DR MAXWELL ADEYEMI
Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis can disrupt daily activities and cause social anxiety or embarrassment.
Hyperhidrosis is a common condition that affects between one to three in every 100 people. There are no guidelines to determine what “normal” sweating is, but if you feel you sweat too much and it has started to interfere with your everyday daily life, you should see a doctor.
Hyperhidrosis can develop at any age, although primary hyperhidrosis typically starts during childhood or soon after puberty. The sweating may affect the whole of your body, or it may only affect certain areas. Commonly affected areas include the: armpits, palms of your hands, soles of your feet, face and chest, groin.
The condition may cause:
• Avoidance of physical contact, such as shaking hands, because you feel self-conscious about your sweating
• Avoidance from taking part in activities, such as dancing or exercise, for fear they will make your sweating worse
• Interference with your job – for example, you have difficulty holding tools or using a computer keyboard
• Problems with normal daily activities, such as driving
• Spending a significant amount of time coping with sweating – for example, frequently showering and changing your clothes
• Socially withdrawal and self-consciousness.
You should consider seeking medical help if your heavy sweating is accompanied by:
• Chills
• Lightheadedness
• Chest pain
• Nausea
• A body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher
• You suddenly begin to sweat more than usual.
• Sweating disrupts your daily routine.
• You experience night sweats for no apparent reason
Causes
If heavy sweating has no underlying medical cause, it’s called primary hyperhidrosis. This type occurs when the nerves responsible for triggering your sweat glands become overactive and call for more perspiration even when it’s not needed. Primary hyperhidrosis may be at least partially hereditary.
If the sweating can be attributed to an underlying medical condition, it is called secondary hyperhidrosis.
Health conditions that may cause excessive sweating include: diabetes especially hypoglycemia; endocarditis; fever of undetermined cause; generalised anxiety disorder; hiatal hernia; heat exhaustion; HIV/Aids; overactive thyroid; leukaemia; malaria; medication side effects; menopause; pregnancy; inflammation of the stomach lining; obesity; stress; and tuberculosis.
Your doctor will usually be able to diagnose hyperhidrosis based on your symptoms, although occasionally you may need blood and urine tests to check for an underlying cause.
Possible complications
Hyperhidrosis doesn’t usually pose a serious threat to your health, but it can sometimes lead to physical and emotional problems. These include:
• The risk of developing fungal infections, particularly on the feet – most commonly fungal nail infections and athlete’s foot. This is because excessive sweat combined with wearing socks and shoes creates an ideal surrounding for fungi to grow. These infection
