A large number of diseases and medical conditions can make me wonder why do I sweat so much? Diseases can cause diaphoresis (excess perspiration or sweating).
Some of the diseases and medical conditions like alcoholism, gout, menopause, lymphoma and heart failure are common and their names may be easily recognized even by the non-physician. Others are more rare or obscure.
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This list is provided as a resource and a service. It is not exhaustive and is in no way meant to replace consultation with a medical professional. Although sweating is a known side effect of the conditions listed below, only a percentage of people affected by these conditions may experience undue sweating. This percentage may vary greatly.
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that affects the face, armpits, palms, and soles of the feet. It usually occurs at least once per week, affects both sides of the body, and continues for 6 months or longer without an apparent cause. The sweating usually stops during sleep.
Often times, other family members also have the same problem. Increased heat or emotional stress can make sweating even worse. It can be an embarrassing problem for many people
Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is a chronic and autonomic disorder of the body that can be debilitating thus leading to the emotional and social embarrassment of an individual, as well as an occupational, physical and psychological disability that occurs to affected people. In a majority of cases reported, the cause of hyperhidrosis is not known.[Source]
Primary hyperhidrosis is known starts in the childhood of a person and affects about 1% of the population. A familial variant with autosomal dominant inheritance is now recognized with some families linked to an abnormality of chromosome
The diagnostic criteria for the condition include excessive sweating that usually lasts for at least six months without any established cause and has at least a few of the named features: impairs daily activities for an individual, a bilateral and relatively symmetric pattern of sweating occurring at least once per week, age of onset younger than 25, cessation of focal sweating during sleep, or positive family history.
Compensatory Hyperhidrosis
Compensatory hyperhidrosis is a phenomenon in which it is increased and excessive sweating in parts of the body unrelated to the location of treatment or in the case of surgery, unrelated to surgery or anatomy. It is often seen in segments that are below the level of sympathectomy, which is performed for treatment for hyperhidrosis.
Gustatory Hyperhidrosis
Gustatory hyperhidrosis (usually involving the face) can be familial or occur in association with trauma or other local insults. One epidemiologic survey carried out in 2004 estimated that as many as 0.5% of the population may be suffering from the debilitating effects of hyperhidrosis with major interference in daily activities
Hyperhidrosis occurs as a primary process of autonomic neuronal dysfunction. This dysfunction sometimes tends to occur sometimes in areas where there is a higher concentration of eccrine glands such as the palms, soles, and axillae, areas that are sweat-producing glands.
Less common areas are the scalp or face of an individual. The nerves that innervate sweat glands are sympathetic, postganglionic and have acetylcholine as their primary neurotransmitter in the system. These fibers consist of unmyelinated class C fibers. Norepinephrine and vasoactive intestinal peptide may play a major role, but neither of these increases cholinergic sweat production.
A central sudomotor efferent pathway is also suggested for hyperhidrosis with connections such as; cerebral cortex to the hypothalamus; from the hypothalamus to the medulla; from fibers crossing in the medulla oblongata and moving to the lateral horn found in the spinal cord; from the lateral horn to sympathetic ganglia; and from sympathetic ganglia to sweat glands as postganglionic C fibers.
Due to the sympathetic fibers that come from the hypothalamus cross found at the level of the pons, and most of the crossing is completed inside the medulla oblongata, lesions found in the medulla may be due to altered sweating, like the ipsilateral anhydrases seen in Horner’s syndrome
Sweating of the body can lead to several effects that include cold and clammy body, skin infections that are secondary to macerations of the skin. It also leads to the emotional effects of the individual life of a person.
Why Do I Sweat So Much On My Head?
It is normal to sweat on your head and you need to know how to reduce the sweating of the head. But few people may experience excessive sweating to the point that water in form of sweat may literally drip from their body.
Normally, the production of sweat starts from the sweat glands that produce perspiration which is carried to the surface of the skin especially when the air temperatures seem to be rising, or you are exercising. But when such factors are not an issue during the moment, then the signal for sweating is put on hold.
Why Do I Sweat So Much On My Face?
Sweating on the face can though be drug-induced (for example with sertraline), toxin-induced (acrylamide), caused by a systemic illness (endocrine and metabolic disorders, neoplasms, spinal cord lesions), by congenital disorders such as familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome) or it can be compensatory.
What Causes Excessive Sweating?
Sweating that occurs all over the body, happens during the night, or occurs with other symptoms (such as fever, weight loss, pounding heart, or lack of appetite) may be a sign of illness and you should see your physician.
