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Jul 19, 2024 · Causes. By Mayo Clinic Staff. If excessive sweating has no underlying medical cause, it's called primary hyperhidrosis. It happens when excess sweating is not triggered by a rise in temperature or physical activity.
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Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating. It causes your body to sweat more than it needs to, sometimes for no apparent reason. This condition may make you feel uncomfortable or embarrassed, but it’s common. A healthcare provider can help you find treatment that manages your symptoms. It could include special antiperspirants, medications or therapies.
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What are the symptoms of hyperhidrosis?
The main symptom of hyperhidrosis is sweating. When you sweat, you may feel: Wetness on your skin. Damp clothing. Beads of fluid dripping from your cheeks or forehead. Over time, hyperhidrosis can lead to the following symptoms: Itching and inflammation when sweat irritates your skin. Body odor, which occurs when bacteria on your skin mixes with sweat particles. Cracked or peeling skin on your feet. Hyperhidrosis symptoms can range in severity. You may have minor symptoms that come and go or you may have constant symptoms that have an impact on your day-to-day activities. Hyperhidrosis can also have an emotional impact on your life. Many people who have hyperhidrosis feel embarrassed when they sweat or they might avoid being around other people. If this condition affects your mental health, reach out to a healthcare provider to help you manage your symptoms and a mental health professional to help you manage how you feel about your body.
What causes hyperhidrosis?
Overactive sweat glands cause hyperhidrosis. Your eccrine glands (sweat glands) create sweat to cool down your body when you get hot. This process activates when you exercise or if you’re nervous. If you have hyperhidrosis, your eccrine glands activate and produce sweat more often than when your body is too hot. You may experience sweating at random times of the day when there isn’t something like an activity or emotion causing your glands to produce sweat. Research is ongoing to learn more about why your glands make too much sweat.
Does hyperhidrosis run in families?
Yes, you may be more at risk of hyperhidrosis, specifically focal hyperhidrosis, if someone in your biological family has the condition. Research indicates that a hereditary genetic mutation or change to your DNA could cause hyperhidrosis.
How is hyperhidrosis diagnosed?
A healthcare provider will diagnose hyperhidrosis after a physical exam and learning more about your symptoms and medical history. They’ll evaluate your symptoms using diagnostic criteria. If you experienced excessive sweating for at least six months and answered yes to at least two of the following questions, it may lead to a hyperhidrosis diagnosis: Sweating occurs on your underarms, palms, soles or face. You sweat the same on both sides of your body. You don’t sweat at night or sweat less at night. An episode of sweating lasts for at least one week. You have a history of hyperhidrosis in your biological family. Sweating interferes with your ability to do certain activities. You’re younger than 25 years old.
How is hyperhidrosis treated?
Treatment for hyperhidrosis varies based on the part of the body affected, the severity of your diagnosis and what treatment options work for you. A healthcare provider or a dermatologist can help you find the best treatment options to help you manage your symptoms. There isn’t one form of treatment that works well for everyone.
How soon after treatment will I feel better?
You may feel better immediately after you begin treatment, or it may take a few weeks to months before you notice any changes to your symptoms. The timeline for each type of treatment varies. Your provider can let you know what to expect with each type of treatment option. Care at Cleveland Clinic Find a Primary Care Provider Schedule an Appointment
Can hyperhidrosis be prevented?
Not all cases of hyperhidrosis are preventable. For example, you can’t prevent focal hyperhidrosis since it may have a genetic cause. If you have generalized hyperhidrosis, managing or treating any underlying health conditions can help. You can also work with your healthcare provider to manage the side effects of medications you’re prescribed to reduce the likelihood of hyperhidrosis.
What can I expect if I have hyperhidrosis?
While hyperhidrosis has no cure, there are a variety of treatment options available to help you manage your symptoms. The condition isn’t life-threatening, but it can have a major impact on your life. You may feel embarrassed or sensitive talking about your condition and it might keep you from participating in activities that you regularly enjoy. If hyperhidrosis affects your mental health, talk to a healthcare provider or a mental health professional. They can help you feel better about your body and the effect of overactive sweat glands.
When should I see a healthcare provider?
You should call your healthcare provider if sweating: Negatively impacts your life. Causes you to avoid activities or people you love. Worsens over time. Happens overnight while you sleep. In some cases, extreme sweating may be due to a severe and sometimes life-threatening condition. See a healthcare provider right away if you have chest pain or feel nauseous or dizzy along with sweating symptoms.
What questions should I ask my doctor?
If you have hyperhidrosis, you may want to ask your healthcare provider: What caused my sweating symptoms? What are my treatment options? Which treatments do you recommend I try first? Can I do anything else to improve my symptoms or my overall health? How long will it take for my symptoms to reduce? How can I support my mental health?
Why does sweat smell bad?
Sweat from your eccrine glands is naturally odorless, but it can combine with bacteria and cause an odor. Sweat is made up of mostly water. Your body naturally has small amounts of bacteria on it. When bacteria on your skin combine with sweat droplets, the bacteria break down the tiny molecules that make up sweat. This process of breaking down sweat causes a pungent odor. Your body has another type of sweat gland called apocrine glands. These glands are in areas of your body where you have hair follicles, like your armpits and genital areas. The fluid that these glands produce is thicker than the fluid from eccrine glands. When this fluid meets bacteria on your skin, it produces body odor. A note from Cleveland Clinic Excessive sweating due to hyperhidrosis can be a short- or long-term condition that can be challenging to manage. Concern over how someone may react to your symptoms (like shaking your sweaty hand) may make you want to withdraw from social situations. There’s no cure for hyperhidrosis, but help is available. Your provider may recommend a prescription-strength antiperspirant or medications to lessen your symptoms. Medically Reviewed Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 07/01/2023. Learn more about our editorial process.
Hyperhidrosis (hi-pur-hi-DROE-sis) is excessive sweating that's not always related to heat or exercise. You may sweat so much that it soaks through your clothes or drips off your hands. Heavy sweating can disrupt your day and cause social anxiety and embarrassment.
Jun 27, 2024 · Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes excessive sweating. If left untreated, these problems may continue throughout your life. Excessive sweating can cause embarrassment and social isolation.
Sweating is the body’s way of cooling down. But sometimes, the body sweats too much, which is the case for people who have a medical condition called hyperhidrosis. In people with hyperhidrosis, the body’s 2 to 4 million sweat glands are overactive, causing profuse perspiration at times when others would sweat lightly (if at all).
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating, which means sweating more than normal. People with hyperhidrosis report feelings of social isolation and withdrawal from others in order to avoid touching others. This includes dating, business activities (where shaking hands is commonplace) and other activities for fear of body odor and damp clothing.
Nov 3, 2022 · Causes. Treatment. Diagnosis. When to See a Healthcare Provider. Hyperhidrosis is a common condition that’s characterized by excessive sweating. It most often affects specific parts of the body, such as the armpits, palms, or feet, but in some people, it affects the whole body.
