Frequent excessive sweating that occurs without any intense physical activity or other triggers that normally cause the body to perspire, is known as a condition called hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is classified as primary and secondary.
Primary Hyperhidrosis
The cause of Primary hyperhidrosis is unknown. However there are certain factors that are thought to be responsible for this condition:
Genetics:
Many skin care professionals believe excessive sweating is caused by a predisposed genetic pattern. It is likely that if your parents or other relatives suffered from excessive sweating, so will you.
Abnormal Function of the Nerves:
The hypothalamus is an integral part of the brain that sends nerve impulses to the sweat glands stimulating them to produce sweat. In the case of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating, the relationship between the hypothalamus and the sweat glands is disrupted and causes the glands to produce high volumes of sweat.
Stress and Anxiety:
When you are anxious or stressed your sympathetic nerves become agitated and begin to over activate which often leads to excessive sweating. What is worse is that people who suffer from excessive sweating become very anxious about their condition, especially in social situations, which causes them to sweat even more.
Hot Weather:
Sweat is what regulates our body`s temperature. When we are exposed to extreme heat or humidity the body needs to cool down and thus produces high levels of sweat to compensate for the heat. If you are visiting a hot place but normally live in colder conditions, you will sweat more than those who are used to the warmer climate.
Hot Foods:
Eating spicy or hot foods raises the temperature in your body which triggers the sweat glands to produce more sweat than normal.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis
Secondary hyperhidrosis is caused by an existing medical or principal condition. These may include:
Puberty:
Excessive sweating during puberty is likely due to psychological factors. Teenagers often experience excessive sweating due to all the changes they are going through with their bodies and the new unfamiliar experiences that occur at this time in their lives.
Menopause:
Menopause is also a time when the body goes through dramatic changes. Due to this fact, women going through menopause often experience excessive sweating which can be associated with hot flashes.
Obesity:
When people are overweight the sweat glands have to work extra hard to regulate the body`s temperature, causing the body to produce high levels of sweat.
