Increased sweating is a sign. What to do if you have excessive sweating and what are the reasons for this
It's no secret that the human body has many sweat glands that produce sweat. The release of moisture is a physiological feature of the body and is necessary for its thermoregulation and release of waste and toxins.
The largest number of sweat glands are located in the armpits, on the feet and palms, as well as in the groin area and under the mammary glands. This is why the maximum amount of sweat is produced in these areas of the body.
If sweating increases due to increased ambient temperature, hard work or physical exertion, then it is understandable. But many people begin to sweat excessively for no apparent reason, and this pathological condition causes them a lot of inconvenience. Indeed, in addition to the fact that with increased sweating, clothes become covered with wet spots, an unpleasant smell of sweat begins to emanate from the person. Excessive sweating is medically called “hyperhidrosis.”
The article describes the reasons that cause severe sweating in both men and women, and ways to cure this ailment.
People, regardless of gender and age, can suffer from excessive sweating. Hyperhidrosis causes a lot of inconvenience and suffering not only for the patient himself, but also for everyone around him.
In some cases, profuse sweat may appear as a result of physiological processes. But sometimes it signals the presence of serious diseases of the body.
External causes of hyperhidrosis
Increased activity of the sweat glands can be caused by a number of external reasons. This includes increased ambient temperature, an unforeseen stressful situation, hard physical work, and high sports loads. But hyperhidrosis caused by these reasons is characterized by its short duration. As soon as the external factor is eliminated, sweating returns to normal.
In these cases, the main cure will be timely hygiene and the use of deodorants and antiperspirants. The action of deodorants is fundamentally different from the work of antiperspirants. Deodorants only muffle the smell of sweat due to the aromatic fragrances they contain. While antiperspirants, in which the active substance is aluminum chloride or zinc salts, affect, reducing sweat production.
To avoid excessive sweating, do not wear clothes made of synthetic materials. Synthetics do not allow air to pass through to the body and prevent the removal of moisture, so a greenhouse effect is created and the body begins to sweat even more. People who suffer from excessive sweating are advised to wear loose clothing made from natural materials, such as cotton, silk or fine wool, as they have the best hygienic qualities and allow the body to breathe freely.
Internal causes of hyperhidrosis
Frequently recurring bouts of heavy sweating indicate the onset of a serious illness. These may be the following deviations.
Types of hyperhidrosis
Depending on whether there are reasons that cause severe sweating or not, two types of disease are distinguished: primary and secondary.
Primary (idiopathic) hyperhidrosis
Increased sweating, called primary hyperhidrosis, is not a symptom of any disease and occurs when the person is completely healthy. Although this form of the disease affects about 1.5% of people on the planet, the causes of this pathology are up to 
the end has not yet been studied. Very often, primary hyperhidrosis is inherited, from the older generation to the younger. With this type of disease, one part of the body sweats, for example, the armpits, palms or feet. Less commonly, increased sweating affects the entire body.
If a person’s increased sweating is a consequence of some understandable reasons, then this type of disease is called secondary hyperhidrosis. There are many reasons for its appearance. These include various chronic diseases, emotional tension, and taking a number of medications. In this form of the disease, the whole body is severe. Having identified excessive sweating throughout the body, you need to consult a doctor, undergo the necessary examination and determine ways to treat the disease. 
In addition to dividing the disease into two types, excessive sweating can differ in the surface area of the skin affected by the lesion.
With this type, excessive sweating is noticeable throughout the entire body, including the back and chest. Such hyperhidrosis always appears as a result of taking medications or other diseases. It can develop in pregnant women, during menopause and during the menstrual cycle.
Localized hyperhidrosis
With localized hyperhidrosis, sweating affects only one specific part of the body, such as the armpits, feet, palms, and neck. Most often, this type of disease is transmitted genetically and refers to primary hyperhidrosis. If the sweat itself does not carry a foreign odor, then with local hyperhidrosis bromidrosis or chromidrosis may develop.
Bromidrosis is characterized by the appearance of a fetid odor in sweat associated with eating spicy and smelly foods, as well as neglecting hygiene rules. If the patient’s diet contains a large amount of onions, garlic, and pepper, then the sweat acquires an unpleasant odor. When a person neglects personal hygiene, bacteria that inhabit the skin and decompose the protein released from the body create foul-smelling compounds with, sulfur and hydrogen sulfide.
With chromidrosis, sweat turns different colors. This disease is mainly associated with chemical poisoning.
It begins after eating hot or spicy foods. With gustatory hyperhidrosis, only the upper lip, nose and skin around the mouth sweat.
Heavy sweating during sleep
Increased sweating at night during sleep occurs the same in everyone, regardless of gender and age. Such sweating can be either primary or secondary. Moreover, in the second case, severe sweating is associated with severe infectious or cancerous diseases, especially if the patient’s weight drops sharply with sweating and the body temperature remains above normal for a long time.
If, apart from night sweats, nothing else worries a person, then hyperhidrosis does not cause any concern. In this case, the disease begins against a background of fatigue or irritation. In order to eliminate this pathological condition, it is enough to make yourself a comfortable bed, create a comfortable temperature in the room, and sometimes lose weight.
Increased sweating when working
During physical work, muscles produce a huge amount of thermal energy, which is removed by releasing sweat onto the surface of the human skin. This process is completely natural and protects the human body from overheating during heat and heavy exercise. It is impossible to completely get rid of sweating when doing work, but if sweating is very bothersome, it can be reduced a little.
