Excessive sweating

WHAT IS IT?

Hiposudol - WHAT IS IT?

Excessive sweating is an excess of sweat produced spontaneously without the need to be directly related to high temperatures or emotional or physical tension or stress.

Excessive sweating does not usually cause complications, but it can increase your risk of skin infections. The main problem experienced by people with excessive sweating is its negative impact on their social and emotional life, as well as their interpersonal relationships.

Excessive sweating can present in two ways:

  • Primary excessive sweating: it tends to be localised to specific areas of the body, mainly the armpits, hands and feet. Its causes are unknown, but it sometimes has a strong hereditary component.
  • Secondary excessive sweating: it tends to present in a localised or generalised manner, affecting most of the body. It has a secondary cause such as an underlying disease or the use of certain medicines.

 

Primary excessive sweating occurs during the day and improves during sleep, whereas the secondary form tends to occur at night while you are asleep.

LOCATION OF EXCESSIVE SWEATING

Hiposudol - LOCATION OF EXCESSIVE SWEATING

The following sites are affected:

  • Armpits.
  • Hands (usually the palms).
  • Feet.
  • Face, especially the forehead area.
  • Back.

CAUSES

STRESS STRESS

UNSUITABLE CLOTHING UNSUITABLE CLOTHING

DIET DIET

GENETICS GENETICS

The exact causes of excessive sweating are unknown, although the data suggest that in some cases there may be a genetic predisposition.

Emotional factors such as stress, tension or anxiety can increase the activity of sweat glands, thus aggravating excessive sweating.

In some cases, sweating can be the result of a mixed fungal or bacterial infection.

TREATMENT/SOLUTIONS

DIET AND LIFESTYLE MEASURES

  • Use light clothing that lets skin breathe. Opt for fabrics made of synthetic fibres that repel sweat and keep clothing dry.
  • Keep your home and workplace cool and well ventilated.
  • Avoid consuming alcohol, coffee, tea and spicy food. Do not smoke. These can all stimulate sweat production.
  • Reduce or avoid psychological factors associated with sweating such as stress, tension and anxiety.
  • Step up your body hygiene and use deodorant products to reduce body odour.
  • Try to carry a change of clothing with you so as to be able to get changed over the course of the day if needed.

ANTIPERSPIRANTS

Antiperspirants are products that inhibit sweating, unlike deodorants, which merely try to minimise odour.

Currently, the antiperspirants having shown the greatest effectiveness, and which are used as first-line treatment, are those containing topically applied aluminium salts. Aluminium hydrochloride is highly effective for cases of mild-to-moderate sweating, while aluminium chloride hexahydrate is very powerful in cases of moderate-to-severe sweating.

OTHER TREATMENTS
IN SEVERE CASES

In very severe causes, provided topical antiperspirants have been tried but results were not seen, doctors may prescribe other forms of treatment.

In these cases, treatments include:

  • Oral anticholinergic medications.
  • The topical anticholinergic glycopyrrolate at concentrations between 0.5 and 2%, usually used to treat facial excessive sweating.
  • A technique known as iontophoresis.
  • Botulinum toxin.
  • Laser removal of sweat glands.
  • A surgical procedure called transthoracic sympathectomy. The nerves responsible for sweating in the armpits and hands are removed, but the main disadvantage is that compensatory excessive sweating can appear in other areas.