Sweating is one of the most important functions of the human body. Thanks to it, metabolic products and biologically active substances are released and body temperature is regulated. How to distinguish increased sweating from normal and what are its causes?
Severe sweating is quite normal in hot summers, during intense sports training, during hard work, while in a hot bath. But if a woman sweats profusely all over her body, then this is one of the signs of impaired activity of organs or body systems. In this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will determine the cause of the disease and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
Sweating is a normal response to heat: you get hot, you sweat, it cools your body. If you have some kind of fever, you will most likely break out in a sweat as your body temperature is higher than normal. Patients usually suffer from night sweats.
But some people sweat excessively without being feverish. This may be genetic in origin, as they may have excessive sweat glands in their arms, legs, and underarms, or because the nerves that control sweat glands are overactive.
Sometimes excessive sweating can be the result of some other condition. Here are six more of those conditions. Hyperthyroidism is a condition in which there are too many thyroid hormones circulating through the body. Symptoms vary widely and are more pronounced in the later stages of the condition. Hyperthyroidism speeds up the body's chemistry, hence the possibility of excessive sweating. Reliable testing is available to diagnose and treat hyperthyroidism. Treatment may consist of medications, surgery, and iodine radiation.
reasons excessive sweating women have a lot, among them stand out:
1. Overweight, obesity
The layer of fat does not allow the body to effectively give off excess heat. Fat people have a hard time even the simplest daily activities, because of the stress they sweat more than usual. Therefore, to normalize sweating, you need to work on your body and lose weight.
Cancer - types that can sometimes cause sweating include non-Hodgkin's and Hodgkin's lymphoma, carcinoid tumors, leukemia, mesothelioma, bone cancer, and liver cancer. - Doctors don't fully understand why some types of cancer cause sweating, but it may be due to the body trying to fight cancer. People with advanced cancer of any type sometimes experience excessive sweating.
Some medicines. Not all people who take certain medications will experience excessive sweating. - Among the medications that can cause this are some psychiatric medications, some medications needed to treat dry mouth, some antibiotics, and some supplements. If you are experiencing this, it is important to talk to your doctor about it. Never stop taking prescribed medications without consulting your doctor.
2. Malfunction of the thyroid gland
In this case, not any separate part of the body sweats, but the whole body. A sick thyroid gland in women is characterized by hand tremors, muscle weakness, swelling of the legs, weight loss with excellent appetite, tearfulness, irritability, and menstrual irregularities.
Impaired glucose control. Glucose control disorders include gestational diabetes and hypoglycemia. Excessive sweating is often a symptom of low glucose levels. Menopause - many women report suffering from so-called hot flashes. - Seventy-five percent of women report hot flashes and sweats during menopause and a menopausal attack. For some women, this is so severe that a change of clothing is required. - Doctors suspect that hot flashes and sweating are caused by fluctuations or drops in estrogen levels, which drop sharply when periods finally stop.
3. Puberty
sweating in given period- a normal phenomenon during which the apocrine glands develop.
4. Pregnancy
A woman sweats a lot during the entire period of bearing a child. In addition to the increased load on the body, hormones rage in the blood of a pregnant woman, including estrogens, which increase metabolism and heat generation. In the period after childbirth, excessive sweating is associated with hormonal changes in the body to the usual mode, lactation.
Psychiatric problems. Extreme disorders can cause excessive sweating. - Anxiety and stress can cause an increase in body temperature, which can lead to sweating. The embarrassment caused by excessive sweating can lead to more anxiety, which can lead to further sweating. - Some psychiatric drugs can also cause excessive sweating. - Seizures from many legal and illegal substances can be accompanied by prolonged sweating.
Sweating that exceeds the body's needs - medically called hyperhidrosis - is fairly common, affecting 1%-3% of the population. Hyperhidrosis can be generalized, but it most commonly involves the palms, armpits, legs, and groin; this can lead to social loss, which makes shaking hands unpleasant, and some handmade impossible.
5. Climax
In this difficult period for a woman, the hormonal background constantly fluctuates, resulting in palpitations, weakness, fatigue, and excessive sweating.
6. Infectious diseases
Fever, weakness, loss of appetite, sweating (especially at night) may be signs of an infection.
If the causes of active sweating are unknown
We need sweating to control body temperature; Water evaporating from the skin cools the body. Sweating is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, which organizes the body's response to stressful situations and emergencies. sympathetic nervous system activates the sweat glands through the chemical messenger acetylcholine. People with hyperhidrosis produce several times more sweat than usual because they are especially sensitive to this signal. Hyperhidrosis seems to run in families, but we don't know much more about what causes it.
