Hyperhidrosis. Increased sweating. Heavy sweating in all forms and forms: how to help a person

Excessive sweating that occurs throughout the body or in a specific area is called hyperhidrosis. Sweating is a natural physiological process that regulates body temperature during overheating, physical activity, and stress. Together with sweat, toxins come out, so the body is cleansed. Hypersweating can be a symptom of a serious illness.

There is local hyperhidrosis, in which a certain area of ​​the body sweats: limbs, armpits, face. With general hyperhidrosis, strong sweat formation is observed evenly throughout the body. The cause of profuse sweating in the latter case is most often infectious and inflammatory processes in the body. Even children can suffer from the problem of excessive sweating.

Generalized hyperhidrosis (general) occurs throughout the body and may not go away for several months. In areas where the sweat glands are most localized (armpits, groin area), sweat appears even more. Often a complication appears in the form of a fungal or bacterial infection.

Localized hyperhidrosis manifests itself in certain areas of the body; in most cases, sweat appears symmetrically: on both palms, feet, and armpits. Excessive sweating can be observed only on the forehead, nose, and chin.

Sweat glands produce odorless fluid. An unpleasant odor occurs when there are toxins released from the body or from bacteria living on the skin.

If sweat appears not only during activities, but also in a calm state, you need to identify the cause of the problem. For example, at night the internal organs begin to function in a slow mode, there is no emotional stress. If you experience constant sweating, and you have to wake up during the night due to wet underwear and pajamas, then this is a reason to consult a specialist.

In almost any disease, sweating occurs in varying intensities. Hyperhidrosis can act as an independent phenomenon and does not require treatment. For example, in adolescence during puberty, during pregnancy or a change in climate zone.

Pathology is indicated by:

• heavy sweating with a pungent odor;
• sweat becomes sticky and changes color;
• sweat increases even at rest or during night sleep;
• sweat, as a symptom of disease, is characterized by the fact that other signs also appear: weakness, dizziness, nausea, joint pain.

Identification of the cause and treatment is prescribed only by a specialist. First of all, you need to contact a dermatologist and endocrinologist. Blood and urine tests, ECG, x-rays and other types of examination will be prescribed. Based on the results, the issue of referral to other specialists is decided: urologist, cardiologist, gynecologist.

You should consult a doctor when the body sweats increased during minor physical exercises, a slight rise in ambient temperature, when walking, or with slight excitement.

Provoking factors

Why does severe sweating develop? The causes of excessive sweating may be related to external factors:

1. Excessive sweating occurs in response to food intake: spicy, salty foods, hot drinks, chocolate. Sweat appears on the face around the mouth and forehead.
2. Profuse sweating occurs during times of stress, negative emotions, or fear.
3. Almost everyone experiences excessive sweating during physical activity. During activities, muscles increase the production of thermal energy, the excess of which is released along with sweat. But if weakness and dizziness occur, you need to rule out health problems.
4. Excessive sweating can be caused by hot, dry air.
5. Sweating can be caused by improperly selected clothing and shoes.

Pathological sweating occurs in response to changes in the functioning of internal organs:

What causes sweating in women? Excessive sweating can occur due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, menstruation or menopause. During these periods, insufficient or excessive production of hormones occurs. The condition may be accompanied by weakness, irritability, and decreased activity.

Why do you worry about sweating all over your body at night? If you have recently been bothered by increased sweating at night, then this is a reason to consult a doctor. The causes of excessive sweating in this case are most often associated with the onset of ARVI or influenza, diseases of the respiratory organs (pneumonia, tuberculosis), thyroid gland, oncology, fungal infection, hepatitis and other infections.

