What is excessive sweating?

Excessive sweating is also known as hyperhidrosis and Diaphoresis in the clinical discussion of the disorder. Among the many skin disorder excessive sweating has a large part to play in triggering certain skin diseases. In the excessive sweating disorder there is an exceptional discharge of the watery fluid through the skin. Under normal condition the perspiration helps to cool of the body from excessive temperatures, thus the primary function of the sweat is to regulate and control the body temperature and this is achieved by the sweating process in human beings, although animals have different ways to regulate their body temperature. The Eccrine sweat glands and the apocrine sweat glands are the main sweat glands in humans that produce the sweat, these glands are located in different parts of the body and the sweat they produce is also different in composition. The eccrine sweat glands are scattered all over the body and are concentrated in the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet and the forehead. The hyperhidrosis condition affects at least three percent of the population in the total population. Excessive sweating is found in the palms and the underarms which called as the axillary hyperhidrosis, when it is found in the feet it is plantar hyperhidrosis, in the face it is called as facial hyperhydrosis.

Causes of excessive sweating

People tend to think that however embarrassing the excessive sweating condition is it may not be a very serious condition but it is always better to give adequate attention to any abnormal activity in the body because the abnormality points to something wrong in the function of the body. Thus excessive sweating condition points to something abnormal happening in the body. There are two types of hyperhidrosis which are normally distinguished according to their occurrence on the body. When the hands, feet, armpits sweat excessively it is primary hyperhidrosis, and there is no general cause of this condition because it may be hereditary. In the secondary hyperhidrosis it is the result of medical condition. The secondary hyperhidrosis can be caused by acromegaly, hyperthyroidism, glucose control disorders, carcinoid syndrome, menopause, tuberculosis or other infections, and cancer. There are other causes like certain medications and substances of abuse, and anxiety condition. The diagnosis for hyperhidrosis includes tests like starch iodine test, and paper test which the physician can do to determine the hyperhidrosis

The treatment for hyperhidrosis includes using antiperspirants medications, botox and the Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) surgery which removes the sweat glands.