Do you ask yourself… why do I sweat so much? Excessive sweating causes a person to have many inconveniences throughout their daily lives. Known as hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating is a common ailment that affects millions of people worldwide. The condition easily interrupts all aspects of their quality of life. Hyperhidrosis can cause of social concerns for people who are suffering from the disorder. It may cause problems in school and work environments, limit outside activities due to excessive moisture and resulting smell, and can make people nervous about being in social settings. As nervousness typically creates more sweat in reaction to glandular responses, the problem is exacerbated and sufferers are caught in a vicious cycle.
Why Do We Need To Sweat?
Sweating is a natural human function that is needed to help regulate body temperatures. The moisture leaving the body through millions of skin pores rests on the surface of the skin. It is then evaporated through the environmental air. This results in the overall body temperature being lowered. Cooling is not the only thing sweating does for a person. It also removes toxins and impurities from the bloodstream and helps purify the blood.
Many people do not realize that they sweat even on cold days. The human body is made up of two-thirds water and a great deal of this is excreted each day through sweating, with or without strenuous activity. Sweating, although uncomfortable and unflattering, is necessary to our survival.
What Causes Excessive Sweating?
There are many different things that can cause excessive sweating. These things include: menopause, some types of prescription drugs, malfunctions of the pituitary and thyroid glands and anxiety related to nervousness. It can be generalized and involve the entire body or be localized and affect only parts of the body. It is common for the hands, feet, armpits and back to be most affected in localized hyperhidrosis.
There are two distinctions made with types of hyperhidrosis. Individuals with primary hyperhidrosis begin to show symptoms in adolescence or earlier. It is considered a genetic inheritance through an autosomal dominant genetic trait. Secondary hyperhidrosis can begin at any stage of life. Hyperhidrosis is separated into further into palmoplantar hyperhidrosis affecting primarily the hands or feet, and generalized hyperhidrosis, also known as gustatory hyperhidrosis, affecting the entire body.
Sweating Is A Fact Of Life
Everyone sweats to some degree based on their activity, their environment and their diet. People suffering from hyperhidrosis however, have to constantly manage their condition. Due to social stigmas associated with the disorder, people around the sufferer and unfamiliar with the condition may simply believe the person does not bathe regularly. With proper management however, excessive sweating is easier for individuals to live with. There are also options such as surgery that may help manage or correct the disorder. There will always be problems related to the anxiety excessive sweating causes. However, there are many treatments available to help individuals deal with this condition that will greatly improve their daily lives.
