Sweat secretion is a protective function of the body that allows you to adapt to the heat from the outside, and to internal increased body temperature. It is very different from the concept of "heavy sweating" (hyperhidrosis). Increased sweating is characteristic with increased loads, for example during physical work or sports training.
Normal sweating is a favorable physiological process. But it is different. With strong emotions, a so-called cold sweat occurs. Overly full sweat is observed, in diabetics - sticky, contributing to the development of fungal diseases.
However, such a phenomenon as hyperhidrosis is also common - excessive sweating, manifested as a result of subjective reasons. The difference between them is great. Normal sweat production is a way of adapting to changes in the environment, while excessive sweating interferes with normal life.
Symptoms of Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis manifests itself in different ways. There are generalized hyperhidrosis and localized - in the palms, feet or armpits. There is also hyperhidrosis of large folds of the body, usually manifested in obese people.
In hyperhidrosis, three phases of activity are distinguished:
- An easy stage in which increased sweating does not interfere and is not visible to others.
- The middle, most common stage. It is characterized by the fact that from time to time sweat flows down the face and body, the patient has wet clothes, and there may be an unpleasant smell of sweat.
- A severe stage in which a person is wet all the time, he has problems with the skin, especially with its large folds. This phase of the pathology is unpleasant both for the patient himself and for others.
Causes of Hyperhidrosis
General hyperhidrosis is caused by the following reasons:
- Intoxication, when heavy sweat contributes to the rapid excretion of harmful substances from the body. Most attacks are caused by a hangover syndrome - the result of alcohol addiction.
- Infectious diseases. Heavy sweating is a side effect of diagnoses such as tuberculosis and AIDS.
- Endocrine diseases. Various disorders of internal secretion are manifested by hyperhidrosis. This may indicate thyroid disease caused by a malfunction of the pancreas.
- Neurosis of adolescence and menopausal women. A mild type of hyperhidrosis is often associated with autonomic dystonia.
- Low resistance to stress.
- Parkinson's disease causes hyperhidrosis in old age.
- Sometimes observed in oncology.
- Genetic heredity. Often, the middle form of hyperhidrosis is inherited from one of the parents.
- Exacerbation of heart disease. With heart attacks, sweating is also noted.
As well as some kidney diseases, when the body gets rid of excess fluid through the pores.
Risk zone
The most vulnerable to hyperhidrosis are people with endocrine diseases.
Many thyroid problems are associated with an imbalance in the autonomic vascular system. A sharp increase in perspiration always coincides with similar diseases. Therefore, a patient complaining of excessive sweating is primarily referred to an ultrasound of the thyroid gland.
An increase in sweating is necessarily associated with malfunctions of the pancreas. This is due to increased water intake by diabetics and constant changes in blood composition.
Almost everyone who has a significant excess of body weight over normal, sooner or later begin to suffer from hyperhidrosis - this is due to a violation of thermoregulation and metabolic failure.
Sweating is an essential companion of lymphogranulosis. This cancer of the blood changes many of the regulatory functions of the body, including sweating.
Carriers of Koch's bacillus (tuberculosis) also suffer from hyperhidrosis.
AIDS patients are also prone to severe forms of hyperhidrosis. Moreover, due to weakened or absent immunity, increased sweating in them is always accompanied by fungal and other infectious diseases.
Hyperhidrosis is curable
Personal hygiene is of great importance for a patient with hyperhidrosis. The body or its sweating areas should be washed daily using soap or gel.
They alleviate the condition of the bath with coniferous extract.
Necessary , only they need to be purchased not in stores, but in pharmacies, specialized products with therapeutic effects are sold there.
Strongly sweating large folds must be dusted with talcum powder or baby powder. Feet - to process daily for a month. To do this, warm baths with a decoction of oak bark, with alum or soda are good.
For those with palms that sweat heavily, it is important to systematically wipe their hands with water and lemon juice. A cream with juniper seed oil helps in this case.
If excessive sweating is observed against a background of vegetative-vascular dystonia or neurosis, the use of herbal sedatives - valerian and motherwort is recommended. Obese people should change their diet and agree to any type of liposuction.
If these traditional medicine do not help, apply modern methods of treatment: iontophoresis, Botox injections or surgery.
Iontophoresis is a physiotherapeutic procedure, quite expensive. At least 10 baths must be taken. Botox injections are very effective, but they last only for six months. An extreme case of treating severe forms of hyperhidrosis is surgery. It consists in the fact that under general anesthesia, incisions are made in the armpits and the nerve branches are cut. Efficiency reaches 90%, but this method of getting rid of the problem is quite dangerous.
Hyperhidrosis has different types, many causes and the same symptoms. Its light and medium manifestations are successfully treated with traditional medicine, for severe stages there are modern treatment options. But in most cases it is necessary to treat the cause of excessive sweating, and not its manifestation.