Are you among those who experience excessive sweating and keep on asking “why do I sweat so much?” Some people think that too much sweating is simply caused by intense heat or exercise. However, there are a lot of factors that might contribute to this uncomfortable condition. Read on to learn more about excessive sweating causes, and know the ways on how to stop sweating too much.
Why Do I Sweat So Much? | FAQs on Causes and Prevention
In this guide:
- Why Do People Sweat?
- When Do We Encounter Excessive Sweating?
- What Medical Conditions Cause Too Much Sweating?
- How Can We Avoid Sweating Excessively?
- Is Excessive Sweating Dangerous?
Why Do People Sweat?
Whether we like it or not, sweating is among of the natural processes happening in our body. In fact, it is very important for us because it is our body’s way of cooling itself. All body actions — from the movements of our limbs to the processes in our organs — generate heat in the body. The body releases this heat through our sweat glands.
Body sweat does not evaporate immediately, and because sweat glands produce sweat fast, droplets accumulate on our skin. This is why we can easily feel sweat on various parts of our body.
When Do We Encounter Excessive Sweating?
Some people might think, “why do I sweat so much?” Normally, our body undergoes too much sweating when exposed to too much heat or intense activities. But in case we are not under these circumstances, we still experience excessive sweating because of the following natural factors:
- Nervousness: Emotions can trigger sweat glands. This is the reason why we usually get nervous sweats.
- Stress and anxiety: Too much brain processing can also stimulate sweat glands. When we are in panic mode, the body’s initial response is to produce sweat.
- Weight: Observations show that people who are heavier sweat more. This is not due to the fat itself, but because these people have to exert more action because of their weight.
- Illness: In some instances, too much sweating signifies a disease.
What Medical Conditions Cause Too Much Sweating?
Too much sweating may at times indicate that there’s something wrong in our body. Excessive sweating can be caused by one of the following body conditions:
- Diabetes: This condition damages nerve cells, which result in abnormal sweating.
- Diaphoretics: In some instances, our body reacts differently to certain medicines — one of which is excessive sweating.
- Hyperthyroidism: This is when our thyroid glands produce too many metabolic hormones, which leads to too much sweating.
- Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis: Genetic problems in our nervous system cause this condition, which causes the sweat glands to produce sweat even when unnecessary.
How Can We Avoid Sweating Excessively?
Minus the existence of the medical conditions mentioned above, one can actually try to limit body sweating. Here are some tips on how to stop sweating excessively:
- Avoid caffeine or spicy foods: These foods can activate neurotransmitters located in the brain (specifically called acetylcholine) which affects sweat glands to produce too much sweat.
- Use antiperspirant at night: Our body produces less sweat in the evening because of less body activity and lower temperature. This is the best time to apply an antiperspirant product in areas like underarms to ensure the complete body absorption of the product’s properties. This will help lessen sweating during the day.
- Try prescription drugs: As mentioned earlier, intense emotions and stress contribute to excessive sweating. Oral medications that can help pacify emotions and anxiety will come in handy in these situations to keep you from too much sweating. Make sure to consult a doctor first before trying any medication for excessive sweating.
- Consider surgery: If prescription drugs won’t work, doctors might refer you to undergo certain procedures for remedy. Some of the procedures that may fix too much sweating include Botox injections and miraDry procedure.
Is Excessive Sweating Dangerous?
Again, sweating is the body’s way of keeping itself cool, so it is natural and safe. However, visit the doctor if you experience the following unusual conditions:
- Cold sweats at night
- Sweating all over the body
- Sweating only on one side of the body
- Worsening excessive sweating
- Too much sweating along with other symptoms like increased thirst, fatigue, or coughing
Watch this video by Seeker to understand how our body (through our sweat glands) produce sweat:
If you keep on asking yourself “why do I sweat so much?”, understand that there are a lot of factors that contribute to your condition. While sweating is generally normal and safe, watch out for the signs that might be signaling something’s wrong. Excessive sweating may be uncomfortable and can cause you to feel less confident about yourself but there are different methods you can try to keep the sweat in check.
Do you have any other remedies to help with excessive sweating? Share your tips with us in the comments section below.
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