Hyperidrosis - Excess skin sweat 

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What is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating. This condition happens when you sweat more than what your body needs to regulate your temperature. You may experience sweating when you’re at rest, in cold temperatures or randomly at times when you wouldn’t expect to sweat.

Sweat is an odorless fluid released from your eccrine glands (sweat glands). Sweat’s job is to help regulate your body temperature and prevent overheating. You have eccrine glands in your skin. Sweat moves from your glands through tubes called ducts until it reaches the surface of your skin. Once sweat leaves the ducts, it changes from a liquid to a gas and disappears from your skin (evaporates) to cool down your body.

Hyperhidrosis is the result of your sweat glands overworking.

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What are the types of hyperhidrosis?

There are two types of hyperhidrosis:

• Primary focal hyperhidrosis: Focal hyperhidrosis is a chronic skin condition. A genetic change (mutation) causes this condition. You can inherit it from your biological family. This is the most common type of hyperhidrosis. It usually affects your armpits, hands, feet and face. It tends to start before age 25.

• Secondary generalized hyperhidrosis: Generalized hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating caused by an underlying medical condition or it’s a side effect of a medication. Some examples include diabetes and Parkinson’s disease and medications, such as naproxen (Aleve®). Generalized hyperhidrosis may cause you to sweat while sleeping.

How common is hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is common. Research suggests that an estimated 3% of adults in the United States between ages 20 and 60 have hyperhidrosis.

Symptoms and Causes

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What are the symptoms of hyperhidrosis?

The main symptom of hyperhidrosis is sweating. When you sweat, you may feel:

• Wetness on your skin.

• Damp clothing.

• Beads of fluid dripping from your cheeks or forehead.

Over time, hyperhidrosis can lead to the following symptoms:

• Itching and inflammation when sweat irritates your skin.

• Body odor, which occurs when bacteria on your skin mixes with sweat particles.

• Cracked or peeling skin on your feet.

Hyperhidrosis symptoms can range in severity.

You may have minor symptoms that come and go or you may have constant symptoms that have an impact on your day-to-day activities.

Hyperhidrosis can also have an emotional impact on your life. Many people who have hyperhidrosis feel embarrassed when they sweat or they might avoid being around other people. If this condition affects your mental health, reach out to a healthcare provider to help you manage your symptoms and a mental health professional to help you manage how you feel about your body.

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Where will I have symptoms of hyperhidrosis?

Sweat comes from eccrine glands, which exist in the skin throughout your body. You have the most eccrine glands in your:

• Armpits or underarms (axillary hyperhidrosis).

• Soles of your feet (plantar hyperhidrosis).

• Palms of your hands (palmar hyperhidrosis).

• Forehead and cheeks (craniofacial hyperhidrosis).

• Genitals.

• Lower back.

The most common location on your body to experience excessive sweating is the palms of your hands.

What causes hyperhidrosis?

Overactive sweat glands cause hyperhidrosis. Your eccrine glands (sweat glands) create sweat to cool down your body when you get hot. This process activates when you exercise or if you’re nervous. If you have hyperhidrosis, your eccrine glands activate and produce sweat more often than when your body is too hot. You may experience sweating at random times of the day when there isn’t something like an activity or emotion causing your glands to produce sweat. Research is ongoing to learn more about why your glands make too much sweat.

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Triggers that cause sweating

Your body produces sweat to cool it down and prevent overheating. There may be certain triggers in your environment that can cause your sweat glands to produce more sweat including:

• Certain emotions like stress, anxiety, fear or nervousness.

• Warm temperatures or humidity.

• Exercise or physical activity.

• Certain foods and beverages, like spicy foods, fatty foods, sugary and salty foods, and foods with high levels of protein. Beverage examples include caffeinated beverages (coffee) and alcohol.

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Medications that cause sweating

Certain medications can cause sweating as a side effect, including but not limited to:

• Albuterol (Proventil®).

• Bupropion (Wellbutrin®).

• Hydrocodone.

• Insulin (Humulin® R, Novolin® R).

• Levothyroxine.

• Lisinopril.

• Naproxen (Aleve®).

• Omeprazole (Prilosec®).

• Sertraline (Zoloft®).

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If you take any of these medications and experience symptoms of hyperhidrosis, talk to your healthcare provider. Don’t stop taking a medication unless your provider tells you it’s safe to do so.

Medical conditions that cause sweating

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Hyperhidrosis (generalized) could be a sign of an underlying medical condition including but not limited to:

• Acromegaly.

• An infection (tuberculosis).

• Anxiety.

• Cancer.

• Diabetes.

• Heart disease or heart failure.

• Hyperthyroidism.

• Menopause.

• Obesity.

• Parkinson’s disease.

Video: Hyperidrosis - Sweaty skin