Excessive sweating often makes people who experience it feel uncomfortable, especially if the trigger is not clear. Although it looks mild and generally harmless, this condition should not be ignored, because excessive sweating can be a sign of an illness.
Sweating is one of the body's natural processes to adjust body temperature to the external environment. This process works by excreting fluid containing salt through the sweat glands.
Normally, the body will sweat when doing strenuous activities, eating spicy food, or when feeling certain emotions such as anger, shame, fear, or panic. In addition, some medical conditions such as hyperthyroidism and fever can also trigger the body to sweat excessively.
Another case with excessive sweating that occurs without a trigger. This condition is called hyperhidrosis and usually occurs due to certain diseases.
Types of Excessive Sweating Conditions
There are two types of excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis, namely: primary focal hyperhidrosis and secondary general hyperhidrosis. Here is the explanation:
Primary focal hyperhidrosis
A person with the condition primary focal hyperhidrosis You will experience excessive sweating in certain body parts, such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, armpits, or just the head and face.
The affected area of the body is usually symmetrical, for example, if the right palm is sweating a lot, the left palm will also experience the same thing. This type of excessive sweating can be caused by a problem with the functioning of the nervous system.
Primary focal hyperhidrosis generally begins to occur in adolescence and adulthood. However, if you are middle-aged or older and experience excessive sweating in one part of the body, it is advisable to consult a doctor.
Secondary general hyperhidrosis
Excessive sweating of this type occurs in all parts of the body and usually occurs at night. This condition can be caused by certain diseases, such as:
- Thyroid disorders
- Tuberculosis
- Menopause
- Heart failure
- stroke
- Cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia
- Parkinson's disease
- Diabetes
- spinal injury
- Lung disease
- Anxiety disorders
- Alcohol addiction
Pregnancy can also make you have a condition of excessive sweating. In addition, medication and consumption of certain supplements can also be a cause of excessive sweating, such as antibiotics, drugs for blood pressure, medications for dry mouth, and medications used to treat mental health problems.
Things to Pay Attention to from Excessive Sweating
You are advised to see a doctor if you experience excessive sweating and it is accompanied by the following:
- The amount of sweat that comes out is increasing or causing skin irritation in the armpits and dark underarms.
- Woke up with a very wet mattress at night due to cold sweat that came out of the body.
- Excessive sweating occurs on one side of the body, for example only in the right groin.
- All parts of the body experience excessive sweating and not just in certain parts.
- If excessive sweating is accompanied by symptoms of insomnia, increased thirst, fatigue, coughing, or frequent urination.
- Excessive sweating occurs without an obvious trigger and lasts for 6 months or more.
- Begins to interfere with daily activities.
- Accompanied by weight loss, chest pain, fever, fast heartbeat, chest tightness, or shortness of breath.
Usually the doctor will perform several tests to determine the cause of the excessive sweating you are experiencing. Several types of tests that can be done are physical examinations, urine tests, blood tests, and blood tests thermoregulatory.
How to Overcome Excessive Sweating
Basically the handling of excessive sweating is done according to the cause. So, if excessive sweating occurs in diabetics, the treatment is done by controlling blood sugar.
In addition, the easiest way to deal with excessive sweating is to use over-the-counter antiperspirant products in various forms, such as lotions, roll-on, and spray.
In addition to the things above, there are other ways to deal with excessive sweating according to the cause, such as:
1. Drugs
Giving anticholinergic drugs can overcome excessive sweating that occurs as a whole. However, because it can cause side effects such as constipation and dizziness when used long term, you should use this drug under the supervision of a doctor.
2. Botox injections
In addition, if excessive sweating only occurs in one particular part of the body, the doctor will suggest a Botox injection procedure which aims to stop the nerve activity that triggers excessive sweating.
3. Operation
Several medical conditions can cause excessive sweating. If you experience generalized excessive sweating and is caused by a thyroid disorder, your doctor will usually perform thyroid surgery.
Another way is to perform surgery to remove the sweat glands or cut the nerves in the chest that can trigger excessive sweating.
In addition, doctors can also do iontophoresis, which is a treatment using low-voltage electrical stimulation to temporarily stop the function of the sweat glands.
Not all sweat is a sign of a disease. However, if the sweat that comes out is very profuse and accompanied by other symptoms, you need to be vigilant. Immediately consult a doctor to find out what the cause is so that appropriate treatment can be carried out.