To cope with this problem, it is necessary to wear light clothing during heavy work or sports activities that allow the body to breathe. Knowing that you will soon have to sweat, it is advisable to treat the armpits and feet, that is, those places where sweating is most profuse, with antiperspirants. You should not treat large areas with deodorizing agents, as they impede the work of the sweat glands and can cause overheating.
Increased sweating during menopause
During menopause, a fundamental hormonal change occurs in the female body. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that with the onset of menopause, many of the female representatives suffer from excessive sweating. Over time, when menstruation finally stops and the female body moves to a new stage of functioning, both hot flashes and excessive sweating will go away on their own. But this does not mean at all that a woman should suffer and endure inconveniences caused by the physiology of her body throughout the transition period.
Modern pharmacologists have developed many medications that can alleviate a woman’s condition during menopause. To reduce sweating, you need to see a doctor who will select a medicine or homeopathic remedy.
Treatment methods for hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is a long-standing, well-studied disease, so in traditional and folk medicine there are many methods and medications to combat the problem. For all types of disease, treatment agents perform the same functions. They cannot eliminate the cause of the disease, but they do an excellent job of treating the symptoms themselves, sweating and odor, the reduction of which is ensured by blocking the sweat glands. In the case when sweating is a consequence of some disease, it is necessary to treat the disease itself. Today, there are the following methods to reduce sweat production.
- Deodorants, antiperspirants.
These cosmetic anti-sweat preparations are applied directly to the skin in areas of abundant moisture and are the simplest and safest means of treating hyperhidrosis, used in the early stages of the disease. The effect of deodorants is limited to masking the unpleasant odor with the help of aromatic fragrances. Antiperspirants affect the functioning of the sweat glands due to the aluminum chloride found in their composition, thereby slowing down sweating.
Heavy sweating brings a lot of trouble to a person. By identifying the cause of the disease and choosing a treatment method, you can say goodbye to hyperhidrosis forever.
Heavy sweating (excessive sweating) is called hyperhidrosis and is a condition in which a person produces large amounts of sweat in various areas of the body in situations in which little or no sweat is normally produced. Heavy sweating can occur all over the body or only in certain areas (armpits, feet, palms, face, head, neck, etc.). If increased sweating is observed throughout the body, then this phenomenon is called generalized hyperhidrosis. If excessive sweating affects certain areas of the body, then this is localized (local) hyperhidrosis.
Treatment of hyperhidrosis, regardless of its location (generalized or localized) and the mechanism of development (primary or secondary), is carried out using the same methods and drugs, the action of which is aimed at reducing the intensity of the sweat glands.
Heavy sweating - the essence of pathology and the mechanism of development
Normally, a person constantly produces a small amount of sweat, which does not cause any discomfort. At high ambient temperatures (for example, heat, bathhouse, sauna, etc.), during physical activity, when eating hot food or drinking, as well as in some other situations (for example, stress, spicy food, etc.) sweating may increase and become noticeable to the person himself and others. However, in these cases, increased sweating is a normal reaction of the body aimed at cooling the body and preventing overheating.Heavy sweating refers to the increased production of sweat in situations for which this is not normally typical. For example, if a person sweats at rest or with slight excitement, then we are talking about increased sweating.
Factors that provoke heavy sweating can be absolutely any physical, mental or physiological phenomena. However, the main difference between heavy sweating and normal sweating is the onset of profuse sweating in situations in which this would not normally occur.
The general mechanism for the development of any type of hyperhidrosis, regardless of the nature and strength of the causative factor, is excessive activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which activates the sweat glands. That is, a signal is transmitted through the nerve fibers of the sympathetic department of the peripheral nervous system to the sweat glands, which, as a result of this influence, are activated and begin to work in an enhanced mode. Naturally, if the sympathetic nervous system works too actively, then its influence on the sweat glands is also greater than normal, which leads to increased production of sweat.
However, increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system is just a mechanism of hyperhidrosis. But the exact reasons for the increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system are unknown. After all, excessive sweating can develop against the background of complete health, and with certain diseases, and with emotional experiences, and with taking a number of medications, and with a whole series of very interesting factors that, at first glance, have nothing to do with sympathetic nervous system. However, scientists and doctors were only able to establish for sure that with increased sweating, provoking factors lead to one thing - activation of the sympathetic nervous system, which, in turn, enhances the work of the sweat glands.
Since an imbalance in the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems is characteristic of vegetative-vascular dystonia, severe sweating is very common with this disorder. However, many people suffering from excessive sweating do not have vegetative-vascular dystonia, so this pathology cannot be considered as the most common and probable cause of sweating.
If severe sweating develops in a person against the background of any diseases, then its development mechanism is exactly the same - that is, excessive activity of the sympathetic nervous system. Unfortunately, the exact mechanism of the influence of somatic, endocrinological and psychological disorders on the sympathetic nervous system is unknown, as a result of which the so-called “trigger” point of sweating has not been established. Since scientists and doctors do not know how exactly the process of active work of the sympathetic nervous system is started, it is currently impossible to regulate the centers of the brain that control the nerve fibers that transmit signals to the sweat glands. Therefore, to treat excessive sweating, only symptomatic remedies that reduce the production of sweat by the glands can be used.
Classification and brief characteristics of various types of severe sweating
Depending on the presence or absence of predisposing factors, excessive sweating is divided into two types:1. Primary hyperhidrosis (idiopathic).
