Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)

What causes excessive sweating?

It's normal to sweat when you feel hot or when you're physically active. But if you're sweating heavily even when your body doesn't need to cool down, that's considered excessive sweating.

Often there's no clear reason behind it. Doctors call this primary hyperhidrosis.

Secondary hyperhidrosis, on the other hand, is when an underlying cause can actually be identified. Some things that can lead to excessive sweating include:

• certain medications
• menopause
• pregnancy
• obesity
• hormonal conditions such as an overactive thyroid
• diabetes
• infection
• low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Secondary hyperhidrosis tends to come on more suddenly than primary hyperhidrosis, and it usually affects the whole body rather than just certain areas.

Treatment for excessive sweating

You can buy some treatments for excessive sweating yourself without a prescription. This includes:

• strong antiperspirants
• armpit or sweat shields to absorb excessive sweat and protect your clothing
• foot powders for sweaty feet
• soap substitutes that are more gentle on your skin

Other treatments for excessive sweating

It may take time to find the right treatment for excessive sweating.

Excessive sweating can sometimes be cause by another condition. This means the best treatment for you will depend on what the cause is.

Your GP may refer you to a specialist in treating skin conditions (dermatologist) if:

• there’s no obvious cause for your excessive sweating
• nothing seems to be helping

A dermatologist may suggest other treatments you can try like:

• medicines that reduce sweating
• iontophoresis – a weak electric current is passed through water or a wet pad to the affected area
• Botox injections in the affected area (this may not be available on the NHS)
• surgery – for example, removal of the sweat glands

Contact your GP practice if:

You’re sweating excessively and:

• things you can do yourself are not helping
• it’s lasted at least 6 months
• it stops you from getting on with your daily activities
• it happens at least once a week
• it happens at night (night sweats)
• you have a family history of excessive sweating
• you’re taking medicine for another condition

Your GP may refer you for tests if they think another condition may be causing your sweating.

Excessive sweating usually isn't serious, but it can raise your risk of fungal infections such as athlete's foot or fungal nail infections. This happens because sweat, combined with wearing socks and shoes, creates the damp conditions fungi need to grow.

It can also leave your skin more prone to conditions like warts.

If your hands are affected, everyday tasks can become harder, such as writing, using a keyboard, playing certain sports, or playing an instrument.

Excessive sweating usually doesn't affect the glands that cause body odour, so it doesn't normally lead to a bad smell on its own. That said, sweating heavily can allow harmless skin bacteria to build up, and this can sometimes cause an unpleasant odour.

Living with excessive sweating

Dealing with excessive sweating can leave you feeling self-conscious and anxious, especially in situations like meeting new people or being in a crowded room. Unfortunately, this anxiety can make the sweating worse too, so it becomes a cycle that feeds itself.

A self-help guide may offer helpful tips on managing this anxiety.

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