Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)

Excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, is common. It can start at any age, but most often it begins in childhood or around puberty.

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can show up as sweat you can see, clothes that get wet, and clammy palms. Some people sweat over the whole body. For others it's only certain areas, like the hands and feet. Both sides of the body are usually affected equally, so if one hand is sweaty, the other one is too, and the same goes for the feet.

• wear loose, light clothing
• wear socks that absorb moisture, like sports socks
• change your socks at least twice a day
• try to wear shoes made of leather
• alternate your shoes each day

• avoid things that can make excessive sweating worse, like alcohol and spicy food
• avoid clothes made from man-made fibres like nylon
• avoid tight, restrictive clothing

You can buy some treatments for excessive sweating yourself, without a prescription. These include:

• 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

It can take time to find the right treatment for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Sometimes another condition causes the sweating, so the best treatment for you will depend on what the cause is.

Your doctor may refer you to a specialist in treating skin conditions (a 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, such as:

• medicines that reduce sweating
• iontophoresis, where a weak electric current is passed through water or a wet pad to the affected area
• surgery, for example removal of the sweat glands

See a doctor if you're sweating excessively (hyperhidrosis) and any of these apply:

• 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 doctor may refer you for tests if they think another condition may be causing your sweating.

It's normal to sweat when you're hot or when you're doing physical activity. But if you sweat a lot when your body doesn't need to cool down, that is excessive sweating, also called hyperhidrosis.

Often there's no obvious cause. When that's the case, it is known as primary hyperhidrosis.

Secondary hyperhidrosis is when a cause can be found. Some reasons for it include:

• certain medicines
• menopause
• pregnancy
• obesity
• hormonal conditions like an overactive thyroid
• diabetes
• infection
• low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Secondary hyperhidrosis often starts more suddenly than primary hyperhidrosis. It usually affects the whole body.

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) isn't usually serious, but it can raise your risk of fungal infections, such as athlete's foot or fungal nail infections. The reason is that the sweat, together with socks and shoes, helps fungi to grow.

It can also make you more vulnerable to skin conditions like warts.

If your hands are affected, some activities may become harder. Writing, using a keyboard, playing some sports or playing an instrument are a few examples.

Excessive sweating doesn't usually affect the sweat glands that produce unpleasant-smelling sweat, so it doesn't cause a bad smell in itself. However, a harmless skin bacteria can build up if you sweat a lot, and this can cause an unpleasant smell.

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) can leave you feeling self-conscious and anxious. It may be worse in certain situations, like meeting new people or being in a crowded room. Those feelings can make the sweating worse, so you can get caught in a cycle.

A self-help guide may give you tips on how to manage anxiety.