Hyperhidrosis

Sweat is perceived by most people as an annoying evil. However, many people are not aware that sweat performs many vital tasks in our body. Sweating a lot is therefore normal in situations where the body is exposed to physical activity or great heat. The body tries to regulate body temperature through sweating. But what about those people who start sweating a lot for no reason and suffer from heavy sweating? Those affected mainly suffer from doubts about themselves and a feeling of discomfort in society. Sweat patches and the smell of sweat are already perceived as unpleasant and disturbing in normal proportions.

In the case of hyperhidrosis, the psychological consequences of those affected are more worshipful. Those affected avoid as far as possible situations in which sweating could occur, even if this would mean complete social isolation. It is not uncommon for sufferers to eventually suffer from depression. In order to minimize the risk of depression or social isolation, a doctor should be consulted early on if hyperhidrosis is suspected and therapy should be started.

In primary hyperhidrosis, the affected person begins to sweat excessively and abnormally without a concretely identifiable cause. However, how primary hyperhidrosis is triggered has not yet been scientifically proven. It is assumed that too much sweat is produced due to a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. Those affected are mostly exposed to primary hyperhidrosis in stressful situations or in emotional situations, such as fear or pain. 

A typical feature of primary hyperhidrosis is that it rarely occurs over the entire body, but is usually localized. This is called focal hyperhidrosis.

The fundamental difference in secondary hyperhidrosis from primary hyperhidrosis is the specific identifiable cause. In contrast to primary hyperhidrosis, it is known that secondary hyperhidrosis occurs as a consequence of or accompanied by another disease and includes pathological sweating as a side effect. Furthermore, the side effect could also occur due to the side effect of a certain medication. 

It is typical for secondary hyperhidrosis that it usually extends to the whole body (generalized hyperhidrosis). In exceptional cases, only certain parts of the body, such as the armpits, the feet or the hands are more severely affected.