What are some common causes of excessive sweating?
Sweating is essential. It helps keep your body cool in the heat, hydrates your skin, and balances your body’s fluids and electrolytes. But excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) occurs when the body’s cooling mechanism is stuck in overdrive. Translation: You sweat more than your body needs to function. One of the reasons is excessive stimulation of the body’s sweat glands. Or it may be genetic. It can also be caused by an underlying disease such as obesity, tuberculosis, cancer, menopause or the use of certain drugs. Sometimes when we are anxious or nervous, our body temperature increases which causes sweat production. Body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates sweat output, so you sweat when your core body temperature rises due to shivering, hormones, or physical activity.
By: Nicole Blades Medically | Reviewed by: Sanjai Sinha, MD
