Beyond

Annoying: When Excessive Sweating Becomes

Life Threatening
For the 178 million of the worlds population thats suffering from excessive sweating, known
medically as hyperhidrosis, this condition can be pretty serious. Sure it can be annoying. But in some
cases, excessive sweating can point to potentially life threatening medical conditions that, if not
addressed promptly, can do a lot of damage.

Sweating is our bodys natural response to stimuli in our environment or within our bodies. Stimuli
such as warmth or heat, anxiety and danger can trigger sweating. But for people who suffer from
hyperhidrosis, the body sweats even without these triggers. Not only that. People who suffer form
excessive sweating perspire 4 to 5 times more compared to normal people.

Excessive sweating in itself can be problematic. People who suffer from it usually becomes withdrawn
and self conscious. It impairs their ability to make friends and maintain social ties. It keeps them from
pursuing the things they want to do out of fear of embarrassment or being misunderstood. It can also
present practical challenges such as opening jars, driving cars, using a pen, shaking hands, linking
arms, sitting and leaving sweat stains on chairs... the list goes on.

In most cases, excessive sweating is experienced without any related medical condition to trigger or
cause it. In these cases, treatments and remedies to control the sweating are recommended. But in a few
cases, excessive sweating points to a serious underlying medical condition. And this is what this report
will touch on.

In this report, we will discuss:

1. How to tell if your excessive sweating is pointing to an underlying medical condition

2. What you should do in case you have an underlying condition causing your excessive sweating
3. What tests a doctor will order to confirm it
4. What treatment options are available to you

Disclaimer:

The publisher used its best efforts in the preparation of this publication. The information in this
electronic publication is provided as is, and is being provided as information only. It is not to be
used as health decision making information in any circumstance.

The authors, publisher and associated company make no claims expressly or implied and no
warranties about the contents of this report as being completely accurate, and it specifically disclaims
any implied warranties for any purpose, and shall in no event be liable for any loss or damage,
including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, physical, or other damages.
Types of Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating are classified into two types depending on whether it has or does not have an
underlying medical condition causing it. The first type is called Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis or
Localized Sweating and the second type is called Generalized Hyperhidrosis.

In primary focal hyperhidrosis, the main medical condition is the sweating. Its also called localized
sweating because the excess sweating takes place in a certain body part, for example, the palms of
hands, the soles of feet, underarms, or the face or head. This means sweating do not just happen
randomly all over the body. Instead, there are certain areas of the body where the sweat glands are too
active and produce too much perspiration.

Other hallmarks of primary focal hyperhidrosis includes:

1. Symmetrical sweating pattern. This means that if a person is suffering from excessive sweating of
palms, both left and right palms are affected. Or if its the underarms, then both the right and the left
underarm manifests the excessive sweating condition.

2. Presence of a family history. In 30% to 60% of cases of primary focal hyperhidrosis, the condition
runs in families.

3. Condition starts to show itself during childhood or adolescence. Primary focal hyperhidrosis
usually persists from the time the sufferer is a child or an adolescent. Its uncommon for this type of
excessive sweating to just appear out of the blue in people who are 25 years old or older.

4. Day time sweating. Another characteristic of primary focal hyperhidrosis is sweating only happens
during the daytime. When you are asleep, you dont sweat from your problem area/s (unless of
course its really warm, then its only normal that you sweat in your sleep.)

Now that we know the characteristics of excessive sweating WITHOUT an underlying medical
condition, well now talk about Generalized Hyperhidrosis.

In generalized hyperhidrosis, the excessive sweating is not restricted to certain body parts. Often, the
entire body or a large portion of the body is affected. When an afflicted person sweats, the entire body
is sweating.

Generalized hyperhidrosis is also known as secondary hyperhidrosis. As the name suggests, this type of
excessive sweating is secondary to another medical condition. This is what makes it dangerous - its not
just overactive sweat glands thats disrupting your body systems, theres also another medical condition
thats doing damage.
How to tell if you have generalized hyperhidrosis? Here are the signs:

1. Sweating tends to manifest later in life. Unlike localized hyperhidrosis where sweating starts from
childhood or adolescence, generalized hyperhidrosis may manifest itself at any time, and commonly
after age 25.

