Differentiating between Sweating and hyperhidrosis

Sweating is natural process through which our body regulates internal temperature. Some of us sweat more than the others but then there are some of us who sweat excessively even in totally uncalled for circumstances. For a common man it’s very difficult to distinguish between normal sweating and excessive sweating which is medically known as hyperhidrosis. Although the primary type of hyperhidrosis also known as focal hyperhidrosis doesn’t pose any serious medical condition and is more of a nuisance and social hindrance, the secondary type though could be caused by some serious underlying medical conditions. The objective of this article is to explain the symptoms of hyperhidrosis and help a common differentiate between simple sweating and hyperhidrosis.

How to tell if I have hyperhidrosis?

The telltale signs of hyperhidrosis are easy to detect if one knows what to look for. To put simply if a person is under no physical or emotional duress and is sweating profusely under normal ambient temperature than he or she is suffering from hyperhidrosis.

Types of hyperhidrosis

• Primary focal hyperhidrosis

As mentioned earlier the primary type of hyperhidrosis also known as focal hyperhidrosis usually manifests in specific areas of the body such as hands, feet, underarms and head or face. The signs begin to emerge during adolescence and may be hereditary. The exact reason or the root cause of why hyperhidrosis takes place is not clear but it’s said to be directly related to the sympathetic nervous system. The same nervous system which regulates the response to life preservation as in when facing a dangerous situation it controls flee or fight responses. In people suffering from hyperhidrosis something goes awry and results in excessive sweating.

• Secondary hyperhidrosis

Contrary to primary hyperhidrosis, secondary hyperhidrosis is precursor to some serious underlying health condition such as pituitary gland, infection, diabetes mellitus, tumors and gout. A person suffering from secondary hyperhidrosis experiences excessive sweating all over the body. When ascertained, secondary hyperhidrosis should be immediately treated as the underlying causes of it can be potentially fatal if unchecked.

Physiology of hyperhidrosis and triggers

Excessive sweating can be attributed to the hyperactivity of eccrine sweat glands which are mostly localized to neck, forehead and palms. The triggers for hyperhidrosis might be physical as well as psychological as in certain conditions where a set of emotions might bring about a bout of excessive sweating. These triggers are called stimuli and can range from anxiety, pain, fear and tension. Certain food substances are also known to trigger the same effect such as caffeine and nicotine.