Hyperhidrosis is a condition which affects the function of the sweat glands in the body. You may find that it can affect the entire body or it can just affect one part of the body. Primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis are the two main types of hyperhidrosis. Although there is usually no evident cause for primary hyperhidrosis, secondary hyperhidrosis is usually caused by another underlying health condition such as an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Hyperhidrosis affects approximately three percent of the population in England and it is a very common condition.
One of the common symptoms of this condition can be excessive facial sweating. Hyperhidrosis which affects the face will result in large amounts of perspiration affecting certain parts of the face such as lips, nose or forehead. It can also result in the neck and scalp sweating profusely. Excessive sweating is the term which would describe continuous dripping sweat in any one area which needs to be wiped constantly.
Although it used to be the assumption that primary hyperhidrosis was a condition that was psychological this has now been discredited. Research has shown that those suffering from hyperhydrosis will not be any more likely to suffer from stress or anxiety as someone who doesn’t have the condition. These researchers also discovered that the most probable cause of primary hyperhidrosis is to do with a person’s genes.
In contrast, secondary hyperhidrosis can be caused by a number of underlying health conditions including heart failure, pregnancy, respiratory failure, hyperthyroidism, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse gout and obesity. Certain cancers, infections, medications and neurological disorders can also result in secondary hyperhidrosis.
You may want to know how to stop sweating but lifestyle changes cannot cure primary hyperhidrosis. However there are treatments that can improve the symptoms. Treating secondary hyperhidrosis will obviously depend on the underlying cause.