2. Night time sweating. Sweating during sleep or waking up drenched in sweat is never normal. This is
an indication that sweating is a secondary symptom of something else.

3. Sweating affecting only 1 side of the body. The symmetrical sweating pattern may be absent in
generalized hyperhidrosis. For example, if you sweat excessively from your underarms, you only do
so on either the left or the right underarm, but not on both simultaneously.

4. No family history of excessive sweating. If you are the first in your family to be afflicted with
excessive sweating, it may be time to check your family history for related illnesses. Its possible
that the profuse sweating is just a secondary symptom of another medical condition.

If you observe any of these 4 signs, it is likely that your sweating is caused by something else. The next
thing you need to do is to have yourself examined by a doctor to find out and confirm whats causing
your excessive sweating. In these cases, getting rid of the underlying medical condition solves the
excessive sweating problem.

Learning more about your particular type of hyperhidrosis will also help you find out how to treat and
control it. A good guide on the topic is the book written by James Horner called Sweat Free For
Good!, which you can find here: http://www.stopsweatingmagic.com.

Now, well discuss the common medical conditions that may also cause excessive sweating, how they
are diagnosed, and the treatments associated with these medical conditions.

Underlying Medical Conditions That Can Cause Excessive Sweating

Here are some of the more common related medical condition that can cause excessive sweating. This
is by no means an exhaustive list. If none of these symptoms match yours, you should still have
yourself checked by a doctor to identify or rule out an underlying medical condition as a cause of your
excessive sweating.

Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid is a small gland in our throat thats responsible for producing and regulating hormones that
control metabolism. This means it affects how the cells of our body use the food we eat and turn it into
energy and fuel that it needs.
One of the the hormones that the thyroid produces is called thyroxine. What this does is it speeds up the
bodys metabolism. In a person who suffers from hyperthyroidism, too much of the hormone thyroxine
is produced. When the metabolism is too fast, the body overheats faster, and this trigger excessive
sweating.

Aside from this, thyroid hormones also affect the bodys nervous system. An excess of thyroid
hormones can cause the nervous system to be a lot more active. This may also explain why nervousness
and excessive sweating are symptoms of hyperthyroidism.

Here are the signs and symptoms of hyperthyroidism:

weight loss despite increased appetite

an enlarged goiter
more frequent bowel movement
in women, changes in menstrual pattern - menses become lighter or absent
excessive sweating
rapid heart rate
anxiety
nervousness
irritability
muscle weakness
trembling hands
hair loss
fatigue
insomnia

Hyperthyroidism is diagnosed using a test to find out the level of thyroid hormones in the body. A set of
blood tests will be ordered by your doctor to confirm or rule out hyperthyroidism.

There are a lot of treatments available to people who suffer from hyperthyroidism which your doctor,
an endocrinologist, may prescribe depending on the specific type of hyperthyroidism you suffer from.
Among these treatments are:

anti-thyroid drugs, which block the production of hormones

radioactive iodine treatment, where some thyroid cells are killed thus offering a permanent
solution to prevent overproduction of thyroid hormones
surgical removal, where either a nodule or the entire gland may be removed
Diabetes

Diabetes is a medical condition that almost everyone is now familiar with. This medical condition is
characterized the the bodys inability to metabolize blood sugar (bodys main energy source) either
because it cannot produce insulin or is unable to use the insulin in the body.

With diabetes, a situation called hypoglycemia may take place. Hypoglycemia happens when there is
too much insulin in the body and too little glucose or blood sugar. This is a common side effect
experienced by people who take drugs that increase insulin levels in the body.

Signs and symptoms you may experience include the following:

cold sweat
trembling
hunger
muscle weakness
fatigue
rapid heart rate
confusion
convulsion - in severe cases
night sweats

Night sweats take place because a hypoglycemic episode may happen while you are asleep. It may or
may not wake you up. And when you do wake up, youll clothes and linens wouldve been drenched in
sweat, even when the room temperature is cool and comfortable.

Symptoms of hypoglycemia can be easily relieved by a quick snack or sugary drink. Diabetics are
usually advised to carry some hard candy with them for this purpose. In sever cases, a person may need
to be brought to the ER, where they can be given a glucagon injection.

