Sweat production is a physiological process of the human body. Sweat is produced in the sweat glands, which are located in the skin and secrete the sweat through pores to the skin surface. This process serves to regulate body temperature and the water and electrolyte balance.
The temperature is lowered by the evaporation of the liquid. This is very important in situations where the body temperature rises. During sports, for example, due to increased energy production and consumption, a rise in temperature occurs, which is partially compensated by sweat production.
In a warm environment, the same regulatory mechanism plays an important role in protecting the body from overheating. The production of sweat is regulated by the so-called autonomic nervous system. This is the reason for increased sweat production during excitement.
However, the term “excessive sweating” is only used when this leads to stress for the person concerned. Excessive sweating in the entire body can have many causes, which should be further clarified. Hormonal diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, but also side effects of medication, as well as obesity, infections and even tumors can lead to increased sweat production.
Symptoms
However, most people who seek medical advice in this regard suffer from excessive sweating in certain circumscribed areas. These are most often the hands, feet and armpits. The cause is believed to be an increased function of the “sympathetic”, as part of the autonomic nervous system.
Possibly an “adjusted target value” of the sweat production in the brain plays a role here. In addition, a genetic inheritance is discussed as a cause. A psychological component must not be excluded in any of these cases.
However, this must be separated from the consequences of the disease when it is diagnosed, as the patients often suffer massively from it psychologically. The main symptom mentioned at the medical presentation is the social isolation in which the affected people slowly fall into. The main problem is the fact that the handshake is felt unpleasant because of the wet hand and therefore the patients avoid it.
Especially in a profession that requires a lot of human contact, this can cause additional psychological stress. In stressful situations it often comes to a vicious circle: patients are excited because they fear excessive sweating and therefore sweat more often. Most of those affected suffer from this since puberty, increasingly avoid social contacts and, under this pressure of suffering, seek help from their family doctor and, in recent years, on the Internet.
