Sweating is a natural reaction of the body – especially when doing sports or in summer when it is particularly hot. The body and head need to be cooled and you sweat for that. Furthermore, people sweat differently – some more and some less.
A lot of sweating (hyperhidrosis) without special effort, especially on the head, can be a burden in everyday life. Hyperhidrosis usually manifests itself in childhood or adolescence. A distinction can be made between primary or idiopathic (as hyperhidrosis without cause) and secondary hyperhidrosis. Secondary hyperhidrosis is caused or accompanied by a change in the body.
Cause
The body must maintain a constant temperature, which in healthy people is between 36 and 37 degrees Celsius, so that our enzymes, for example, can work properly. If people do sport, they use more energy. If he eats, carbohydrates, proteins and fats are burned, which leads to heat production, especially if spicy food is eaten.
Even in the summer heat, the body heats up, which leads to sweating. Excitement, anxiety and stress can also lead to increased sweating on the head, as the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and this is also responsible for sweating. For the body to function despite these circumstances, it must get rid of the excess heat.
Sweat glands are found almost everywhere in the skin, also on the head and especially on the forehead. When the body sweats, a salty liquid is secreted, which then evaporates on the surface of the skin and cools the body. Sweating is controlled by the vegetative nervous system, especially the sympathetic nervous system.
The nerves of the sympathetic nervous system give the sweat glands the impulse to sweat more or less. Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) on the head can have various causes. A distinction is made between primary and secondary hyperhidrosis.
Primary hyperhidrosis is also known as idiopathic hyperhidrosis – i.e. without a known cause – and is often present from birth. Secondary hyperhidrosis is usually caused by a physical or even pathological change. For example, another underlying disease can be the cause of sweating on the head.
Unhealthy nutrition (fatty food) or too much alcohol and nicotine play a role. Too much sweating on the head can also be caused by hormonal changes, as occurs during the menopause. Furthermore, hyperthyroidism can cause increased sweating on the head. In rare cases, increased sweating on the head can be an indication of cancer.