Menopause (Perimenopause)

If you are a woman in your 40s when you suddenly develop excessive sweating, menopause or
perimenopause may be to blame.

Perimenopause is the transition period before a woman goes into menopause. During this stage, the
body begins to decrease the production of estrogen. The most telling sign is irregular menses. A woman
is only considered to be menopausal when she has not had a period for 12 consecutive months.

How would low levels of estrogen cause the body to sweat excessively? What happens is our brain
monitors and detects that our body is producing less estrogen. It then sends a signal to the ovaries to
produce more. The ovaries dont cooperate, so the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, continues to
send the order for more estrogen. This causes the stress to the hypothalamus and triggers the body to
activate its stress mechanism. When this takes place, we sweat more and our heart rate goes up.

Other signs and symptoms of perimenopause include:

hot flashes
night sweats
changes in menstrual patterns
vaginal dryness
weight gain
mood swings
depression
fatigue
breast tenderness
vaginal dryness
lack of sex drive

A test that a doctor may prescribe to confirm perimenopause is called an FSH test. An FSH test may be
done as a blood or as a urine test that measures the amount of Follicle-Stimulating Hormone.
Remember the explanation above where the brains sends signals to the ovaries to produce more
estrogen? The chemical they release to carry that signal is the FSH.

Perimenopause is considered a normal life stage that women go through, and not a disease. Treatments
are designed to increase overall health and alleviate symptoms. They may include:

lifestyle modification (diet, exercise)

hormone replacement therapy

Lymphoma (Cancer of the Lymph Nodes)

Lymphoma is a type of cancer that targets the immune system. It starts out in the lymph nodes where it
may spread to other organs in the body.

Other symptoms include:

fatigue
swollen lymph glands
night sweats
itching
fevers and chills
 weight loss
difficulty breathing
coughing

There are many different forms of lymphoma. A common test that is used to confirm it is a biopsy. A
sample of the tissue from the suspected node is taken and tested for cancer cells. If a diagnosis of
lymphoma is confirmed, the doctor may order further tests and scans to help determine how far the
disease has progressed and to help assess what treatment option will be appropriate.

Depending on the type of lymphoma, it may be treatable and curable. Some of the techniques used to
manage lymphoma includes:

radiotherapy
chemotherapy

Liver Disease

There are many different kinds of diseases that affect the liver and the hepatic system of our body.
Some of them are cirrhosis, hepatitis, cancer of the liver, and fatty liver disease. One of the most telling
signs of liver disease is the yellowing of the whites of the eyes or jaundice.

Common symptoms of liver disease include:

jaundice
yellowish tinge on skin
itchy skin
coated tongue
bad breath
dark urine
excessive thirst
frequent urination
pale stools
anemia
weight loss
lack of appetite

If liver disease is suspected, your doctor may prescribe blood tests and liver function tests to confirm it.
In some cases, a liver biopsy is also done.
Treatment for liver diseases includes:

alcohol abstinence
a prescribed diet
medicines
in severe cases, a liver transplant

Panic and Anxiety Disorder

WIth this medical condition, it may be difficult to identify which came first - excessive sweating or the
panic and anxiety disorder. People who suffer form excessive sweating usually get anxious just
thinking about sweating. Ironically, stressing about sweating actually triggers sweating. When sweating
is under way, the panic kicks into full gear, which makes sweating worse.

People who suffer from excessive sweating get anxious about sweating. But when does it become a
disorder? It becomes a disorder when the anxiety is so strong that it impairs a persons ability to
function or to carry out normal daily functions.

Symptoms of panic and anxiety disorder include:

severe episodes of paralyzing fear that is unexpected and recurrent

fear which the sufferer knows is irrational or excessive
worry that the episodes or attack will happen again
difficulty breathing
rapid heart rate
trembling
shaking
chills
hyperventilation
dizziness
nausea

Panic and anxiety disorders are diagnosed based on the symptoms presented by the afflicted person.
There are many treatment options, both conventional and alternative, that addresses panic and anxiety.
Examples are:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Hypnotherapy
Antidepressant drugs
Biofeedback
 Meditation