What happens if you sweat too much

And if your sweat attacks are mostly relegated to your high-intensity workouts, just know that as annoying as that is, it's totally normal. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

This article was created in collaboration with the International Hyperhidrosis Society. And, yes, sweating is actually a good thing…usually. B ilateral. C essation during sleeping. Oddly enough, night sweats aren't considered a symptom of primary hyperhidrosis. D uration. Your health care provider will likely look for symptoms that have been going on for more than six months. E pisodes. Most people with hyperhidrosis will experience episodes of varying length and degree.

Your doctor may ask about the number of episodes per week and the effects those episodes have on your daily life and mental well-being. F amily history. Nearly two thirds of hyperhidrosis sufferers say they have other family members with the problem too. G ets in the way. The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic and done on both sides of the body.

However, before the procedure is performed, your clinician should explain:. For this reason, only people with severe hyperhidrosis which hasn't responded to treatment should be considered.

Read the full NICE guidelines on endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for primary hyperhidrosis of the upper limb. Excessive sweating under the arms may occasionally be treated with a procedure to remove or destroy the sweat glands in the armpits. These procedures are generally carried out under local anaesthetic , which means you will be awake but your armpit will be numbed.

These procedures can sometimes be a permanent solution to excessive underarm sweating, although they are only carried out by a small number of practitioners. Availability on the NHS is likely to be very limited and you will probably need to pay for private treatment.

These procedures don't work for everyone and some of them are relatively new, which means there isn't always evidence about their long-term safety and effectiveness. Feelings of anxiety are not directly responsible for causing primary hyperhidrosis, but they can make the situation worse and create a vicious cycle.

You may feel self-conscious, which can trigger anxiety in certain situations, such as when meeting new people or being in a crowded room. The anxiety can make the sweating worse. If your anxiety is making your sweating worse, a type of talking therapy called cognitive behavioural therapy CBT might help. Medication for anxiety is not usually recommended because it can make sweating worse.

Hyperhidrosis doesn't usually pose a serious threat to your health, but it can sometimes lead to physical and emotional problems. 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. Eczema can also be made worse by excessive sweating. 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. 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:.

It is important not to neglect your mental health. Make an appointment to see your GP if you think that you may be depressed. Read more about depression or find out more about tackling stress, anxiety and depression. Home Illnesses and conditions Skin, hair and nails Hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis See all parts of this guide Hide guide parts 1. About hyperhidrosis 2. Causes of hyperhidrosis 3. Treating hyperhidrosis 4. Complications of hyperhidrosis.

About hyperhidrosis Hyperhidrosis is a common condition in which a person sweats excessively. Commonly affected areas include the: armpits palms of your hands soles of your feet face and chest groin Both sides of the body are usually affected equally — for example, both feet or both hands. What is excessive sweating? For example, you may have hyperhidrosis if: 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 your GP Visit your GP if you feel that your sweating is interfering with your daily activities, or you suddenly start sweating excessively.

What causes hyperhidrosis? This can have many different triggers, including: pregnancy or the menopause anxiety certain medications low blood sugar hypoglycaemia an overactive thyroid gland hyperthyroidism infections Read more about the causes of hyperhidrosis. How hyperhidrosis is treated Excessive sweating can be challenging to treat and it may take a while to find a treatment right for you. Who is affected Hyperhidrosis is common.

Causes of hyperhidrosis Hyperhidrosis can be divided into 2 types, depending on whether an obvious cause can be identified. Primary hyperhidrosis Hyperhidrosis that has no obvious cause is known as primary hyperhidrosis.

Genes Some cases of primary hyperhidrosis appear to run in families, which suggests a genetic mutation may be the cause. Secondary hyperhidrosis If a cause of hyperhidrosis can be identified, it's known as secondary hyperhidrosis. Treating hyperhidrosis Hyperhidrosis can be challenging to treat and it may take a while to find the best treatment for you.

Lifestyle changes Changing your lifestyle cannot cure primary hyperhidrosis hyperhidrosis with no obvious cause , but it can improve your symptoms and help your confidence.

Services centered around you. The services you need to keep your employees healthy. Courtesy of www. Original article can be viewed here. Though perspiration may sometimes seem like an evil trick perpetrated by an uncaring universe especially when you're wearing a white shirt in the summertime , there are reasons why we sweat, and they go far beyond just helping us look shiny and vaguely burnished after reps in the gym.

Perspiration is a function of a complicated bodily system involving metabolism, temperature regulation, hormonal levels, blood flow on the skin and various other factors. It can also be triggered by medical or emotional issues so, yes, you're not the only one; other people get the sweats when they're embarrassed, too. So far, so unpleasant-but-normal; but what's happening inside your body when it starts producing sweat at levels that seem excessive?

Excessive perspiration can manifest itself in several forms, and make you really understand how many sweat glands are on your body unfortunately.

Depending on the sweating symptoms, excess perspiration can be caused by anything from low blood sugar to pregnancy to thyroid issues to medication. It's important to realize that dealing with excessive sweating is not just a matter of cooling yourself down; perspiration is a complicated thing, and many different bodily conditions can throw it out of whack.

You're not just producing a new natural lake under your armpits for the fun of it; with some medical investigation, you may be able to pinpoint a cause of your excessive sweating and possibly even treat it. Do a bit of investigation where do you sweat from? When does it tend to occur?

What emotional or physical events happen beforehand? What other symptoms accompany it? Detective hats on, hand-towels at the ready. This is one of the most common causes of excessive sweating, according to Mayo Clinic. The "focal" in the name refers to the focal points of the body where sweat shows up naturally, like the underarms, palms and face.

It generally manifests as a symmetrical excess of sweat on the body for instance, both palms, both soles of the feet, or both sides of the groin will produce too much perspiration. And don't worry — it's not a sign of nervousness or of serious illness. So why does it happen? Unfortunately, science isn't entirely sure. People who suffer from it don't have more sweat glands, larger ones, or anything else in their sweat-making bits that could cause this malfunction.

The current theory is that it's a genetically transferred problem in the nervous system that produces a sweat reaction when it's not actually needed.

It's known as idiopathic , indicating that we don't actually know how it happens yet. Fortunately, there are treatments available for the condition, including the use of very low electrical pulses, medications or even injectable neurotoxins to paralyze sweat glands.