Therapeutic actions

Treatment of excessive sweating begins with examination and identification of the cause of excessive sweating. The following remedies may be prescribed to combat the problem causing sweating:

1. Antiperspirants or deodorants based on natural ingredients help against hypersweating.
2. Medicines based on belladonna alkaloids will help eliminate unpleasant symptoms: Bellaspon, Belloid.
3. Ointments and creams based on zinc are well absorbed and distributed over the surface. For example, Calamine cream, which eliminates irritation and inflammation, and, among other things, prevents the addition of bacterial and fungal infections.
4. Treatment is allowed to be accompanied by soothing decoctions based on motherwort, chamomile, and string. They can be taken orally or added to the bath. Medications that may be prescribed include: Persen, Novo-Passit, Glycine, Valerian.
5. If an infection occurs, an antibacterial or antifungal agent helps cure sweating.
6. How to defeat sweat and get rid of its smell? Physiotherapeutic procedures are considered effective: iontophoresis, pine baths, electrophoresis.
7. Hyperhidrosis can be treated with laser therapy. During the procedure, the sweat glands are destroyed by laser.
8. Treatment of hyperhidrosis may be accompanied by subcutaneous injection of Botox, which temporarily blocks the functioning of the sweat glands.
9. In severe cases, a decision may be made to undergo surgery.

How to treat excessive sweating at home? In parallel, treatment with folk remedies can be carried out:

1. If there are no contraindications, then it is useful to visit baths and saunas in case of increased sweating.
2. When treating excessive sweating, it is useful to drink teas based on herbs with a calming effect: motherwort, lemon balm, mint, birch buds. The healing composition will help not only improve the nervous system, but also cleanse the body of toxins.
3. The area of ​​excessive sweating can be treated with fruit or herb juice with a pleasant smell.
4. Compresses help eliminate excessive sweating. For this procedure, it is enough to make a decoction of medicinal herbs such as chamomile, string, and yarrow. A gauze bandage should be soaked in the composition and applied to the problem area. Compresses help normalize the functioning of the sweat glands, relieve irritation and swelling.
5. A couple of times a week, to combat excessive sweating, you can add pine needle extract or sea salt to your bathtub.
6. A solution of Chlorophyllipt or salicylic acid helps with excessive sweating.
7. It is helpful to apply baby powder to dry, clean skin. The included components can reduce sweat production, eliminate odor and relieve irritation.

Other groups of medications may also be prescribed, such as antihistamines, anti-inflammatory drugs, immunomodulators, vitamins and minerals.

It can even be pleasant to sweat profusely in a bathhouse or sauna, or to sweat profusely during physical activity in the gym. Excessive sweating is normal for the human body. However, sometimes it becomes a problem. Excessive sweating in humans is called hyperhidrosis. It is imperative to understand the reasons for this condition, because the inconveniences we experience signal to us that we need to pay attention to our health, and the sooner the better.

The mechanism of sweating in the body

On the surface of our body there are about 2-3 million glands that produce sweat. Their activities are controlled by nerve signals. Skin receptors react to heat, food, overheating of the body as a result of stress or illness. Nerve impulses stimulate fluid production during sleep and wakefulness. Moreover, all this happens without the participation of consciousness. No one has ever been able to dry their armpits by force of will. Why is it that in 1 case out of 10 sweating is higher than normal, too profuse?

Profuse sweating in a person can be observed both on the entire body and on individual parts. Excessive sweating of the whole body is called generalized hyperhidrosis. In the second case, when one thing sweats profusely: the head, armpits, arms, legs, back, groin area - this is local hyperhidrosis.

Causes of local hyperhidrosis

Copious, excessive sweating in certain parts of the body (legs, arms, armpits, head, face, etc.) is observed in both men and women.

Moreover, the reasons for such selective sweating may be different.

Before we start fighting hyperhidrosis, let’s look at what profuse sweating in certain parts of the body may indicate in men and women.

Extremities sweat profusely

The most common problem in men and women is profuse sweating of the extremities. Moreover, for some reason, women suffer from this disease much more often. By the way, they say that in Great Britain, a husband even has the legal right to divorce his wife if her feet are cold and wet. But in South American countries, the sweaty smell is considered stimulating.

According to experts, it is in these places on the body that there are too many sweat glands that are simply doing their job. There is also an incorrect, too strong reaction of the body to such stimuli as physical exercise, warm weather, and emotional experiences. In a situation of stress, sweating can become very profuse and exceed the norm by 10 times. Such sweating can already be called not just profuse, but excessive.

Why does my face sweat a lot?