7. Stressful conditions
Sweating increases, as a rule, when a woman is very irritated, nervous and stressed.
8. Clothes or bedding made of synthetic materials
Synthetics do not absorb moisture and prevent the skin from fully breathing. Therefore, lovers of synthetics, especially nylon and nylon, heavy sweating can't be avoided. Preference should be given to fabrics made of natural cotton and fine wool.
Generalized sweating can be a sign of a hormonal condition, infection, cancer, or an anxiety disorder that needs treatment. Of course you should see your doctor. Most of the time, however, excessive sweating is not dangerous, just embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Hyperhidrosis can be treated in several ways. Topical antiperspirants are the first line treatment for underarm sweating and are also effective on the hands and feet. The best choice is a preparation containing aluminum salts such as aluminum chloride. The aluminum salt irritates the sweat gland and causes it to swell, preventing sweat from being shed. People who sweat excessively generally need antiperspirants with 10%-15% aluminum salts. They are applied at night once or twice a week and may require you to sleep with your underarms wrapped in plastic wrap, or plastic wrap, gloves, or socks on your hands or feet.
9. Alcohol
10. Premenstrual Syndrome
By the 13-15th day of the cycle, the level of estrogen gradually increases, the level of progesterone rises and the follicle matures in the ovaries. Sweating during this period is especially enhanced in women involved in sports and hard work.
11. Diabetes
Almost all diabetics suffer from cold sweat on the body.
The main side effect is local irritation. A procedure called iontophoresis has been used for over 50 years to treat excessive sweating in the arms or legs, and more recently in the armpit. This appears to temporarily block the sweat gland, though experts don't know exactly how it works. Sweating symptoms usually improve after 5-10 sessions at the rate of three or four sessions per week. Most people need one or two sessions per week thereafter to maintain the side effect.
The main side effect is dry or irritated skin. You should avoid iontophoresis if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker or orthopedic implant. They have also been found effective for hands and feet and are the preferred option for severe hyperhidrosis. Botox seems to work by temporarily paralyzing the nerves that release acetylcholine. Patients report complete relief within a day or two and the effects last 6-10 months. Injections into the palms and soles can be painful; Especially in the armpits.
Causes of women sweating at night
By real night sweats during sleep at normal room temperature is meant pronounced bouts of sweating and a feeling of intense heat inside the body, during which sheets, pajamas and nightgowns become noticeably wet from sweat.
Reasons for sweating at night can be:
1. Menopause. Hormonal changes in the body provoke hot flashes - sudden and profuse sweating, most often at night.
Risks include bleeding at the injection site and muscle weakness in the arms. Anticholinergic drugs may cause some unwanted side effects such as dry mouth, constipation, taste disturbance, blurred vision, and palpitations.
In severe cases, surgery may be performed to cut the sympathetic nerves to the sweat glands. Sympathectomy is best for sweaty palms. How can you tell if your sweating is excessive? No one can tell how much sweat is "too much". There really is no efficient and convenient way to measure total sweat.
2. The period before menstruation. A few days before the onset of menstruation, the level of estrogen rises, fatigue is felt, and there is severe sweating at night.
3. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis. In this state, the body constantly produces a lot of sweat. The causes of this condition have not yet been identified.
4. Oncology. Night sweats - an early symptom of the development of malignant tumors, often found in lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease.
Excessive sweating and normal
Excessive sweating is defined as any amount of sweating that causes trouble or problems. The exact causes are not known, but up to 3% of people suffer from hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis usually begins in adolescence or in youth. Sweating is worse in the palms, soles or armpits. When excessive sweating is limited to these areas, it is called focal hyperhidrosis.
Most people with focal hyperhidrosis are otherwise completely healthy. Research shows that they don't get nervous or upset like people who sweat normally. At the same time, hyperhidrosis can cause real problems. Most people feel extremely embarrassed by their excessive sweating. They often report disappointments or problems that people take for granted.
5. Medicines. Some medications, especially antidepressants and others used in psychiatry, have the side effect of excessive sweating. A similar effect can occur when taking antipyretics and painkillers, phenotisians, antipyretics.
Difficulty writing because the pen slips or sweat soaks into the page.
- Frequently changing clothes due to armpit sweating.
- Avoiding handshakes.
- Absence from social gatherings due to anxiety about sweating.
- Problems with romance.
Treating hyperhidrosis can help
Despite the severe negative impact hyperhidrosis has on the lives of those who suffer from it, most never seek treatment. Typically, people with focal hyperhidrosis have lived with their problem since they were young. After learning to live with excessive sweating, they often do not recognize that their problem is treatable.
