Hyperhidrosis Causes
After infarction or hemorrhages in the cerebellum, there is a failure in cortical inhibitory centers of the brain that can lead to hyperhidrosis along with lesions. Sweating reduces to a certain degree after spinal lesions or might go away completely so there is the development of compensatory hyperhidrosis on the remaining parts of the body. Most often, the patients start experiencing the absence of seating in a less disruptive manner than the increase in a compensatory increase in sweating. Almost 1 to 2% of the population suffer from hyperhidrosis, the sweat glands are no longer put on hold. (4)
The sweat glands produce sweat even when the circumstances do not require it. For instance, the patients who have hyperhidrosis sweat even when they are sitting, watching television, or while lying in air-conditioned rooms. Some patients also report to their doctors that they even get all sweaty while swimming in a pool. Moreover, the cause of hyperhidrosis is dependent on the type of hyperhidrosis that a person is having. Excessive sweating is most of the time harmless. While in some cases, the doctors do not even know why a person sweat too much. The causes of hyperhidrosis on the other hand might be due to a medical condition that needs special attention. (5)
Sweating is the natural mechanism of the body to cool itself and a normal process to maintain constant homeostasis to support all the vital functions of the body. The nervous system automatically signals the sweat glands of the body when the body temperature tends to rise. Also, sweating normally happens especially on palms as a reaction to nervousness or anxiety. The researchers differentiate the causes of each type of hyperhidrosis and the following is the description of causes behind both the type of hyperhidrosis:
Primary hyperhidrosis
The most commonly occurring form of excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis is known as primary or focal hyperhidrosis. In the primary or focal type of hyperhidrosis, the nerves are normally responsible for giving signals to your sweat glands to get hyperactive. Even though the sweat glands have no triggering by any physical exertion or activity leading to a rise in body temperature. Moreover, the problem of excessive sweating becomes even worse with nervousness or stress. The primary or focal type of hyperhidrosis normally affects the soles and palms along with the face in some cases.
It is always seen that primary or focal hyperhidrosis might occur to faulty genes running in the family. The actual cause of primary hyperhidrosis is not that clear but people with numerous members of the family suffering from hyperhidrosis are more likely to develop the condition. Another factor that is quite prevalent in under-reporting or lesser diagnosis of hyperhidrosis is that many people with hyperhidrosis never talk due to embarrassment with each other about excessive sweating. If hyperhidrosis seems to be present among a lot of family members, then it might be helpful for the researchers to better understand why and who gets hyperhidrosis.
The cause of hyperhidrosis might be different for each individual and for determining the underlying cause the doctor first inquires each patient about the symptoms they are experiencing. If there is focal visible excessive sweating without any apparent cause lasting for at least six months then the doctor determines whether or not you meet the following two criteria:
- The sweating is bilateral and rather symmetrical (you are almost sweating the same amount on both sides of the body)
- Excessive sweating is impairing your normal routine
- The onset of excessive sweating was before the age of 25 years
- You are experiencing at least one episode of excessive sweating a week
- You cease sweating when falling asleep
- Other members of your family are also a victim of similar sweating problems
If a person meets at least two of the above-mentioned criteria, there are chances that you are suffering from primary or focal hyperhidrosis. After the confirmation of hyperhidrosis diagnosis, you must make an appointment with your healthcare provider who is somewhat familiar with the treatment options for people with hyperhidrosis. There is no such medical pathophysiology behind the primary type of hyperhidrosis. Rather it might have a hereditary mutation as it sometimes passes from one generation to the next.
When you feel your body getting overheated, when you are emotional, experiencing an imbalance in hormones, when you are moving your body a lot, there is an activation of certain nerves in the sweat glands. While these nerves overreact, it leads to excessive sweating. For example, someone might only need to imagine a scenario that can cause anxiety to get all sweaty. Primary hyperhidrosis happens due to the overactivity of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center of the brain. The overactivity of the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center in the brain transmits nerve impulses through the sympathetic nervous system to cause sweating in the eccrine sweat glands.
Some triggers to the episodes of primary hyperhidrosis are:
- Exercise
- Spicy food
- Anxiety
- Fever
- Hot weather
People in the past tended to believe that primary hyperhidrosis has a link with a patient’s emotional and mental state. There was an idea that the condition of hyperhidrosis was purely psychological and only the individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, or nervousness can be affected by it. Studies also indicate that certain genetic mutations play a key role in the development of hyperhidrosis making it more prone to be a hereditary condition. A majority of the patients with the primary type of hyperhidrosis have a parent or sibling suffering from the condition.
If a person experiences that their sweat glands always flip up even if there are no triggers or stimuli for sweating, then they must get a diagnosis for primary hyperhidrosis. People having primary hyperhidrosis generally experience sweat from a specific type of sweat gland known as eccrine sweat glands. The eccrine sweat glands make up most of the 2 to 4 million sweat glands in the body. Eccrine sweat glands are present generously all over the face, armpits, palms, and the soles of the feet.