Some people experience profuse sweating on the face. As a rule, this happens more often during the day rather than during sleep. They want to take out a handkerchief, blot their forehead and the area above the upper lip.

More often, men suffer from facial local hyperhidrosis. The reason for this is various factors:

• Tea, coffee, alcohol or other hot and intoxicating drinks.
• Chocolate, honey and other sweets.
• Spicy dishes.
• Thyroid disease.
• Damage to the facial nerve in newborns. This happens if the doctor uses obstetric forceps.

Causes of profuse sweating of the head

According to statistics, the head sweats more often in women than in men. Although many ladies wear voluminous hair in the heat and do not sweat a bit. Some representatives of the fair sex, even in cool weather, are forced to wash their hair every day due to excessive sweating. Increased sweating on the head, especially often occurs in women and men at night, during sleep. The head may sweat profusely for several reasons:

• Excess weight (here profuse sweating may be caused by a metabolic disorder, which obese people often suffer from).
• Problems with the endocrine system (here hormonal changes or diabetes mellitus lead to sweating of the head).
• Diseases of the nervous system (hyperhirdosis in this case is a consequence of stress, panic attacks).
• Hypertension (sweating in the head area is caused by changes in intracranial pressure);
• external factors (it may simply be hot in the room where a sweating person sleeps).
• Synthetic bedding and accessories.

Generalized hyperhidrosis

In this condition, the whole body is literally drenched in profuse sweat, regardless of the ambient temperature. The weather may not be hot at all, the person does not engage in sports or any physical work. If this is exactly what happens, experts advise carrying out a thorough diagnosis of the body, because the reasons for constantly having to change shirts that are soaked with sweat may lie in a variety of diseases and no deodorant will save you. Here are just a few of them:

• Excessive sweating is one of the signs of hyperthyroidism.
• Diabetics sweat a lot in their armpits, hands and face, but their feet, on the contrary, can be excessively dry.
• With obesity, sweating also becomes profuse, because the energy that comes from food is not consumed due to the sedentary lifestyle that overweight people lead. They often have metabolic problems and other pathologies, which also leads to profuse sweating.
• Hormonal imbalance leads to the fact that a person often gets a fever; it happens that during sleep he sweats so much that the bed linen needs to be replaced. This is especially true for men during puberty, women during the menstrual period and during menopause.
• The course of infectious diseases (ARVI, tuberculosis, brucellosis and others) is characterized by copious sweat production.
• High sweating can occur with problems with the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as with genetic, tumor and neurological diseases.
• Abstinence syndrome or withdrawal or overdose of medications can cause profuse sweating.
• It can make a man or woman sweat in case of acute food or chemical poisoning.

Purely women's problems

The cause of profuse sweating in women can be natural hormonal processes in the body:

• Puberty.
• Menstrual cycles.
• Climax.

Sweat is produced especially profusely at night, during sleep. This may be local hyperhidrosis or general increased sweating of the entire body, armpits, head and limbs. The main danger is that during bouts of profuse sweating, a woman tries to cool down: she unwraps herself, opens windows, and creates drafts. An incorrect assessment of your condition at these moments often leads to colds and the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, which aggravates the situation. At night, you can take herbal sedatives; there should be no nervous activity during sleep.

Hormonal medications help during these periods. However, you should not take them during your menstrual cycles. Warm baths before bedtime will help you get rid of profuse sweating during your period:

• with sea salt,
• chamomile,
• lavender,
• a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Also, eliminate synthetic materials from your bedding sets. Thick cotton fabrics (satin, calico, knitwear) are also best left until the end of the process. Use items made from light chintz or natural silk. After taking a bath or shower, dry your body with a cotton towel and apply powder (talc, starch). The use of cosmetics (deodorant, antiperspirant) is not recommended.

How to deal with excessive sweating

In most cases, people use only cosmetic products, without thinking about the causes of sweating, until it becomes profuse and deodorant no longer provides an opportunity to get rid of the smell of sweat. Deodorants help relieve excessive discharge in the areas of the feet and armpits. Sprays only help get rid of odor; roll-on deodorant has a creamy base and allows you to block sweating for a while. Cosmetics such as roll-on and gel deodorant are more effective in the fight for a clean armpit area. A special deodorant is produced for legs, so you should not use the same product for legs and armpits.