2. Secondary hyperhidrosis (associated with illness, medications, and emotional hyperreactivity).
Primary or idiopathic hyperhidrosis
Primary, or idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a physiological feature of the human body and develops for unknown reasons. That is, primary excessive sweating develops against a background of complete health without any apparent reason and is not a sign of any disorder or disease. As a rule, idiopathic hyperhidrosis is hereditary, that is, it is passed on from parents to children. According to international data, this form of excessive sweating affects from 0.6% to 1.5% of people. With primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis, a person, as a rule, sweats heavily only in certain parts of the body, for example, feet, palms, armpits, neck, etc. Excessive sweating throughout the body is extremely rare in primary hyperhidrosis. Secondary hyperhidrosis
Secondary hyperhidrosis develops against the background of any existing diseases, when taking certain medications and with a sharp expression of emotional reactions. That is, with secondary hyperhidrosis there is always a visible cause that can be identified. Secondary excessive sweating is characterized by the fact that a person sweats heavily throughout the whole body, and not any individual parts. If a person suspects that he has secondary sweating, then he should consult a doctor for a detailed examination, which will identify the disease that has become the causative factor of severe sweating.In addition to dividing hyperhidrosis into primary and secondary, excessive sweating is also classified into the following three types depending on the volume of skin involved in the pathological process:
1.
Generalized hyperhidrosis;
2.
Localized (local, local) hyperhidrosis;
3.
Gustatory hyperhidrosis.
Generalized hyperhidrosis
Generalized hyperhidrosis is a variant of excessive sweating throughout the body, when a person sweats from all areas of the skin, including the back and chest. Such generalized hyperhidrosis is almost always secondary and is provoked by various diseases or medications. In addition, this type of sweating develops in pregnant women, in the early postpartum period, in the second half of the menstrual cycle, and also during menopause. In women, sweating in these conditions is due to hormonal characteristics with the predominant effect of progesterone, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.Localized hyperhidrosis
Localized hyperhidrosis is a variant in which a person sweats only certain parts of the body, for example:- Palms;
- Feet;
- Armpits;
- Area around the lips;
- Face;
- Back;
- Skin of the external genitalia;
- Anal area;
- tip of the nose;
- Chin;
- The scalp.
Usually sweat does not have any odor, but with local hyperhidrosis, bromidrosis (osmidrosis) or chromidrosis may develop. Bromidrosis is a foul-smelling sweat that is usually formed by poor hygiene or by consuming foods with a strong odor, such as garlic, onions, tobacco, etc. If a person consumes products with a strong odor, then the aromatic substances contained in them, released from the human body through sweat, give it an unpleasant aroma. Bromidrosis, if hygiene is not observed, develops due to the fact that bacteria living on the surface of the skin begin to actively decompose protein substances released in sweat, resulting in the formation of foul-smelling compounds of sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, etc. In addition, foul-smelling sweat with hyperhidrosis can occur in people with diabetes mellitus, skin syphilis (syphilitic rashes) and pemphigus, as well as in women suffering from menstrual irregularities.
Chromydrosis represents the coloring of sweat in various colors (orange, black, etc.). A similar phenomenon occurs when any toxic substances and chemical compounds (mainly compounds of cobalt, copper and iron) enter the human body, as well as in the presence of hysterical seizures and systemic diseases.
Gustatory hyperhidrosis
Gustatory hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating of the upper lip, skin around the mouth, or tip of the nose after eating hot, hot, or spicy foods or drinks. In addition, gustatory hyperhidrosis can develop with Frey's syndrome (pain in the temple and temporomandibular joint, combined with profuse sweating in the temples and ears).Many doctors and scientists do not distinguish gustatory hyperhidrosis as a separate type of excessive sweating, but include it as part of the localized form of excessive sweating.
Features of local hyperhidrosis of some localizations
Let's consider the features of increased sweating in some of the most common localizations.
Excessive sweating under the arms (axillary hyperhidrosis)
Heavy sweating under the arms is quite common and is usually caused by strong emotions, fear, anger or excitement. Any disease rarely causes sweating of the armpits, therefore local hyperhidrosis of this localization is almost always idiopathic, that is, primary. However, isolated secondary excessive sweating in the armpits can be caused by the following diseases:
- Follicular mucinosis;
- Blue nevus;
- Tumors of cavernous structure.
Severe sweating of the head
Excessive sweating of the head is called cranial hyperhidrosis and is quite common, but less common is excessive sweating of the palms, feet and armpits. Such local excessive sweating, as a rule, is idiopathic, but in some cases it is secondary and is caused by the following diseases and conditions:- Neuropathy in diabetes mellitus;
- Herpes zoster of the face and head;
- Diseases of the central nervous system;
- Damage to the parotid salivary gland;
- Frey's syndrome;
- Skin mucinosis;
- Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy;
- Blue nevus;
- Cavernous tumor;
- Sympathectomy.
Excessive sweating of the feet (sweating feet, plantar hyperhidrosis)
Severe sweating of the feet can be either idiopathic or provoked by various diseases or wearing incorrectly selected shoes and socks. Thus, many people develop foot hyperhidrosis due to wearing tight shoes or shoes with rubber soles, as well as the constant use of nylon, elastic tights or socks.The problem of excessive sweating of the feet is very relevant, since it causes severe discomfort to a person. After all, when the feet sweat, an unpleasant odor almost always appears; the socks are constantly wet, as a result of which the feet freeze. In addition, the skin on the legs, under the influence of sweat, becomes damp, cold, cyanotic and easily damaged, as a result of which a person is constantly faced with infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Excessive sweating of the palms (palmar hyperhidrosis)
Severe sweating of the palms is usually idiopathic. However, sweating of the palms can also be secondary, and in this case it usually develops due to emotional experiences, such as excitement, anxiety, fear, anger, etc. Sweaty palms caused by any disease are very rare.Heavy facial sweating
Severe facial sweating can be either idiopathic or secondary. Moreover, in the case of secondary facial hyperhidrosis, this problem is usually caused by diseases of the nervous and endocrine systems, as well as emotional experiences. Also quite often, excessive facial sweating occurs when consuming hot foods and drinks. Features of excessive sweating in various situations
Let's consider the features of hyperhidrosis in various situations and in certain conditions.Heavy sweating at night (during sleep)
Increased sweating during the hours of rest at night can bother both men and women, and the causative factors of this condition are exactly the same for all people, regardless of gender and age.Night sweats can be idiopathic or secondary. Moreover, if such sweating is secondary, then this indicates a severe systemic infectious or oncological disease. The following diseases can cause secondary night sweats:
- Systemic fungal infection (for example, aspergillosis, systemic candidiasis, etc.);
- Long-term chronic infections of any organs (for example, chronic tonsillitis, etc.);
It should be said that although night sweats can be a symptom severe illness, in most cases, people suffering from this problem do not have any health problems. Typically, idiopathic night sweats are caused by stress and anxiety.
