Live Life Team
Sweating in excess is a normal phenomenon and is essential so as to maintain the temperature of the body while exercising or when the weather is hot or warm. Normally in one day, there is loss of sweat from the body of about a litre. Whereas about a percent of the population sweat more than normal sometimes even though they would not be exercising neither would the weather be humid. Thus this state is called hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis is of two kinds, namely; primary and secondary:
Primary hyperhidrosis – this condition is more widespread as compared to the secondary hyperhidrosis; this usually causes extreme sweating in the feet, face, armpits and hands.
Secondary hyperhidrosis – In case of secondary hyperhidrosis the entire body gets affected.
The state of hyperhidrosis could make you feel very awkward. At times, getting worried and feeling conscious about the situation would make you sweat even more. But this level could be different for different people at different times. A few things that make this condition happen are heat, anxiousness, could be due to some medical problem or eating spicy foods. There is no specific cause and it happens at random.
Both the kinds of hyperhidrosis generally start building up in adolescence, but it can happen at any age. Both women and men are affected by this condition in the same way. Hyperhidrosis is generally an enduring condition, but the indications get better in a few cases over a period of time.
The causes of Hyperhidrosis
Sweating is a state which is synchronized by a division of the nervous system which is in charge for warming up the body for physical actions; this division is known as the Sympathetic Nervous System. The nervous system’s mechanism is at a higher stage in case of primary hyperhidrosis. This in turn makes the sweat glands generate surplus amounts of sweats and is also very overactive. The reason behind being afflicted with primary hyperhidrosis is not fuly clear yet. This state generally develops in early years or in adolescence with no specific reason and stays on for lifetime.
On the other hand, such is not the case with secondary hyperhidrosis. This state is due to a primary state, like overactive thyroid gland that is Hyperthyroidism, obesity.
Due to a few major psychiatric disorders like OSD that is obsessive compulsive disorder or severe depression and diabetes.
Diagnosis of Hyperhidrosis
The first thing the doctor would usually do is to discuss with you, your medical history so far and check if you have gone through any medical problems that could have caused this condition. He would also check with you if you have taken any steps towards treating this condition so far and then would do an examination on the regions where you face this problem.
After this he would go a step further and ask you to get a few urine and blood tests done so as to check if there are any issues like diabetes or hyperthyroidism.
