Excessive Sweat - Hyperhidrosis

The medical term for excessive sweating is hyperhidrosis. Occasionally hyperhidrosis will be spelled hyperhydrosis or hyperidrosis but you should regard these terms as the same condition.

The primary function of sweating in humans is to regulate body temperature - a process known as thermoregulation. As the temperature of the body rises the nervous system stimulates the sweat glands to release sweat and subsequently sweat is excreted. As the sweat then evaporates from the skin we lose heat to the environment and thus the body temperature lowers and returns to normal. We also sweat in response to emotional distress such as anxiety or pain.

In some cases, people sweat far more than is needed for the normal thermoregulation. These people tend to sweat excessively constantly in the absence of any factor that would usually cause sweating. This excessive sweating is usually seen from multiple specific parts of the body but sometimes throughout the whole body.

It can be hard to determine whether or not someone has hyperhidrosis or simply just sweats a lot. Medical examination can confirm the presence or otherwise of hyperhidrosis. However, if your sweating is constant and excessive as described above and you find yourself having to change clothes several times a day or avoid certain professional or social circumstances due to your sweating is it likely that you have hyperhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis can classified in two ways: generalized hyperhidrosis or localized hyperhidrosis. Generalized hyperhidrosis is characterised by excessive sweating in the whole body. With localized hyperhidrosis there will be excessive sweating in specific areas of the body. In general, this may be seen in the armpits, hands (palms), feet (soles), face, head and/or groin. These specific areas of the body have a high concentration of sweat glands and this may explain why excessive sweating is common in these parts. Localized hyperhidrosis can be classified according to which body part is affected:

Axillary Hyperhidrosis - Excessive Armpit Sweating. This is probably the most common type of localized hyperhidrosis. Symptoms of Axillary Hyperhidrosis include excessive sweat marks in the underarm region and an unpleasant odour that accompanies the sweat. This can lead to trying to keep your arms tucked close to your body all day in an attempt to conceal the sweat marks! Most commonly sufferers try to use deodorants and anti-perspirants to mask the problem, typically without success. A full list of treatment options for armpit sweating can be found on my website which is listed in the resources section at the bottom.

Palmar Hyperhidrosis - Excessive Hand/Palm Sweating (as shown in the picture above). This type of hyperhidrosis can be particularly problematic as it can make otherwise simple tasks far more difficult, particularly those that require friction. Can you imagine driving a car, typing on a keyboard, playing the guitar, writing with a pen or opening a door or jar with soaking wet hands? Sufferers of palmar hyperhidrosis have to tackle such problems every day and it can become incredibly frustrating. I have compiled a list of treatments about hand sweating on my website which can be found in the resources section at the bottom of the page!

Plantar Hyperhidrosis - Excessive Feet Sweating. Plantar hyperhidrosis is slightly different to the other types of localized hyperhidrosis as it is concealed and not as obvious as the other types. However, despite this there are still multiple problems with this type of sweating. The 'mini-flood' that occurs daily in your shoes can ruin both socks and shoes, cause toe nail problems such as ingrowing toe nails, lead to skin problems such as fungal infection and create a very unpleasant odour that follows you around. Please refer to the treatment section for further advice on treatment.

Facial Hyperhidrosis - Excessive Facial Sweating. With this form of hyperhidrosis, sweat can literally been seen running down the face of the person that suffers from it. Not only can this be incredibly embarrassing and frustrating but in some cases it can increase the chances of developing spots or even acne. There are a number of natural treatments that can be used to treat this condition which can be accessed by clicking this link --> how to stop facial sweating.

Cranial Hyperhidrosis - Excessive Head Sweating. This can lead to hair becoming wet, smelly and untidy looking. This can cause problems especially in the workplace when a professional image is required. Sometimes people resort to wearing hats to hide the problem but this is not always practical. More information about cranial hyperhidrosis can be found in the treatment section at the bottom.

Hyperhidrosis can also be classified as primary hyperhidrosis or secondary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is when excessive sweating occurs as a stand alone condition and is not associated with any medical condition/illness, or as a side effect of medications. It usually starts around the time of puberty in the teenage years but this is highly variable between individuals. On the other hand, secondary hyperhidrosis does occur in association with another medical condition or as a side effect of certain medications. It can occur at any age, without any previous history of excessive sweating and this depends on the time of onset of the other medical condition it is associated with.

Unfortunately, the exact underlying cause of primary hyperhidrosis is not fully understood. However, what we do know for sure is that sweating is controlled by a part of the nervous system known as the sympathetic nervous system. Over-activity of this nervous system can cause over stimulation of the sweat glands and lead to excessive sweating. This thought to be genetic in origin and is the most widely accepted cause of hyperhidrosis. When this over-activity occurs in a specific area of the body such as the armpits then excessive sweating will be seen in this area only i.e. localized hyperhidrosis. The genetic link suggests that hyperdrosis may run in families. As we now know, secondary hyperhidrosis occurs in conjunction with another medical condition such as cancer, diabetes or obesity and is a result of the complex changes that occur within the body with such conditions. Other causes of secondary hyperhidrosis are menopause, an over-active thyroid gland, excessive use of alcohol, excessive use of stimulant drugs and the with-drawl from alcoholism or stimulant drug addiction. Certain prescription medications may also be affiliated with secondary hyperhidrosis including various anti-depressant and anti-cancer drugs.

There is a strong link between emotional distress and hyperhidrosis this also needs to be mentioned. If you are susceptible to emotional problems such as stress or anxiety this can also trigger excessive sweating. This is known to as the psychological aspect of hyperhidrosis and may require medical assistance to overcome.

The symptoms of hyperhidrosis can vary depending on the severity of the condition. In some cases the main symptoms will be visible (but not drastic) sweat marks on the clothes. In more severe cases sweat will be seen literally pouring down the skin and this can become incredibly embarrassing when the face is involved - facial hyperhidrosis.

Often, an unpleasant smell will also accompany the excessive sweat and this is a result of bacterial interaction with the sweat on your skin. An unpleasant odour is typically associated with excessive underarm sweating but in cases of hyperhidrosis, body odour is more common. Many people resort to prescription strength anti-perspirants in an attempt to cover up this smell, usually without success!

There is a wealth of resources available on sweating treatments on the internet today. However, a lot of this information can be conflicting and confusing and it is hard to know what to believe and what not to believe and of course, what options are the safest!

As a general rule, hyperhidrosis treatments are classified as surgical or non-surgical. Obviously non surgical options should always be considered the first choice! They are safer and usually there is absolutely no risk of side affects. There is a plethora of sweating treatments available, many of which are free and incredibly safe, easy to implement and most importantly effective. To prevent adding any more text to this lens (as it is already rather text heavy!) I have created a website to present these treatment options in a logical format which you can find my clicking the link below:

Sweating Advice - How To Stop Excessive Sweating

I hope you find the information about bexcessive sweat/b useful. For more information on the treatments options available please watch the interesting video below!