly your palms, soles, underarms or face. The type that typically affects the hands and feet causes at least one episode a week, during waking hours.
There are no guidelines to determine what “normal” sweating is, but if you feel you sweat too much and your sweating has started to interfere with your everyday daily life, you may have hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis is a common condition in which a person sweats excessively. Hyperhidrosis is common. It’s been estimated to affect between one and three in every 100 people which means there are likely to be hundreds of thousands of people living with it.
Hyperhidrosis can develop at any age, although primary hyperhidrosis typically starts during childhood or soon after puberty.
The sweating may affect the whole of your body, or it may only affect certain areas.
Commonly affected areas include the:
• armpits
• palms of your hands
• soles of your feet
• face and chest
• groin
Situations when you may have excessive seating include
• you avoid physical contact, such as shaking hands, because you feel self-conscious about your sweating
• you don’t take part in activities, such as dancing or exercise, for fear they will make your sweating worse
• excessive sweating is interfering with your job – for example, you have difficulty holding tools or using a computer keyboard
• you’re having problems with normal daily activities, such as driving
• you’re spending a significant amount of time coping with sweating – for example, frequently showering and changing your clothes
• you become socially withdrawn and self-conscious.
When to see the doctor
Seek immediate medical attention if your heavy sweating is accompanied by:
Chills
Lightheadedness
Chest pain
Nausea
A body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher
You suddenly begin to sweat more than usual.
Sweating disrupts your daily routine.
You experience night sweats for no apparent reason
If you feel that your sweating is interfering with your daily activities, or you suddenly start sweating excessively.
Many people with hyperhidrosis are too embarrassed to seek medical help or believe that nothing can be done to improve it. But treatment is available.
Please see your doctor if you are having night sweats, because it can sometimes be a sign of something more serious.
Causes
If heavy sweating has no underlying medical cause, it’s called primary hyperhidrosis. This type occurs when the nerves responsible for triggering your sweat glands become overactive and call for more perspiration even when it’s not needed. Primary hyperhidrosis may be at least partially hereditary. If the sweating can be attributed to an underlying medical condition, it’s called secondary hyperhidrosis.
Health conditions that may cause excessive sweating include
Diabetes
Endocarditis
Fever of undetermined cause
Generalized anxiety disorder
Hiatal hernia
Heat exhaustion
HIV/AIDS
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid)
Leukemia
Malaria
Medication side effects, such as sometimes experienced when taking some beta blockers and antidepressants
Menopause
Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
Obesity
Stress
Tuberculosis
Your doctor will usually be able to diagnose hyperhidrosis based on your symptoms, although occasionally you may need blood and urine tests to check for an underlying cause
In many cases, hyperhidrosis has no obvious cause and is thought to be the result of a problem with the part of the nervous system that controls sweating. This is known as primary hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis that does have an identifiable cause is known as secondary hyperhidrosis. This can have many different triggers, including:
1. pregnancy or the menopause
2. anxiety
3. certain medications
4. low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
5. an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
6. infections.
Possible complications
Hyperhidrosis doesn’t usually pose a serious threat to your health, but it can sometimes lead to physical and emotional problems.
Fungal infections
Hyperhidrosis increases the risk of developing fungal infections, particularly on the feet – most commonly fungal nail infections and athlete’s foot. This is because excessive sweat combined with wearing socks and shoes creates an ideal surrounding for fungi to grow.
• Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal creams. More severe cases may require antifungal tablets or capsules.
Skin conditions
Excessive sweat can make you more vulnerable to certain skin conditions, such as:
• warts – small, rough lumps on the skin that are caused by the HPV virus
• boils – swollen red-yellow bumps in the skin that can develop when a hair follicle becomes infected
Eczema can also be made worse by excessive sweating.
Body odour
Although people with hyperhidrosis sweat a lot, most don’t have problems with body odour. This is because hyperhidrosis doesn’t usually affect the sweat glands responsible for producing unpleasant-smelling sweat – called the aprocrine sweat glands.
However, if bacteria are allowed to break down the sweat, it can start to smell unpleasant. Eating spicy food and drinking alcohol can also make sweat secreted from the eccrine smell.
This can be prevented or eased by following lifestyle advice, such as frequently using antiperspirant spray and using armpit shields to absorb sweat. See treating hyperhidrosis for more information.
Emotional impact
The emotional impact of living with hyperhidrosis can be severe. Many people with the condition feel unhappy and, in some cases, depressed. Signs that you may be depressed include:
• feeling down, depressed, or hopeless during the past month
• having little interest or pleasure in things during the past month
It is important not to neglect your mental health. Make an appointment to see your GP if you think that you may be depressed.
Treatment
Excessive sweating can be challenging to treat and it may take a while to find a treatment right for you.
Doctors usually recommend starting with the least invasive treatment first, such as powerful antiperspirants. Lifestyle changes may also help, including:
• wearing loose and light clothes
• avoiding triggers, such as alcohol and spicy foods, that could make your sweating worse
• wearing black or white clothes to help minimise the signs of sweating.
• Antiperspirants – deodorants do not stop sweating, but antiperspirants sprays do. Some prescription antiperspirants include aluminum chloride, which plugs the sweat glands.
• Armpit shields – pads worn in the armpit to protect a garment from perspiration.
• Clothing – certain synthetic fibers, such as nylon, may worsen symptoms. Loose clothing is better.
• Shoes – synthetic materials are more likely to worsen symptoms. Natural materials, such as leather, are recommended.
• Socks – some socks are better at absorbing moisture, such as thick, soft ones made of natural fibers.
• If the measures mentioned above are not effective enough, a doctor may refer the patient to a skin specialist (dermatologist), who may recommend:
Hyperhidrosis is usually a long-term condition, but some people experience an improvement with time and the treatments available can often keep the problem under control.