6. Low level blood sugar. Hypoglycemia causes night sweats. Trouble often occurs in patients taking insulin and drugs to reduce sugar.
7. Endocrine disorders. Mostly separate parts of the body sweat: head, neck, armpits, groin. It is necessary to check the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. The norm of the TSH hormone is 0.4 - 4 μIU / m, an indicator of 0.01 μIU / ml is considered low.
It's too bad because they are available. effective methods treatment of hyperhidrosis. Although treatment is not perfect, hyperhidrosis and procedures can help many people with the condition. Some primary care physicians or general practitioners are familiar with the initial treatment for focal hyperhidrosis, which may include.
- Over-the-counter antiperspirants: These can be applied to the arms and legs, as well as the underarms.
- A doctor may prescribe a stronger salt based antiperspirant.
- It can be effective for mild cases of excessive sweating.
8. Vegetovascular dystonia. Most often at night with VVD, the back, head and neck sweat.
How to get rid of underarm sweating for good
Common causes of armpit sweating are strong emotions, excitement, anger. Axillary hyperhidrosis is treated in two ways.
Conservative ways to get rid of sweating
- Botox injections. most efficient and safe way. With the introduction of butulotoxin, the transport of acetylcholine, which activates the sweat gland, is blocked. Valid from six months to 1 year.
- Iontophoresis. Efficiency 85%-90%. During the session, water ions under the influence of a weak electric current and special preparations dissolved in water penetrate the sweat glands, as a result of which sweat ceases to be released.
- Aluminum chloride hexahydrate. The chemical compound blocks the excretory sweat ducts, but does not regulate the amount of sweat produced.
Surgical treatments for excessive sweating
- Curettage. During the operation, sweat glands are removed or nerve endings are destroyed.
Endoscopic sympathectomy. With the introduction of the endoscope through the chest incision, the nerve endings are clamped. A side effect in the form of general body sweating is possible. - Liposuction. Mechanical, ultrasonic, laser - destruction and removal of the shell of fat cells.
There are many folk remedies for getting rid of armpit sweating at home. But even seemingly harmless lotions, teas and infusions should be used after a medical consultation.
Some more modern treatments for hyperhidrosis include. Iontophoresis: This involves soaking the hands or feet in a pool of water through which a mild electric current is passed.
- Botox is over 90% effective as a cure for hyperhidrosis.
- The injections can be painful, although they sometimes require local anesthesia.
- It is not approved for use on other areas of the body.
Causes of excessive sweating of the feet
Getting rid of unpleasant foot odor is an urgent and important problem, the causes of which can be many:
- disregard for hygiene rules
- low-quality shoes made of synthetic materials
- lack of foot care
- prolonged walking in wet shoes
- pathology of the central nervous system
- endocrine diseases
- fungus on the feet
- excitement and frequent stress, causing increased sweating
- malignant tumors
- problems in the work of the heart and blood vessels
Remedy for sweating and smelly feet
Formidron. Can be used for a long time. A side effect is redness of the skin.
Hyperhidrosis: when is it serious?
In extreme cases, contacting a surgeon is an option. Surgical procedures are available to treat hyperhidrosis and can be very effective. However, they often have serious side effects and are considered a last resort. Focal hyperhidrosis is not medically serious. Other forms of excessive sweating may signal underlying medical problems.
Sweating all over the body is immediately called generalized hyperhidrosis. It is often associated with diseases affecting the entire body. Infections, hormonal problems, or nerve problems may be responsible. Often this occurs during, in contrast to focal hyperhidrosis, which occurs only when awake.
Boric acid. Fights fungus and removes odor. It is necessary to sprinkle the feet with powder before going outside.
Borozin. Treats fungal diseases and sweating of the feet, removes odor.
Drysol. The action is based on blockage of pores. Not recommended for frequent use. High risk of allergic reactions.
Benzoyl Peroxide Gel. Relieves sweating. Feet need to be lubricated daily.
Lamezil, candide, nizoral. Ointments and powders treat fungal infections, reduce sweating, and restore proper metabolism in the skin.
Furacilin for sweaty feet
Tablets and a ready-made pharmacy solution of furacilin are used to prepare a bath. Dissolve a couple of tablets (or 30 ml of solution) in 2 liters of warm (not hot) water. Place the legs in the solution for 10 minutes, then, without wiping, wait until the skin of the feet is completely dry. The solution for each procedure must be fresh. It is allowed to arrange 2 procedures per day.
Aerosol is used to instantly get rid of foot odor. Spray clean feet several times in the morning and before bed. Gradually, there will be no trace of the nasty smell. When paired with an aerosol, it is recommended to use antibacterial soap.