If a person has idiopathic night sweats, then to reduce its severity it is recommended to follow the following rules:
- Make the bed as comfortable as possible and sleep on a hard mattress and pillow;
- Ensure the air temperature in the room in which you plan to sleep is no more than 20 - 22 o C;
- If possible, it is recommended to open the bedroom window at night;
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
Heavy sweating during physical activity
During physical activity, increased sweating is considered normal, since a large amount of heat generated by muscles during intense work is removed from the human body by evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin. A similar mechanism of increased sweating during physical activity and in the heat prevents the human body from overheating. This means that it is impossible to completely eliminate sweating during exercise. However, if this problem greatly bothers a person, then you can try to reduce sweating. To reduce sweating during exercise, wear loose, open, light clothing that does not cause additional heat to the skin. In addition, the areas of the most pronounced sweating can be treated with a special antiperspirant deodorant containing aluminum 1–2 days before planned physical activity. You should not apply deodorant to large areas of the body, as this blocks the production of sweat and can cause overheating of the body, manifested by weakness and dizziness.
Heavy sweating when sick
Excessive sweating can be caused by a fairly wide range of different diseases. Moreover, sweating itself, as such, does not play a significant role in the mechanisms of disease development, but is simply a painful and unpleasant symptom that causes serious discomfort to a person. Since sweating in diseases is treated in the same way as idiopathic hyperhidrosis, it makes sense to pay attention to it only in cases where it may indicate an unfavorable course of the pathology and the need for urgent medical attention.So, you should definitely consult a doctor if sweating is combined with any of the following symptoms:
- Significant reduction in body weight without dieting, physical activity, etc.;
- Weakening or increasing appetite;
- Persistent cough lasting more than 21 days in a row;
- Periodic frequent increases in body temperature above 37.5 o C, occurring for several weeks in a row;
- Chest pain, worsened by coughing, breathing and sneezing;
- Spots on the skin;
- Enlargement of one or more lymph nodes;
- Feeling of discomfort and pain in the abdomen, which occurs quite often;
- An attack of sweating is accompanied by palpitations and increased blood pressure.
In diseases of the thyroid gland and other internal secretion organs (endocrine glands), sweating develops quite often. Thus, attacks of generalized excessive sweating can occur with hyperthyroidism (Graves disease, thyroid adenoma, etc.), pheochromocytoma (adrenal tumor) and dysfunction of the pituitary gland. However, with these diseases, sweating is not the main symptom, since the person has other, much more serious dysfunctions of the body.
With hypertension, generalized sweating often develops, since during an attack of high blood pressure the activity of the sympathetic nervous system increases.
Heavy sweating during menopause
About half of all women experience hot flashes and sweating during menopause, but these symptoms are considered normal because they develop due to hormonal changes occurring in the body. When menstruation finally stops and a woman reaches menopause, hot flashes, sweating and other painful symptoms characteristic of the period of declining menstrual function will pass. However, the fact that sweating and hot flashes during menopause are normal does not mean that women should endure these painful manifestations of the body’s transition to another stage of functioning. Thus, at present, to improve the quality of life and alleviate a woman’s condition, there is a wide range of medications that stop such manifestations of the decline of menstrual function as sweating and hot flashes. To choose the best remedy for yourself, it is recommended to consult a gynecologist who can recommend hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or homeopathic medicines (for example, Klimaksan, Remens, Klimadinon, Qi-Klim, etc.).
Heavy sweating after childbirth and during pregnancy
During pregnancy and for 1 – 2 months after childbirth, a woman’s body produces progesterone in large quantities. Progesterone and estrogen are the main sex hormones of the female body, which are produced with a certain cyclicity so that in some periods one hormone has a predominant effect, and in others - the second.Thus, during pregnancy, some time after childbirth, as well as in the second half of the menstrual cycle, the effects of progesterone prevail, since it is produced much more than estrogen. And progesterone increases the functioning of the sweat glands and their sensitivity to ambient temperature, which, accordingly, leads to increased sweating in women. Accordingly, increased sweating during pregnancy and some time after childbirth is a completely normal phenomenon that should not be feared.
If sweating causes discomfort to a woman, then to reduce it during the entire period of pregnancy, you can use antiperspirant deodorants that are safe for the baby and do not affect its growth and development.