Excessive sweating must be treated. To do this, you need to be examined for the presence of the diseases listed above.

Traditional and traditional medicine offers a wide range of solutions to the problems of sweating during sleep and wakefulness at any age. As a rule, when the illness that causes profuse sweating is treated, the problem resolves on its own. In case of genetic predisposition or chronic diseases, a local effect on the sweat glands is applied. The smell will be removed by deodorant, powder, ointment, gel.

Thus, people who suffer from any type of hyperhidrosis need to understand whether high sweating is an independent disease or whether some other serious illness needs to be urgently treated. In any case, it is necessary to treat profuse sweating; cosmetic products alone will not get rid of this problem.

What is the cause of profuse sweating and how to deal with it?

Working up a good sweat in a bathhouse or sauna, sweating profusely during physical activity in the gym - it can even be pleasant. Excessive sweating is normal for the human body. However, sometimes it becomes a problem. in humans it is called hyperhidrosis. It is imperative to understand the reasons for this condition, because the inconveniences we experience signal to us that we need to pay attention to our health, and the sooner the better.

The mechanism of sweating in the body

On the surface of our body there are about 2-3 million glands that produce sweat. Their activities are controlled by nerve signals. Skin receptors react to heat, food, overheating of the body as a result of stress or illness. Nerve impulses stimulate fluid production during sleep and wakefulness. Moreover, all this happens without the participation of consciousness. No one has ever been able to dry their armpits by force of will. Why is it that in 1 case out of 10 sweating is higher than normal, too profuse?

Profuse sweating in a person can be observed both on the entire body and on individual parts. Excessive sweating of the whole body is called generalized hyperhidrosis. In the second case, when it is abundant in the armpits, arms, legs, back, groin area - this is local hyperhidrosis.

Causes of local hyperhidrosis

Abundant, in certain parts of the body (legs, arms, armpits, head, face, etc.) is observed in both men and women.

Moreover, the reasons for such selective sweating may be different.

Before we start fighting hyperhidrosis, let’s look at what profuse sweating in certain parts of the body may indicate in men and women.

Extremities sweat profusely

The most common problem in men and women is profuse sweating of the extremities. Moreover, for some reason, women suffer from this disease much more often. By the way, they say that in Great Britain, a husband even has the legal right to divorce his wife if her feet are cold and wet. But in South American countries, the sweaty smell is considered stimulating.

According to experts, it is in these places on the body that there are too many cells that are simply doing their job. There is also an incorrect, too strong reaction of the body to such stimuli as physical exercise, warm weather, and emotional experiences. In a situation of stress, sweating can become very profuse and exceed the norm by 10 times. Such sweating can already be called not just profuse, but excessive.

Why does my face sweat a lot?

Some people experience profuse sweating on the face. As a rule, this happens more often during the day rather than during sleep. They want to take out a handkerchief, blot their forehead and the area above the upper lip.

More often, men suffer from facial local hyperhidrosis. The reason for this is various factors:

• Tea, coffee, alcohol or other hot and intoxicating drinks.
• Chocolate, honey and other sweets.
• Spicy dishes.
• Thyroid disease.
• Damage to the facial nerve in newborns. This happens if the doctor uses obstetric forceps.

Causes of profuse sweating of the head

According to statistics, the head sweats more often in women than in men. Although many ladies wear voluminous hair in the heat and do not sweat a bit. Some representatives of the fair sex, even in cool weather, are forced to wash their hair every day due to excessive sweating. Increased sweating on the head, especially often occurs in women and men at night, during sleep. The head may sweat profusely for several reasons:

• Excess weight (here profuse sweating may be caused by a metabolic disorder, which obese people often suffer from).
• Problems with the endocrine system (here hormonal changes or diabetes mellitus lead to sweating of the head).
• Diseases of the nervous system (hyperhirdosis in this case is a consequence of stress, panic attacks).
• Hypertension (sweating in the head area is caused by changes in intracranial pressure);
• external factors (it may simply be hot in the room where a sweating person sleeps).
• Synthetic bedding and accessories.

