Causes Of Excessive Sweating

Causes of excessive sweating

If you find that you sweat more than other people when it’s really hot or when you exercise you don’t need to panic because some people just sweat a bit more because of their bodies’ sweat glands. However, if you find that you constantly have sweaty hands, armpits or face you actually might suffer from excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis.

This article will discuss the most common causes of excessive sweating and these include genetics, medical conditions, exercise, highly anxious people, reactions to particular medications, food reactions, menopause and obesity.

Despite the fact that it is difficult to find the exact causes of excessive sweating, much of the time it tends to run in families. Many times when family members suffer from the condition they find that they have sweating in the same area such as facial hyperhidrosis or palmar hyperhidrosis. There is much research going into finding the gene that is responsible for excessive sweating and once this is fully achieved there is a big chance that a cure can be found for excessive sweating.

There are a number of medical conditions that can be classed as possible causes of excessive sweating. These include a condition known as hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid gland). Excessive sweating by hyperthyroidism results from your body working faster than normal. There are a number of causes of an overactive thyroid gland – Graves’ disease makes the top of the list and so does an overactive pituitary gland and thyroid gland tissue growth. If you believe you have a possible thyroid condition consult your doctor so he/she can advise you on a cure.
There is a connection with excessive sweating and highly anxious people. People that sweat when they are nervous or in front of others suffer from what is known as ``nervous sweating’’. However, the problem is not only the fact that people sweat heavily when around others or in anticipation around others but many people begin to suffer from social anxiety and fear social situations because they know they are going to sweat heavily when around others.

The causes of excessive sweating due to medication, or secondary hyperhidrosis, is just that - a reaction to certain medications. We all know that many medications have side effects, a lot of the time a side effect is excessive sweating. There are a number of oral medications that cause excess sweating and these include anti anxiety medications, morphine and the thyroid hormone thyroxine.

Eating spicy foods is one of the surefire causes of excessive sweating. Have you ever eaten a hot curry at your local Indian restaurant and regretted it later? Not only because it was way too spicy but also eating it made you feel physically ill and you sweated profusely. Many people complain that certain foods react badly with them and cause them to sweat heavily, so if you find this happening to you it is a good idea that you cut out those foods from your diet now because you may be predisposed to sweating heavily when you eat such foods.

Obesity is also one of the main causes of excessive sweating. So if you find that you are overweight and sweat excessively it is a good idea for you to begin a weight loss program. You will find that after you start losing weight you may stop sweating so much, however if this does not happen you might suffer from hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating).

Menopause is another one of the causes of excessive sweating. Many women between the ages of 55 and 65 suffer from what are termed ``hot flashes’’ – these are periods when a woman sweats excessively for no reason. To treat these excessive sweating periods women should follow a healthy diet and exercise and may need hormone therapy.

BONUS : Cure hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating. We all sweat a little and it is important because it controls our body temperature and stops us from overheating. However, it is estimated that about 3% of the American population suffers from excessive sweating. It is important to cure hyperhidrosis because it affects our self-confidence, is embarrassing and makes life difficult. This article describes the best ways to cure hyperhidrosis depending on the type of hyperhidrosis you have and on what area of the body.

Primary hyperhidrosis is the most common type of hyperhidrosis and is not caused by medication or a medical condition. Most sufferers of primary hyperhidrosis develop the condition because of a genetic disposition but you can develop it even if you have no family history of the condition. It usually starts while you are a teenager but can develop into adulthood. Secondary hyperhidrosis is caused by another medical problem or as a side effect to a particular medication.

How do you cure hyperhidrosis?

If you think that you have the condition it is important that you book an appointment to see your family doctor. You doctor can then evaluate the possible causes and triggers of why you sweat excessively and can design a cure hyperhidrosis treatment plan for you.

Ways to cure hyperhidrosis include:

Antiperspirants- Are effective in stopping sweating because they block the sweat glands and stop the body from sweating. However, they are not proven to be very effective when treating hyperhidrosis – give them a go they might help you. If over-the-counter antiperspirants don’t work you might want to give prescription antiperspirants a try because they contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate, however they are known to cause skin irritations so don’t use them for too long.

Oral medications- The best medications you can take are the ones that prevent the stimulation of the sweat glands – popular oral medications include anticholinergics and beta-blockers.

Botox- Or botulinum toxin is used to treat primary hyperhidrosis. It is effective because the injection temporarily blocks the nerves that make the sweat glands work. Botox is safe and effective when it is used to treat hyperhidrosis of the hands, feet, underarms and face. Botox is approved by the FDA (food and drink administration) for the treatment of hyperhidrosis and is successful with most people - the majority of people sweating 80% less than they did prior to treatment. The only real downside to Botox is the cost involved and the fact that you need to get further Botox injections and treatment is ongoing.

Surgery- if you have trialled all of the above methods and nothing has seemed to work to cure hyperhidrosis you may want to turn to surgery. I must make myself clear: surgery must be the final option. The most effective surgery in stopping excessive sweating on the hands and face is a procedure called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy. The operation interrupts the nerves that are responsible for excessive sweating and a tiny incision is made under the armpit where a small amount of the nerve is removed. The patient does not feel any pain and is asleep during the operation. They wake up having a cure to their condition.

How to cure hyperhidrosis? Start by using the methods that are less invasive on your body. You should begin with antiperspirants, then oral medications, then Botox and once you have tried everything, look into surgical options.