Night sweats - why we sweat at night: menopause (relief of symptoms), tuberculosis (treatment, prevention), lymphoma (diagnosis) - video
Heavy sweating in women and men
The causes, frequency of occurrence, types and principles of treatment for heavy sweating in men and women are exactly the same, so it is inappropriate to consider them in separate sections. The only distinctive feature of female excessive sweating is that the fair sex, in addition to all other causes of hyperhidrosis, has one more - a regular increase in progesterone levels in the second half of each menstrual cycle, during pregnancy, after childbirth and during menopause. Therefore, women can suffer from sweating for the same reasons as men and additionally during certain periods of their lives when the influence of progesterone prevails in the hormonal background.Heavy sweating - causes
Obviously, idiopathic severe sweating does not have any obvious and visible causes, and it can be provoked by ordinary situations, such as eating, mild excitement, etc. And sometimes attacks of sweating can occur without any visible provoking factor.The situation is completely different with secondary severe sweating, which is always caused by some reason, which is a somatic, endocrine or other disease.
So, the following diseases and conditions may be the causes of secondary severe sweating:
1.
Endocrine diseases:
- Thyrotoxicosis (high level of thyroid hormones in the blood) due to Graves' disease, adenoma or other diseases of the thyroid gland;
- Diabetes;
- Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar);
- Pheochromocytoma;
- Carcinoid syndrome;
- Acromegaly;
- Pancreatic dysfunction (decreased production of enzymes by the pancreas).
- Tuberculosis;
- HIV infection;
- Neurosyphilis;
- Systemic fungal infections (for example, aspergillosis, systemic candidiasis, etc.);
- Herpes zoster.
- Endocarditis;
- Chronic tonsillitis, etc.
- Diencephalic syndrome of newborns;
- Diabetic, alcoholic or other neuropathy;
- Vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- Syringomyelia.
- Hodgkin's disease;
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas;
- Compression of the spinal cord by a tumor or metastases.
- Riley-Day syndrome;
- Fear;
- Pain;
- Anger;
- Anxiety;
- Stress.
- Hypertonic disease;
- Hyperplasia of sweat glands;
- Keratoderma;
- Withdrawal syndrome in alcoholism;
- Opium withdrawal syndrome;
- Damage to the parotid salivary glands;
- Follicular mucinosis of the skin;
- Hypertrophic osteoarthropathy;
- Blue nevus;
- Cavernous tumor;
- Mushroom poisoning;
- Poisoning with organophosphorus substances (OPS).
- Aspirin and products containing acetylsalicylic acid;
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (Gonadorelin, Nafarelin, Buserelin, Leuprolide);
- Antidepressants (most often Bupropion, Fluoxetine, Sertraline, Venlafaxine);
- Insulin;
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (most often Paracetamol, Diclofenac, Ibuprofen);
- Opioid analgesics;
- Pilocarpine;
- Sulfonylurea derivatives (Tolbutamide, Gliquidone, Gliclazide, Glibenclamide, Glipizide, etc.);
- Promedol;
- Emetics (ipecac, etc.);
- Medicines for the treatment of migraine (Sumatriptam, Naratriptan, Rizatriptan, Zolmitriptan);
- Theophylline;
- Physostigmine.
Excessive sweating in a child - causes
Severe sweating can occur in children of all ages, even in infants in their first year of life. It should be remembered that excessive sweating in a child over 6 years of age, in terms of causative factors, types and methods of treatment, is completely equivalent to that in an adult, but in children under 6 years of age, hyperhidrosis is provoked by completely different reasons. Thus, many newborn babies sweat intensely during feeding, when they suck on the breast or milk from a bottle. Children during the first 3 years of life sweat very much during their sleep, regardless of whether they sleep during the day or at night. Increased sweating accompanies them during both night and daytime sleep. Scientists and doctors consider children to sweat during meals and sleep as a normal phenomenon, which reflects the baby’s body’s ability to remove excess heat to the outside and prevent overheating.
Remember that a child is adapted by nature to tolerate relatively low temperatures, and the optimal ambient temperature for him is 18 - 22 o C. At this temperature, a child can calmly walk in a T-shirt and not freeze, although almost any adult in the same clothes will be uncomfortable . Considering the fact that parents try to dress their children warmly, focusing on their own feelings, they constantly expose them to the danger of overheating. The child compensates for too warm clothes by sweating. And when heat production in the body increases even more (sleep and food), the child begins to sweat intensely in order to “shed” the excess.
There is a widespread belief among parents that excessive sweating of a child in the first 3 years of life is a sign of rickets. However, this opinion is completely untrue, since there is no connection between rickets and sweating.
In addition to these physiological causes of increased sweating in children, there are a number of factors that can cause hyperhidrosis in children. These factors represent diseases of the internal organs, which always manifest themselves with other, more noticeable and important symptoms, by the presence of which parents can understand that the child is sick.
Excessive sweating in children: causes, symptoms, treatment. Hyperhidrosis during pregnancy - video
Heavy sweating - what to do (treatment)
For any type of severe sweating, the same treatment methods are used, aimed at reducing sweat production and suppressing the activity of the glands. All these methods are symptomatic, that is, they do not affect the cause of the problem, but only eliminate a painful symptom - sweating, thereby increasing a person’s quality of life. If sweating is secondary, that is, provoked by some disease, then in addition to using specific methods to reduce sweating, it is imperative to treat the direct pathology that caused the problem. So, currently the following methods are used to treat severe sweating:
1.
External application of antiperspirants (deodorants, gels, ointments, wipes) to the skin to reduce sweat production;
2.
Ingestion of tablets that reduce sweat production;
3.
Iontophoresis;
4.
Injections of botulinum toxin (Botox) in areas with excessive sweating;
5.
Surgical methods for treating sweating:
- Curettage of sweat glands in areas of excessive sweating (destruction and removal of sweat glands through an incision in the skin);
- Sympathectomy (cutting or compressing the nerve going to the glands in the area of excessive sweating);
- Laser lipolysis (laser destruction of sweat glands).