Generalized hyperhidrosis

In this condition, the whole body is literally drenched in profuse sweat, regardless of the ambient temperature. The weather may not be hot at all, the person does not engage in sports or any physical work. If this is exactly what happens, experts advise carrying out a thorough diagnosis of the body, because the reasons for constantly having to change shirts that are soaked with sweat may lie in a variety of diseases and no deodorant will save you. Here are just a few of them:

• Excessive sweating is one of the signs of hyperthyroidism.
• Diabetics have severe dryness in their hands and face, but their feet, on the contrary, can be excessively dry.
• With obesity, sweating also becomes profuse, because the energy that comes from food is not consumed due to the sedentary lifestyle that overweight people lead. They often have metabolic problems and other pathologies, which also leads to profuse sweating.
• Hormonal imbalance leads to the fact that a person often gets a fever; it happens that during sleep he sweats so much that the bed linen needs to be replaced. This is especially true for men during puberty, women during the menstrual period and during menopause.
• The course of infectious diseases (ARVI, tuberculosis, brucellosis and others) is characterized by copious sweat production.
• can manifest itself in problems with the kidneys and cardiovascular system, as well as in genetic, tumor and neurological diseases.
• Abstinence syndrome or withdrawal or overdose of medications can cause profuse sweating.
• It can make a man or woman sweat in case of acute food or chemical poisoning.

Purely women's problems

The cause of profuse sweating in women can be natural hormonal processes in the body:

• Puberty.
• Menstrual cycles.
• Climax.

Sweat is produced especially profusely at night, during sleep. This may be local hyperhidrosis or general increased sweating of the entire body, armpits, head and limbs. The main danger is that during bouts of profuse sweating, a woman tries to cool down: she unwraps herself, opens windows, and creates drafts. An incorrect assessment of your condition at these moments often leads to colds and the occurrence of inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system, which aggravates the situation. At night, you can take herbal sedatives; there should be no nervous activity during sleep.

Hormonal medications help during these periods. However, you should not take them during your menstrual cycles. Warm baths before bedtime will help you get rid of profuse sweating during your period:

• with sea salt,
• chamomile,
• lavender,
• a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Also, eliminate synthetic materials from your bedding sets. Thick cotton fabrics (satin, calico, knitwear) are also best left until the end of the process. Use items made from light chintz or natural silk. After taking a bath or shower, dry your body with a cotton towel and apply powder (talc, starch). The use of cosmetics (deodorant, antiperspirant) is not recommended.

How to deal with excessive sweating

In most cases, people use only cosmetic products, without thinking about the causes of sweating, until it becomes profuse and deodorant no longer provides an opportunity to get rid of the smell of sweat. Deodorants help relieve excessive discharge in the areas of the feet and armpits. Sprays only help get rid of odor; roll-on deodorant has a creamy base and allows you to block sweating for a while. Cosmetics such as roll-on and gel in the fight for a clean armpit area. A special deodorant is produced for legs, so you should not use the same product for legs and armpits.

Excessive sweating must be treated. To do this, you need to be examined for the presence of the diseases listed above.

Traditional and traditional medicine offers a wide range of solutions to the problems of sweating during sleep and wakefulness at any age. As a rule, when the illness that causes profuse sweating is treated, the problem resolves on its own. In case of genetic predisposition or chronic diseases, a local effect is applied. The smell will be removed by deodorant, powder, ointment, gel.

Thus, people who suffer from any type of hyperhidrosis need to understand whether it is an independent disease or whether some other serious illness needs to be urgently treated. In any case, it is necessary to treat profuse sweating; cosmetic products alone will not get rid of this problem.