Sweat glands found on the palms and soles of a person alone are activated usually by emotional stimuli. Frontal and pre-motor projections to the hypothalamus usually promote sweating at times enhanced by emotions.
It is assumed that the hypothalamic sweat center, which is in charge of the palms, soles, and in some people the axilla, is different from the other hypothalamic sweat centers and is directly under the exclusive control of the cortex, with no assistance of the thermosensitive elements.
Since emotional sweating does not happen during sleep or during sedation, one of the methods for primary hyperhidrosis is that the person does not in any way experience sweating during sleep. Sympathetic cholinergic nerves activate thermoregulatory as well as emotional sweating and are controlled by different central nervous system neurons.
It is also possible that Primary hyperhidrosis happens due to abnormal centrally controlled emotional sweating given that it affects the same areas of the body as those affected normally in emotional sweating like the hands, feet, and axillae.
Excessive Underarm Sweating
Sweating under the arms, on the palms, or the soles of the feet can be treated with antiperspirants. Antiperspirants block the pores of the sweat glands and decrease the amount of sweating. Deodorants, which are often combined with antiperspirants, decrease the odor that comes with the sweating, but do not decrease actual sweating.[Source]
How to Stop Sweating so Much?
Some other measures you can take to control excessive sweating include wearing natural fabrics that are air-permeable such as cotton, wool, or silk. Bring an extra shirt to change into if needed or extra socks or pantyhose. Avoid spicy foods, garlic and onion to control odor, and decrease caffeine and alcohol intake.
Antiperspirants
Most non-prescription antiperspirants will work better when used at night. Be sure to apply to dry underarms (may use a hairdryer on a cool setting prior to application if needed). You can put on a second application in the morning if you find this helps.
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Aluminum salts are also part of the main topical agents for hyperhidrosis condition. Their method of action is associated with either an interaction between aluminum chloride and keratin in the sweat ducts that lead to duct closure or to an action on the excretory eccrine gland epithelium.
They are only effective in milder cases of hyperhidrosis, and the duration of effect is often limited to 48 hours. The most common side effect that is experienced in skin irritation, which is likely related to a very high salt concentration.
Topical agents have been researched for use in all forms of hyperhidrosis (axillary, palmoplantar, and gustatory). Though more commonly used for axillary and palmar hyperhidrosis, double-blind studies available published in medical research and presented in various forums focus on gustatory hyperhidrosis.
Of four double-blind studies published in the papers on these agents, two are class II and two are class III, rendering a B level of evidence for these agents (two-class II, probably effective)
One line of defense and how to stop sweaty body is by the use of antiperspirants. It is true that you can apply this form of defense on your hands. This form is non-invasive and topical, they can be found in different strengths as over the counter products in medical stores.
The next step is to try the mildest formulation if can offer relief to the problem. If it persists, then use stronger formulations that optimize the effectiveness and minimize irritation.
Iontophoresis
Try to know how to stop sweaty bodies with the use of iontophoresis. This has shown a success rate of about 80% according to the published medical research in the journals for people with the problem of sweaty palms and feet.
Here, a medical instrument is used to perform iontophoresis in a medical facility or at home by utilizing pans of water in a mild electric current passed through the surface of the skin. It is believed that the mild electric current and mineral particles in the water work together to microscopically thicken the layer of the skin especially the outer layer thus blocking the flow of sweat to the skin surface. Once this sweat output is blocked then the production of sweat is suddenly turned off.
- Product Features This unit comes with the following 2 arrays, 1 wrist strap, 1 far infrared waist belt, 1 power cord, aluminum carrying case and 1 instruction book.
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Botox
Another medical treatment that is mostly used in trying to stop and or reduce the sweat effects of sweat on the body is by use of botox. This procedure can only be carried out by a qualified medical doctor who injects botox into the pals so as to dramatically reduce the body sweating.
The injections can though be very painful at times for most people. But the pain is sometimes reduced by doctors through the use of simple icing or the vibration technique though it is believed that the potential drawback for the treatment of the sweaty body.
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is always used on how to stop sweaty bodies as one of the last resort for people who have used the above-mentioned forms unsuccessfully and thus have to seek alternative action.
This method, however, has risks that are associated with it, one of such side effects is compensatory sweating which causes irreversible sweating on large parts of the body and the method thus can only be applied in severe and rare cases after all other alternative actions have failed.
How to stop sweaty hands surgery can also be used for people with severe sweating problems in their hands and underarms. This procedure may involve the removal of sweat glands from the area.