Thus, the modern algorithm for using methods for treating hyperhidrosis is as follows:
1.
External use of any antiperspirant on areas of skin with excessive sweating;
2.
Iontophoresis;
3.
Botulinum toxin injections;
4.
Taking pills that reduce hyperhidrosis;
5.
Surgical methods for removing sweat glands.
Antiperspirants are a variety of products applied to the skin, such as deodorants, sprays, gels, wipes, etc. These products contain aluminum salts, which literally clog the sweat glands, blocking the production of sweat and thereby reducing sweating. Antiperspirants containing aluminum can be used for a long time, achieving optimal levels of perspiration. Previously, drugs containing formaldehyde (Formidron) or methenamine were used as antiperspirants. However, at present their use is limited due to toxicity and relatively low efficiency compared to products with aluminum salts.
When choosing an antiperspirant, you need to pay attention to the aluminum concentration, since the higher it is, the stronger the activity of the product. You should not choose products with maximum concentration, as this can cause severe skin irritation. It is recommended to start using antiperspirants with a minimum concentration (6.5%, 10%, 12%) and only if they are ineffective, use a product with a higher aluminum content. The final choice should be made on a product with the lowest possible concentration that effectively stops sweating.
Antiperspirants are applied to the skin for 6–10 hours, preferably at night, and then washed off. The next application is made after 1 - 3 days, depending on how much the effect of the product is sufficient for that particular person.
If antiperspirants are ineffective in reducing sweating, an iontophoresis procedure is performed, which is a type of electrophoresis. With iontophoresis, using an electric field, medications and salts penetrate deep into the skin, which reduce the activity of the sweat glands. To reduce sweating, iontophoresis sessions are performed with plain water, botulinum toxin or glycopyrrolate. Iontophoresis can stop sweating in 80% of cases.
If iontophoresis is ineffective, then to stop sweating, botulinum toxin is injected into the problem parts of the skin. These injections eliminate the problem of sweating in 80% of cases, and their effect lasts from six months to one and a half years.
Tablets that reduce sweating are taken only in cases where antiperspirants, iontophoresis and botulinum toxin injections are ineffective. These tablets include products containing glycopyrrolate, oxybutynin and clonidine. Taking these tablets is associated with numerous side effects (for example, difficulty urinating, sensitivity to light, palpitations, dry mouth, etc.), so they are used very rarely. Typically, people take anti-sweating pills before important meetings or events when they need to eliminate the problem reliably, effectively and for a relatively short period of time.
Finally, if conservative methods of stopping sweating do not help, you can use surgical treatment methods that involve the destruction and removal of sweat glands or cutting the nerves leading to the problem area of the skin.
Curettage involves scraping out the sweat glands directly from the problem area of skin with a small spoon. The operation is performed under local or general anesthesia and eliminates sweating in 70% of cases. In other cases, repeated curettage is required to remove some more glands.
Laser lipolysis is the destruction of sweat glands with a laser. In essence, this manipulation is similar to curettage, but is more gentle and safe, since it allows minimizing skin trauma. Unfortunately, laser lipolysis to reduce sweating is currently performed only in selected clinics.
A sympathectomy involves cutting or clamping the nerve leading to the sweat glands located in a problem area of skin with severe sweating. The operation is simple and highly effective. However, unfortunately, sometimes, as a complication of the operation, a person experiences excessive sweating in the adjacent area of skin.
What is increased sweating, forms (primary, secondary) and degrees of hyperhidrosis, treatment methods, doctor’s recommendations - video
Deodorant (remedy) for heavy sweating
Currently, the following antiperspirant deodorants with aluminum are available to reduce sweating:- Dry Dry (Dry Dry) – 20 and 30% aluminum concentration;
- Anhydrol Forte – 20% (can only be purchased in Europe);
- AHC30 –30% (can be purchased through online stores);
Experts say: with this method, antiperspirants will not work effectively. How will be correct?
The floor goes to our expert, Candidate of Medical Sciences, head of the Center for the Treatment of Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating - Ed.) at Central Clinical Hospital No. 6 Vladimir Kuzmichev.
Evening morning is wiser
To expect the antiperspirant to work properly, it must be applied in a thin layer at night. If you still want to use it before rushing out to work, then go ahead, but then do it 2 times a day: in the morning and late in the evening.
This rule applies only to antiperspirants; it does not apply to deodorants. The fact is that in the armpits there are special mixed sweat glands - ecrino-apocrine. Ecrine - secrete sweat, apocrine - the smell that seems so unpleasant to us. The deodorant will simply drown it out with its aroma.
The purpose of antiperspirants is different: to mechanically plug the ducts of the sweat glands, which do not function in the late evening and at night. If you use a stick or ball in the morning, especially immediately after a shower, the product will get on your wet armpits and simply wash off.
Some ladies complain: “My clothes get dirty from antiperspirants.” It is precisely because most of us grab the “stick” or “ball” in the morning in a hurry that trouble occurs. If you apply the product in the evening, it will instantly dry on dry skin. Now the clothes you put on in the morning will remain clean throughout the day, and your armpits will remain dry.
If you forgot to apply antiperspirant in the evening, immediately after your morning shower, thoroughly dry your armpits with a hairdryer, switching the air supply to room temperature. Just a towel is not enough! And then use a sweat remedy.
If "all wet"
You must especially strictly follow the rules for applying antiperspirants if you use special ones - aluminum chloride, which help not with normal, but with increased sweating (doctors call this problem hyperhidrosis). These are quite effective remedies and are considered medicinal because they contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate in high concentrations - up to 40%. But you can use them only at night before bed, on dry, clean armpits, when the sweat glands are not working, so that the active substance enters the ducts without interference. The strictness is justified: contact of the product with water can lead to a chemical burn.
