Everyone sweats. It is an essential and perfectly normal bodily function. Its primary purpose is to cool off the body to avoid the risk of overheating. However, it is also entirely possible to produce too much sweat. Various factors such as gender, genetics, and level of physical activity play a crucial role in how much sweat a person produces.
If you believe that you are sweating more than normal but are not really bothered by it, then just deal with it. However, if you feel that your excessive sweating is impeding on your comfort and daily activities, chances are that you are really sweating too much.
Is It Normal or Excessive Sweat?
The nervous system activates the sweat glands, which is why some neurologic conditions, like a brain injury after suffering a stroke, could result in excessive sweating. In addition, taking certain hormones, chronic health conditions such as diabetes, and hormonal changes like those experienced when going through menopause, could lead to a significant production of sweat.
Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating. Experts consider it excessive or unnecessary if it happens outside normal circumstances such as during an anxiety episode or overheating, or when the sweat you produce interferes with your daily life.
It can affect your whole body or only specific areas. In most cases, the scalp, face, soles, hands, and armpits are the areas that are commonly affected. Some people sweat more in their trunk or groin area.
In the majority of instances, excessive sweating is not related to underlying health problems, but is typically due to hyperactivity of the typical neurological pathways responsible for sweating, known as primary hyperhidrosis. This is usually hereditary.
When the cause of excessive sweating is an underlying health problem, this is known as secondary hyperhidrosis. Figuring out what is causing your excessive sweating is vital so that your local dermatologist or skin treatment specialist in Salt Lake City will know what to do.
Seeking Help for Hyperhidrosis
If you believe that you are sweating more than usual but are not really concerned by it, you do not necessarily have to get professional help, considering that you do not feel any other symptoms that might point to an underlying health issue. But you must consider getting help in the event that your hyperhidrosis makes daily tasks like typing, shaking hands, preparing food, and turning doorknobs hard for you.
Do note though that your social and personal life is also crucial, so if your excessive sweating is making you embarrassed of hesitant to go out, you should have it checked. Lots of teens avoid dating, and students do not raise their hand in class for fear of their peers seeing sweat stains. And plenty of people try to conceal their sweat stains through layering clothes, which only serves to exacerbate their sweat problem.
Regardless of how much or where exactly you are sweating, being bothered by it is a good reason to seek treatment. Options include topical medications and oral meds.
