Sweating is an integral part of the body’s natural cooling system and is a perfectly normal and healthy bodily function. Without sweat, heat exhaustion and fevers would be constant concerns.
Sweat, however, can be a persistent problem for a relatively large number of people worldwide. It is very irritating when regular sweating turns into excessive sweating. It makes you feel uneasy and embarrassed and can also make you feel anxious and alone.
There are many reasons why you might sweat too much. Some are normal, and others could be harmful. Among them, the top 7 reasons are given below.
1. Medication
Many people can’t work without the help of medication. If you are taking any kind of drug, whether over-the-counter or natural, and ask yourself, “Why am I sweating so much?” you should explore the possible side effects. To eliminate the possibility that one of your medications is causing your symptoms, read the package insert carefully, consult your doctor, and take the dosage appropriately.
For example, patients dealing with addiction to opioids are prescribed medicines such as Suboxone to manage substance abuse disorders. It should be taken in the lowest dose possible, but you must be aware if a low dosage of Suboxone becomes an issue. Therefore, to treat substance abuse with medications such as Suboxone, knowing how low is too low is imperative.
2. Hormones
Hormone fluctuations and imbalances can cause all sorts of havoc in the body, including excessive sweating. At least 35% of pregnant women report having hot flashes, and 80% of women have them throughout menopause.
Hot flashes are a common symptom of premenstrual syndrome and the menstrual cycle, and they can affect women of any age. This is because of the correlation between rising progesterone (which raises core temperature) and falling estrogen (which might affect your hypothalamus, the portion of your brain that usually regulates body temperature).
Sweating is an inevitable byproduct of those heat flashes. Women are not, however, alone. According to recent research, excessive perspiration and hot flashes have been linked to reduced testosterone levels in men. In addition, hormone-related flashes of heat typically occur during the night.
Also, as we’re on the topic of hormones, it’s possible that the increased sweating you experience during puberty is just the result of the flood of new hormones stimulating your sweat glands.
3. Exercise
It’s very typical to sweat heavily while exercising. If you’ve ever wondered why you sweat so easily and so much whenever you exercise, it’s usually because you are hot. Sweating is a normal physiological response to the increased core temperature during exercise.
Highly fit people perspired more heavily and faster than their less fit counterparts. If you’re out of shape and working hard, you’ll perspire more. This will cause you to heat up more rapidly. How much sweat you sweat when working out may also be affected by your genetics and current hydration levels.
Although we’re discussing physical activity, it’s important to note that your current weight may also influence your perspiration. For example, a dermatologist Lindsey Bordone from Columbia Doctors states that the most common cause of hyperhidrosis (too much sweating) is obesity since it takes extra effort and energy to move when excessively overweight.
4. Food
Many common foods can trigger sweating. Foods high in spice, meat, salt, caffeine, alcohol, processed fat, etc., may cause you to sweat. Each food makes you sweat for a different reason.
For example, the chemical Capsaicin found in spicy meals gives the impression to the body that it has been subjected to heat. But on the other hand, caffeine stimulates the neurological system, increasing heart rate and blood pressure and making you perspire. So, if you sweat more after eating or drinking a certain food or drink, it’s usually that food.
Yet, something else may happen if you sweat excessively whenever you eat. Frey’s Syndrome, also known as gustatory hyperhidrosis, produces excessive sweating during meals and even while thinking about eating. Sweating during meals is another symptom of diabetes.
5. Emotional Distress
Stress sweat differs from heat-induced sweat. Not only does emotional perspiration have a unique smell, but it also results from an entirely different physiological process. Eccrine glands, found all over the body, secrete the sweat that you see and smell when you work out and apocrine glands, located near hair follicles, are responsible for stress sweating (scalp, armpits, and groin).
Feelings of stress and anxiety trigger a physiological response similar to the “fight or flight” response. Your heart rate quickens, your breathing becomes shallow, your muscles tighten, and your body produces stress hormones (such as cortisol). This causes your body to produce sweat as a protective mechanism. Stress and anxiety disorders can be potential causes of excessive sweating in many people.
6. Environment
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if you reside in a humid or hot place, your sweat could result from that. If you live in a damp or hot zone, your sweat could result from that. The humidity in the air prevents your sweat from evaporating.
If you just moved to a hotter place and started sweating more, it’s the weather. Since anxiety and stress can cause you to sweat too much, a toxic and stressful environment could also cause your sweating problem.
7. Medical Conditions
Many medical disorders can result in excessive perspiration. Such as diabetes, endocarditis, fever, heat exhaustion, heart attack, hyperthyroidism, HIV/aids, and malaria. These disorders are generally the fundamental causes of widespread hyperhidrosis. So, if you are suffering from these diseases, you might sweat more.
Final Words
People can sweat too much without any health issues. But, if you have other symptoms besides excessive sweating, if your excessive sweating suddenly starts, or if none of the previous explanations for your excessive sweating make sense, you might be dealing with a more serious condition. In this case, visiting the doctor as soon as possible is strongly advised.
