Hyperhidrosis Explained
Hyperhidrosis is a condition which can cause abnormal functioning of the sweat glands in the body. Just one part of the body can be affected or it can actually affect the whole body at once. Primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis are the two main types of hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis does not usually have an obvious cause but there is usually an underlying condition which is causing secondary hyperhidrosis. Around 3 percent of the population in England suffer from hyperhydrosis making it a fairly common condition.
You may find that one of the symptoms you will experience with this condition will be excessive facial sweating. Hyperhidrosis which affects the face will result in large amounts of perspiration affecting certain parts of the face such as lips, nose or forehead. The neck and scalp can also suffer from excessive sweating if you have facial hyperhidrosis. Excessive sweating is the term which would describe continuous dripping sweat in any one area which needs to be wiped constantly.
Although it used to be the assumption that primary hyperhidrosis was a condition that was psychological this has now been discredited. Sufferers of primary hyperhidrosis have been found to be no more likely to have a problem with stress or anxiety than someone without the condition. And in fact research has also shown that this condition could be a genetic condition.
On the other hand there are a number of causes of secondary hyperhidrosis including obesity, heart disease, pregnancy, respiratory failure, anxiety, alcohol and substance abuse, hyperthyroidism or gout. Other things which can cause secondary hyperhidrosis are some medications, certain kinds of cancers, certain infections and some neurological disorders.
You may want to know how to stop sweating but you should know that primary hyperhidrosis cannot be cured by lifestyle changes. But the symptoms can be made better with some treatments. Treating secondary hyperhidrosis will obviously depend on the underlying cause.
Disclaimer: Nothing contained in this article is intended to be used as medical advice and it is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, nor should it beused for therapeutic purposes or as a substitute for your own health professional’s advice.