The ointment should be applied at bedtime. Distribute a small amount of the product on the feet and massage into the skin with massage movements. Then put on cotton socks and you can go to bed. In the morning, the legs will need a contrast shower.
Traditional medicine recipes for sweating
Throughout the day, wipe excessively sweaty places with a cotton swab dipped in apple cider vinegar. Before going to bed, make a compress: moisten a gauze napkin in a solution (1 tablespoon of vinegar and 150 ml of water), then rinse the skin. The course of treatment is 14 days.
Boil 400 g of oak bark in 5 liters of water, then pour into a bath of warm water. Take a bath for half an hour 2 times a week.
3 tbsp crushed leaves (dry or fresh) of a walnut are placed in a jar and pour 250 ml of vodka, leave for 10 days in the refrigerator. Lubricate sweaty places up to 5 times a day. The duration of the course is 2 weeks.
It must be remembered that the main difference between heavy sweating and normal sweating is the onset copious excretion sweat in situations in which this usually does not happen. If you find a pathology, do not be afraid! There are many ways to treat hyperhidrosis. It is worth going to the doctor, consult and seriously take care of your health. Only in this case, an unpleasant problem will disappear from life forever!
Article author: Inessa Glukhova
Sweating is a completely natural phenomenon, sometimes unpleasant and uncomfortable, but necessary for cooling the body. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the norms and violations associated with sweating. Excessive sweating causes a lot of trouble, excessive sweating brings discomfort to the everyday life person, affects his relationship with others and the emotional state of someone who sweats a lot. How to determine the norms of sweating, what is normal and what condition is a cause for concern?
Why do we sweat
Sweat helps the body maintain normal temperature. Through perspiration, the internal temperature is kept at a normal level. Any increase in temperature leads to the activation of the sweat glands and excessive sweating. Increased doses of sweat are released for a variety of reasons, during a cold, fever, nervous tension, an increase in atmospheric temperature, during active physical exertion, and so on. In summer we sweat more, and in winter less, this is natural, because in the warm season the air temperature is much higher.
Even what we eat affects the volume of sweating. For example, spicy foods and strong alcoholic drinks often cause increased sweating.
What is normal sweating and what is abnormal
The rate of sweating depends on the individual needs of the body. Depending on what a person is doing, sweating volumes can range from a liter to several liters per day. Difference in the amount of sweating office worker and a worker laying asphalt on the road will be quite significant. If you are doing sports or household chores on a hot day, you will sweat a lot, and this is completely normal.
Excessive sweating
Excessive sweating, or hyperhidrosis, in the language of physicians, is a condition in which the amount of sweat secreted by the body significantly exceeds the rate required for the natural cooling of the body. For example, if you are sitting calmly at the table, not nervous, but at the same time sweating a lot, this is not normal.
In hyperhidrosis, the body's cooling mechanism becomes overactive, producing four to five times as much sweat as it should. Studies show that 3% of the world's population suffers from hyperhidrosis.
The needs for cooling the body and, accordingly, for the allocation of a particular amount of sweat, depend on the individual characteristics of each person. It is almost impossible to unequivocally answer the question of how much sweating is normal and how much is considered a violation. Calculate the norm in this case extremely difficult, usually a person himself feels and understands that he sweats more than others.
If you notice that you began to sweat more often and more, it is quite possible that there are certain problems in the body. In fact, it is really easy for a person to determine whether his sweating exceeds the norm or not, experts note that most patients who go to clinics with a similar problem really suffer from hyperhidrosis.
In an adult, excessive sweating is considered quite natural only in women during menopause, if with age you notice that you began to sweat more, do not attribute this to age, contact a specialist.
One type of abnormal sweating can be excessive sweating in a specific area, but most often excessive sweating occurs in several problem areas at once.
Excessive sweating for no reason is also indicative of abnormal sweating. If you're sweating as much in winter as you do in summer, it's most likely caused by a disorder in your body. Some people sweat a lot on their feet, so much so that they slip out of their shoes.
Causes of Excessive Sweating
Most often, the clear causes of increased sweating are extremely difficult to identify, doctors call them idiopathic, that is, unclear or unknown. Among other other reasons, excessive sweating can also be due to a hereditary predisposition to increased activity of the sweat glands. Approximately half of people who sweat heavily have relatives who suffer from exactly the same problem. Typically, this type of excessive sweating begins to appear around puberty, although excessive sweating of the feet and hands can occur later in life. early age even in infancy.