If aluminum chlorides do not work the first time, you need to repeat the procedure 2-4 evenings in a row. And then determine the application interval. Usually once every 4-5 days is enough - traffic jams that block the path of sweat form during this period. Some pedantic patients manage to use aluminum chlorides effectively and for a long time – 3–4 years. Over time, such people experience atrophy of the sweat glands: the patient began to use the product once every 4 days, then once a week, every two weeks, and finally once a month... Increased sweating becomes normal. And you can switch to ordinary care products.
Seven sweats
The correct use of antiperspirants can be supplemented with other tricks. And then you will feel impeccable even in the thick of it.
Antiperspirants are not very suitable for those who like spicy foods. Substances contained in aromatic spices irritate not only the taste buds of the tongue and palate, but also other areas of the skin. Getting into the sweat glands, which are closed by antiperspirant, they can cause severe inflammation. On the day when you go to a restaurant serving Chinese, Mexican or Caucasian cuisine, it is better not to use it.
Follow the prohibition law. Cold (but not ice-cold) water is best for quenching your thirst and will replenish the fluid you lost through sweat. But alcohol stimulates blood flow to the skin, so even a cocktail with ice will make you sweat before you even feel drunk.
Avoid coffee and cola. The caffeine contained in them increases the contractions of the heart, forcing it to work as if our fiery engine was working when overheated.
Lose excess weight. An overweight person sweats more, any physical activity in the heat becomes unbearable for him - the heart cannot cope with blood circulation.
Cool down your ardor. Anxious people break out into a sweat even when a minor worry occurs. Try not to be unnecessarily nervous - resort to sedatives, auto-training, and relaxing breathing exercises.
A gene that makes a person especially sensitive to the smell of sweat has been discovered by Israeli and American scientists. It turned out that the presence of a single copy of the OR11 H7 P gene leads to the fact that a person smells sweat even in the most minimal concentration.
It is difficult to say whether OR11 H7 P is beneficial or harmful to people? More likely, the latter. A person gets fixated on a problem and stresses himself out: he just has a “fad”: what do those around him smell like? And he is insanely scrupulous about the cleanliness of his own body.
By the way
If you go for a walk in the forest, be sure to use antiperspirant. And not just for the sake of hygiene. It turns out that this product is an excellent protection against ticks. Harmful insects, from whose bite you can become infected with encephalitis and borreliosis (Lyme disease), are attracted precisely by the smell of human sweat. Therefore, any antiperspirant will protect you no worse than an anti-tick repellent. Treat the most vulnerable areas with the usual product - the chest area, armpits, under the knees, neck, arms and back, and in children - the places behind the ears and on the back of the head (in children it is the head that sweats most).
Important
Remember that sweating, which does not go away even in cool weather, is a very important symptom.
For an endocrinologist. He may suspect hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, diabetes.
For an orthopedist. Congenital flat feet can be caused by constantly wet socks.
For a gynecologist. The so-called hot flashes, when a woman feels hot and cold, almost always accompany menopause.
For the surgeon. Sticky sweat is characteristic of gastric bleeding.
For a dermatologist. Excessive sweating may be associated with hidradenitis, an inflammation of the sweat glands. Sweating often causes itchy dermatoses.
For neurologist and psychiatrist. If, in addition to sweating, the patient complains of changes in blood pressure, lack of appetite, chest tightness, then most likely this is a manifestation of vegetative-vascular dystonia.
For a cardiologist. The doctor may detect angina pectoris or even myocardial infarction in the patient.
On a note
The myth that aluminum chlorides and other antiperspirants cause Alzheimer's disease and breast cancer has not been confirmed by serious research. And in general, sweating has only one task - thermoregulation. Sweat glands do not remove toxins. Normally functioning kidneys must cope with this.
But during pregnancy you should not treat your armpits with aluminum chlorides - it is better to buy traditional products.
Aluminum chlorides are not suitable for those who, after using them, begin to experience irritation, itching, or hidradenitis - inflammation of the apocrine sweat glands, the so-called “bitch udder”. However, other antiperspirants may also cause problems for these people. To choose the right ones, they need to consult a dermatologist.
Severe sweating all over the body (hyperhidrosis) can be caused by various diseases. , or strange-smelling sweat are often signs of health problems. Even such serious ones as cancer, tuberculosis or hyperthyroidism.
Excessive sweating of the whole body is a common symptom of many diseases. But this is only one of the symptoms of the disease; below are additional ones that may more accurately indicate a specific illness.
Diseases that are accompanied sweating
- Feverintravenous diseases– those that are accompanied by a very elevated body temperature and are caused by the entry of so-called pyrogens into the body (most often viruses). An increase in sweat production is the body’s response to heat - this is how it tries to cool down. The higher the temperature, the more we sweat. Most sweat is produced when body temperature drops.
- Obesity. For overweight people, every movement requires effort. The body easily overheats and sweats.
- Hyperthyroidism(hyperthyroidism). Sweating increases during the day. In addition, the disease is accompanied by loss of appetite and weight, weakness, irritability, palpitations, trembling hands, and sometimes bulging eyes.
- Tumors of the lymphatic system. Leukemia and lymphoma begin with weakness and loss of appetite. The skin becomes pale and the lymph nodes become enlarged. At night there is severe sweating throughout the body.
- Tuberculosis. Night sweats, persistent cough, weight loss, weakness, slight fever or fluctuations.
- . When blood sugar levels drop sharply (hypoglycemia), this is accompanied by heavy sweating. The patient turns pale, the heartbeat accelerates, and the muscles tremble. Dizziness, weakness and hunger appear.
