Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes an excessive amount of sweating beyond the average amount necessary to regulate the body’s temperature. It is not a temporary condition, and it can significantly impact the quality of life.

Thermoregulation is the body’s way of controlling its temperature, a process which includes sweating. Sweating, or perspiration usually occurs during and after exercise, as a nervous reaction or in hot weather. Despite sweating being an entirely natural process, many prefer to control and inhibit the production of sweat.

What Are The Symptoms?

Someone who has hyperhidrosis will be prone to sweating excessively. The body has difficulty in regulating its temperature and exceeds the usual amount of sweat production needed.

Excessive sweating can occur anywhere on the body. However, it mostly affects the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, face, groin and the armpits.

You may require a urine or blood test to determine whether you have the condition. If you are sweating continually and it affects your day-to-day life, then it’s likely you have hyperhidrosis. You may avoid shaking hands because you are worried about your hands being sweaty, or avoid wearing a particular item of clothing because you’re concerned about sweat marks. People living with hyperhidrosis may also feel the need to change outfits more than once a day or shower frequently.

Who It Can Affect

For most people, sweating is generally controllable through using an antiperspirant, but for the remaining 1% of the UK population, this is not the case, and excessive sweating occurs.

Hyperhidrosis is thought to affect around 1 million people in the UK, both men and women equally.

Causes

Sweating is normal and necessary for regulating the body temperature in certain circumstances such as during hot weather, during a fever, travelling, or when you are exercising or doing a strenuous activity. However, when someone is suffering from hyperhidrosis, they sweat much more than usual in these situations.

You may also find yourself sweatier due to hormone changes like through puberty, menopause or pregnancy. Certain situations can bring on anxiety, causing profuse sweating, or the intake of certain medications.

Bacterial infections and disorders like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels) or hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) could also make you sweat more.