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

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

Primary or idiopathic hyperhidrosis

Secondary hyperhidrosis

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

Localized hyperhidrosis

• 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

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

Excessive sweating under the arms (axillary hyperhidrosis)

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

• 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)

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)

Heavy facial sweating

Features of excessive sweating in various situations

Heavy sweating at night (during sleep)

Night sweats can be idiopathic or secondary. Moreover, if such sweating is secondary, then this indicates a severe systemic infectious or oncological disease. The causes of secondary night sweats can be the following diseases:

• 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

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

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

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

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

Heavy sweating - causes

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

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 are diseases of 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)

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 with 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, drugs 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

• 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);

Excessive sweating is a problem familiar to many. It can seriously ruin the quality of life in any area: in personal relationships, in communication with other people, at work. A person who sweats excessively sometimes evokes pity from others. But most often they treat him with disgust. Such a person is forced to move less, she avoids shaking hands. Hugs are generally taboo for her. As a result, a person loses contact with the world. To reduce the severity of their problem, people resort to various cosmetic products or folk remedies. At the same time, they don’t think at all that such a condition can be dictated by illnesses. It is important to understand what diseases cause a person to sweat a lot? After all, you can get rid of symptoms only by eliminating the pathology that provoked it.

Main reasons

The problem of this unpleasant phenomenon continues to be studied by doctors to this day. And, unfortunately, if a person knows what this means, doctors cannot always explain.

However, experts have identified several main causes of hyperhidrosis, or increased sweating:

1. Pathology is caused by diseases that occur in a latent or open form.
2. Taking certain medications.
3. An individual characteristic of the body, which is most often inherited.

But often the problem is hidden in illnesses. Therefore, it is very important to understand under what diseases a person sweats a lot.

Doctors say that hyperhidrosis can be triggered by:

• endocrine disorders;
• infectious pathologies;
• neurological diseases;
• tumors;
• genetic failure;
• kidney diseases;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• acute poisoning;
• withdrawal syndrome.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Endocrine diseases

Any disturbances in this system almost always provoke hyperhidrosis. For example, why do people with diabetes sweat a lot? This is due to increased metabolism, vasodilation and increased blood flow.

The most common systems are:

1. Hyperthyroidism. The pathology is characterized by increased functioning of the thyroid gland. In addition to excessive sweating, other symptoms of the disease are often present. A person with hyperthyroidism has a tumor on his neck. Its size reaches a chicken egg, and sometimes more. A characteristic sign of the disease are protruding eyes. Increased sweating is provoked by thyroid hormones, leading to strong heat generation. As a result, the body “turns on” protection against overheating.
2. Diabetes. A serious pathology characterized by increased levels of glucose in the blood. Sweating in diabetes manifests itself in quite a peculiar way. The upper region (face, palms, armpits) suffers from hyperhidrosis. And the lower one, on the contrary, is excessively dry. Additional symptoms indicating diabetes are: excess weight, frequent urination at night, feeling constantly thirsty, and high irritability.
3. Obesity. In obese people, the functioning of the endocrine glands is disrupted. In addition, the basis of hyperhidrosis is lack of exercise and addiction to unhealthy diets. Spicy food and an abundance of spices can activate the work
4. Pheochromocytoma. The underlying cause of the disease is a tumor of the adrenal glands. With the disease, hyperglycemia, weight loss and increased sweating are observed. Symptoms are accompanied by high blood pressure and rapid heartbeat.

Women suffer from increased hyperhidrosis during menopause. This phenomenon is dictated by disrupted hormonal levels.

Infectious pathologies

Hyperhidrosis is very typical of such ailments. It is easy to explain why a person sweats a lot during infectious pathologies. The reasons are hidden in the heat transfer mechanism by which the body reacts to increased temperature.

Infectious diseases that increase sweat production include:

1. Flu, ARVI. Severe sweating is characteristic of a person at the initial stage of the disease. This reaction is dictated precisely by high temperature.
2. Bronchitis. The pathology is accompanied by severe hypothermia. Accordingly, the body tries to protect itself and normalize heat transfer.
3. Tuberculosis. This disease is the answer to the question of what disease causes a person to sweat a lot at night. After all, hyperhidrosis during sleep is a classic symptom of pulmonary tuberculosis. However, the mechanism of development of such a trait has not yet been fully established.
4. Brucellosis. The pathology is transmitted to humans from animals through contaminated milk. The symptom of the disease is prolonged fever. The disease affects the musculoskeletal, nervous, and reproductive systems. Leads to enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, and liver.
5. Malaria. The carrier of the disease is known to be the mosquito. With pathology, a person experiences: relapsing fever, profuse sweating and bouts of chills.
6. Septicemia. This diagnosis is made to a person who has bacteria in his blood. Most often these are streptococci and staphylococci. The disease is characterized by: severe chills, fever, excessive sweating and sudden temperature rises to very high levels.
7. Syphilis. The disease can affect the nerve fibers that are responsible for the production of sweat. Therefore, hyperhidrosis is often observed with syphilis.