- Pancreas cancer. The same symptoms appear as with hypoglycemia: sweating, weakness, bouts of hunger, muscle tremors, nervousness.
- Central nervous system disorders. Unbalanced sweating – one side of the body sweats more. Alopecia may occur - hair loss in some part of the body.
- Parkinson's disease. Slowness of movement and heavy sweating with a noticeable odor. Progressive muscle rigidity and tremors - involuntary tension and trembling. Face with signs of seborrhea (pimples, oily skin, redness) and covered with sweat.
- Acromegaly– a slowly developing disease in adults caused by dysfunction of the pituitary gland. Thickening of the fingers, lengthening of the legs, lower jaw, brow ridges and excessive sweating.
- Heart attack. Burning pain in the chest, sweating, anxiety, shortness of breath, and sometimes nausea.
What disease does the smell of sweat indicate?
Diseases that are accompanied by severe sweating often disrupt chemical processes in the body. As a result, the smell of sweat also changes, which makes it possible to diagnose the disease itself.
For some people, the natural process of removing harmful substances and cooling the body simply turns into a nightmare from their dreams. Excessive sweating not only causes a lot of inconvenience, discomfort, and various nervous disorders, but sometimes the causes of sweating are other ailments of the body.
As a separate disease, excessive sweating is still less common than as a sign of another disease.
In any case, the cause of severe sweating is a malfunction of the sweating system. And to understand how to get rid of sweating, you need to clearly establish a diagnosis. So in this article we will look at what excessive sweating means if we do not consider it as a separate ailment, but attribute it to a symptom of another disease.
Types of sweating
As in the case of an independent disease, excessive sweating can be general (generalized) or local.
If we say that increased sweating is observed in certain parts of the body: palms, head, legs, armpits, then this is a local sweating disease.
As a sign of other ailments, excessive sweating is often observed in a generalized form, but there is no need to exclude another disease in the local form.
Endocrine system
The reason for severe sweating may be a disrupted functioning of the endocrine system. This happens during increased metabolism, increased blood flow in the vessels due to their expansion.
Excessive sweating can be observed with the following diseases:
- diabetes is the most common cause of sweating. High blood sugar disrupts the functioning of almost the entire body. With diabetes, there is local increased sweating in the upper part of the body (on the head, armpits, palms), but the feet may suffer from dryness;
- thyrotoxicosis - dysfunction of the thyroid gland is a common cause of excessive sweating. This disease has external symptoms (tumor on the neck and protruding eyes), and the internal state of the patient is often characterized by mood swings, tearfulness, and nervousness;
- menopause - it is characterized by increased sweating during sleep. It's all about hormones, and more specifically, a decrease in the amount of female sex hormones;
- acromegaly or a benign formation on the pituitary gland is not a rare reason for increased work of the sweat glands. A psychologist or psychotherapist should treat a patient in such a situation, and at the same time, sedatives should be prescribed.
Infectious diseases
If you experience increased sweating during sleep, this indicates that it is time to fight viral and infectious diseases. Infections are characterized by elevated body temperature. This reason certainly provokes the appearance of sweating, especially during sleep, because our body must fight and cool itself.
In this case, increased sweating has the following causes:
- ARVI - everyone has suffered from it, and everyone knows that especially in the first days, increased sweating of the body is characteristic, as a reaction to inflammatory processes;
- Tuberculosis claimed many lives before they learned to treat it with antibiotics. Even in our time it brings a lot of troubles to people. Excessive sweating during sleep, chest pain, cough - these are ominous symptoms;
- other infections - may be malaria, bacterial fever, general purulent infections, syphilis. However, only a specialist who will conduct a diagnosis and take the necessary tests can tell what severe sweating indicates.
Tumors
It happens that you have to fight such a disaster as tumors. Often with such formations a high temperature is observed and it is accompanied by increased sweating. Sometimes a patient, looking for ways to treat sweating, is diagnosed and a formation is discovered:
- tumors of the nervous system that affect nerve fibers;
- Carcinoid syndrome is a tumor that secretes substances that affect blood vessels. This pathology causes redness of certain skin areas, increased sweating is observed, health worsens and blood pressure drops. Vomiting, nausea, arrhythmia may also be present;
- pheochromocytoma - formation on the adrenal glands. With it, a huge amount of adrenaline enters the blood.
Neurological diseases
When the sympathetic nerves are stimulated, increased sweating occurs, so many neurological diseases have the following symptom:
- Parkinson's disease - brain damage, local sweating on the face;
- stroke - narrowing of blood vessels in the brain, as a result of insufficient blood supply; if it is not treated on time, then in addition to hyperhidrosis, other complications may arise;
- neonatal syndrome - tumors or pathologies in the brain that lead to visual impairment;
- Riley-Day syndrome is a defect of the autonomic nervous system;
- poisoning - both toxins and chemicals, blood pressure often rises and heart rate increases. Acute poisonings include: overdose of cocaine, caffeine, amphetamines, theophylline, drugs against the common cold, etc.;
- withdrawal syndrome - alcoholics and drug addicts suffer when they suddenly quit a bad habit.
Such basic cases have the syndrome of excessive sweating; how to deal with it should be clarified only in medical institutions. In any case, you need to eliminate not the symptoms, but the source of the problem, or better yet, for your comfort, do it comprehensively.
We hope that this article will help many people not to miss the alarm bell, because it is always better to be on the safe side, perhaps the doctor will confirm that hyperhidrosis is a separate ailment and only needs to be dealt with. But you must agree that it is better to be sure that there are no other reasons for worry.