Increased sweating, as already noted, can occur for a variety of reasons, including certain diseases or as a result of taking certain medications.
For example:
- In ariticulotemporal syndrome, after eating certain types of food, increased sweating is observed on one side of the face. Often this condition is observed after operations or injuries in areas close to the salivary glands.
- Excessive sweating can occur due to endocrine disorders, diabetes and thyroid disease.
- Blood pressure medications and antidepressants can also cause excessive sweating.
- Infectious diseases, cancer, heart or lung disease, menopause, and even stroke are also among the causes of excessive sweating.
Diagnostic methods
It is important to understand that excessive sweating is not a fatal disease, even if you sweat a lot, you remain a completely normal person. If you have gone to the doctor with this problem, be prepared to answer a series of questions that will help establish a more accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
A list of the most typical questions that a specialist can ask a patient in such cases:
- In what areas is increased sweating observed, in certain areas or on the entire surface of the body?
- When exactly did you notice excessive sweating? Describe a typical situation to which your body reacts with increased sweat doses.
- Do you regularly take any medications?
- Have you been prescribed new drugs recently?
- Have you recently undergone surgery?
- For women, a mandatory question about menopause is: Is there a hereditary predisposition to excessive sweating?
If the specialist is not able to determine the cause of excessive sweating in your particular case, you should not give up. There are many ways to deal with excessive sweating, from simple homemade folk recipes to surgical removal of sweat glands. Even if the specialist you contacted did not establish an accurate diagnosis, contact another. Someone may consider your problem not worthy of attention, but in fact, excessive sweating causes tremendous discomfort to so many people. Depending on age and lifestyle, people who suffer from excessive sweating experience a variety of difficulties. Schoolchildren are afraid to raise their hands in class, a teenager is embarrassed to ask a girl out on a date, a businessman feels uncomfortable in negotiations and reluctantly shakes hands with his business partner.
Excessive sweating is a problem, but don't sweat more trying to fix it. Seek advice from experts. Remember, perspiration is natural process, just in this case, a lot does not always mean good.
Folk remedies for hyperhidrosis
- Prepare an infusion of chamomile (6 tablespoons of crushed flowers pour 2 liters of boiling water, leave for an hour), add 2 tbsp. tablespoons of baking soda and use a universal solution to wipe the skin in areas of profuse sweating.
- With increased sweating of the armpits, wipe the skin a couple of times a day with horsetail herb tincture on vodka (1:10). A tincture of walnut leaves in vodka (1:10) or alcohol (1:5) is also used, dilute it with boiled water in a ratio of 1:1 or 1:2 before use, wipe the skin with tincture 1-2 times a day.
- Verified remedy for excessive sweating: in a glass of boiling water, brew 1 teaspoon of oak bark and add the juice of one lemon. Soak a cotton swab in the resulting decoction and wipe problem areas with it several times a day. Lemon together with oak bark will reduce the secretion of sweat glands, and the body after wiping will acquire a fresh lemon smell.
- Dermatologists advise regularly using a contrast shower, and lubricate heavily sweating parts of the body with Teymurov's paste - it is harmless and well tolerated even by especially sensitive people or a 1-2% solution of acetic acid. It is useful to use general strengthening agents - preparations of iron, calcium, phosphorus, valerian, multivitamins, infusions of medicinal herbs, for example, lemon balm, sage (half a cup 2 times a day).
- In an emergency, it doesn’t hurt to have a lemon and a pack of wet wipes with you. Before an exciting event (a responsible performance, a date), wipe the skin of your armpits with a sanitary napkin, and then with a slice of lemon, and you can forget about the smell of sweat and ugly circles on clothes under your arms for a while.
- From heavy sweating hands and feet will help baths from an ordinary pharmacy chamomile. You need to pour 6 tablespoons of chamomile with two liters of boiling water, cover and let it brew for one hour. Then the infusion is filtered, heated and hands and feet soar in it until it cools down.
- If your feet sweat a lot– necessary hygiene procedures. Wash your feet with soap at least twice a day, make weekly baths of infusion of sage and nettle. In the summer, before putting on your boots, dust your feet with talcum powder between your toes, and also sprinkle some talcum powder into your shoes.
- In addition, for 4 weeks it is worth drinking a decoction of infusion of sage and nettle. Take 15 g of dry leaves in 0.5 liters of water, drink half a glass twice a day after two days. After a few months, the course of treatment must be repeated.
- From heavy sweating also help to get rid of infusions of oak bark, walnut leaves. You can steam rose petals, chamomile, strawberry leaves. Chilled infusions should wipe the places that sweat the most.
Jan 16, 2016 tigress…s