Neurological diseases

Certain lesions of the central nervous system can cause a person to sweat profusely.

The causes of hyperhidrosis are sometimes hidden in diseases:

1. Parkinsonism. In pathology, the autonomic system is damaged. As a result, the patient often experiences increased sweating in the facial area.
2. Tabes dorsalis. The disease is characterized by destruction of the posterior columns and roots of the spinal cord. The patient loses peripheral reflexes and vibration sensitivity. A characteristic symptom is severe sweating.
3. Stroke. The disease is based on damage to the arteries of the brain. Disturbances can affect the thermoregulation center. In this case, the patient experiences severe and persistent hyperhidrosis.

Oncological pathologies

Fever and excessive sweating are symptoms that almost always accompany these pathologies, especially at the stage of metastases.

Let's consider diseases in which hyperhidrosis is the most common symptom:

1. Hodgkin's disease. In medicine it is called lymphogranulomatosis. The basis of the disease is tumor damage to the lymph nodes. The initial symptom of the disease is increased sweating at night.
2. Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. This is a tumor of lymphoid tissue. Such formations lead to stimulation of the thermoregulation center in the brain. As a result, the patient experiences increased sweat production, especially at night.
3. Compression by spinal cord metastases. In this case, the autonomic system suffers, which causes an increase in sweating.

Kidney pathologies

It is necessary to know what diseases cause a person to sweat a lot.

Doctors provide the following list of kidney pathologies:

• urolithiasis disease;
• pyelonephritis;
• glomerulonephritis;
• uremia;
• eclampsia.

Cardiovascular diseases

Acute hyperhidrosis almost always accompanies the acute stages. What diseases cause a person to sweat a lot? As a rule, such symptoms are observed with the following ailments:

• myocardial infarction;
• hypertonic disease;
• thrombophlebitis;
• rheumatism;
• cardiac ischemia.

Withdrawal syndrome

This phenomenon is typical for people dependent on various types of chemicals. This condition is especially pronounced in drug addicts or alcoholics. As soon as the chemical stimulant stops entering the body, a person experiences severe hyperhidrosis. In this case, the condition persists for the entire period while the “withdrawal” occurs.

Withdrawal syndrome can also be observed when stopping medications. A person reacts with increased sweating to the withdrawal of insulin or analgesic.

Acute poisoning

This is another serious cause of hyperhidrosis. If a person sweats a lot, it is necessary to analyze what food he ate or what chemicals he interacted with.

Often similar symptoms are caused by poisoning caused by:

• mushrooms (fly agarics);
• organophosphorus poisons, which are used to combat insects or rodents.

As a rule, a person experiences not only increased sweating, but also characteristic lacrimation and salivation. Constriction of the pupils is observed.

Psycho-emotional sphere

Very often, troubles at work and failures in your personal life can lead to such symptoms. In other words, any severe stress can cause hyperhidrosis.

Nervous tension, acute pain or fear often lead to an unpleasant symptom. No wonder, when talking about extreme emotional stress, a person emphasizes: “I broke into a cold sweat.”

It has been noticed that as soon as the problem that “keeps” the person under stress for a long time is resolved, increased hyperhidrosis disappears.

What to do?

It is very important to understand that the presence of hyperhidrosis is a serious reason to be examined in the hospital. Only after a thorough diagnosis can a doctor tell what disease a person is sweating a lot.

It is very important to answer the doctor’s following questions correctly and in detail:

1. When did the excessive sweating start?
2. Frequency of attacks.
3. What circumstances provoke hyperhidrosis?

Do not forget that many of the pathologies can occur in a latent form. Therefore, a person can feel good for a long time. And only periodic attacks of sweating signal that not everything is fine in the body.