Sweating is a very important and natural part of any person’s body. Sweating is how the body keeps itself at a comfortable temperature. It’s natural for the body to sweat when it exerts itself or if it’s in hot climates. However, there are also situations in which the body seems to sweat without reason. This excessive sweating is known as Hyperhidrosis.
Many people feel uncomfortable socially due to the excessive sweating. Sweating enough for it to be visible and soak through clothing is common. While this can disrupt daily activities, it can also raise the anxiety levels of people who suffer from it. In turn, they are more likely to feel stressed when out in public that they may begin to sweat for no reason. That stress doesn’t help, as feeling overly stressed can increase perspiration as well! It may seem like a no win-scenario, but hyperhidrosis doesn’t need to be left untreated. There are options available to help treat people who suffer from hyperhidrosis.
Causes and Types of Hyperhidrosis
So as mentioned, sweating is natural and necessary to the body. There are two forms of causes for hyperhidrosis. The first comes from what’s known as primary focal hyperhidrosis (sometimes called essential hyperhidrosis) in which the nerves responsible for sweating malfunction. These nerves become overactive and trigger the body to sweat without the normal reasons to do so. This can be even worse when a person is also stressed. This can aggravate the sweating. This form of hyperhidrosis most commonly targets the hands, feet, and sometimes face of a person.
The second type of hyperhidrosis is known as secondary hyperhidrosis. This is due to another medical condition that can affect the body and cause excessive sweating. With this version, it’s likely that sweating will occur throughout the entire body, rather than the localized version found in primary focal hyperhidrosis. Sometimes medications can cause secondary hyperhidrosis. There are many different conditions that can cause secondary hyperhidrosis. These include:
- Menopause
- Diabetes
- Low Blood Sugar
- Issues With the Thyroid Gland
- Heart Attacks
- Various Infections
- Some Cancers
- Disorders of the Nervous System
Symptoms of Hyperhidrosis
There’s not much to the symptoms of hyperhidrosis, the main symptom is excessive sweating. However, there are different areas where the sweating can occur, as mentioned. Primary focal hyperhidrosis tends to have flare ups a minimum of once per week while a person is awake. It can affect the arms, feet, hands, and face.
It’s important to recognize that excessive sweating with any other symptoms can be the sign of a dangerous medical issue or complication. People who feel lightheaded, nauseous or have pain in their chest should along with heavy sweating should seek medical attention immediately.
Treating Hyperhidrosis
Once hyperhidrosis has been confirmed, the first goal will be to manage an underlying cause. While there’s less cases of secondary hyperhidrosis, fixing those underlying causes can (pardon the wording) result in hyperhidrosis drying up.
In most cases, people may receive prescription antiperspirant as the first attempt at treatment. It can be irritating to the eyes. Unlike regular antiperspirant, it’s usually worn overnight, then washed off in the morning. For people who receive severe reactions, there are also creams that can be tried.
More severe cases of hyperhidrosis can require different treatments. Some medications can be used to calm the nerves that are overproducing sweat in the first place. There are also some common cosmetic treatments which block the nerves in areas from producing sweat, but those are temporary solutions in most cases.
The final treatment options are the most severe. Microwave therapy can be used in an attempt to destroy sweat glands and keep them from producing. There is a minor procedure called suction curettage that can remove sweat glands from problem areas. The final option is nerve surgery. This is a serious surgery where the spinal nerves responsible for sweating are clamped down.
The articles on this website should not be used to start the use of dietary supplements or vitamins, natural or herbal products, homeopathic medicine or other mentioned products prior to a proper consultation with a doctor or certified health provider.
