It’s natural to sweat when it’s hot. Sweating helps regulate body temperature, expel waste, and prevent skin dryness. However, some people sweat excessively even when the weather isn’t particularly hot. While this could simply be due to their body type, if they sweat significantly more than others, it could be a warning sign of potential health issues. Let’s explore some conditions that could be the cause of excessive sweating.
Tuberculosis
If you find your body tiring easily and losing weight without trying, you should suspect tuberculosis. Especially if you sweat so much at night that you have to change your clothes, it could be a sign of an infection caused by tuberculosis. Symptoms of a tuberculosis infection include persistent coughing, chest pain, and bloody sputum, along with weight loss and reduced appetite. Additionally, excessive sweating with chills at night can be a symptom.
Diet and Constitution
People have different constitutions due to genetic influences from birth. Some may sweat excessively compared to others, or their metabolism may decrease, and their constitution may change as they age. Also, when you eat spicy or hot food, your blood circulation generally increases, and your heart beats faster. These signals increase sweat production in the brain. Of course, due to their body type, many people don’t sweat even when they eat hot or spicy food.
Stress
Stress is a major health issue for modern people. Anxiety, tension, and extreme stress can lead to increased blood pressure and body temperature. As a result, the cerebral cortex increases sweat secretion to neutralize emotions. If sweat secretion due to stress is repeated and persistent, it can change to a body type that sweats a lot, impair the function of the digestive organs, and cause indigestion. It also causes excessive sweating in the armpits, a symptom of hyperhidrosis.
Obesity
Subcutaneous fat insulates the body, preventing heat from escaping and regulating body temperature. In obese people, this function is relatively more active than in others. As a result, they naturally sweat more. If you suspect excessive sweating due to weight, maintaining an appropriate weight or attempting weight loss might help.
Sudden Weight Changes
It’s important to know that extreme dieting can lead to excessive sweating, even if you experience significant weight loss. This happens because extreme dieting can reduce your body’s ability to regulate sweat glands. As a result, you might sweat more than usual. While some believe that sweating more can aid in weight loss, it’s crucial to understand that the weight loss from sweating is primarily due to water loss, not fat burning. So, be cautious and don’t rely on sweating as a method for weight management.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea, characterized by repeated upper airway obstruction during sleep, can cause excessive sweating at night. If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, and decreased quality of life. People often sweat a lot while sleeping, which happens when the parasympathetic nervous system that should be activated during sleep doesn’t function properly. Problems with the parasympathetic nervous system can lead to increased blood pressure and heart rate and can cause excessive sweating while sleeping.
Menopause
As women age, ovarian function declines, leading to menopause when ovulation and hormone production cease. Menopausal symptoms include facial flushing, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and memory impairment due to hormone deficiency. It is also reported that about 35% of menopausal women experience excessive sweating due to sweat secretion control disorders, regardless of time and place. Menopausal symptoms can be managed with hormone therapy prescribed by a doctor.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder, widely recognized due to reports of celebrities experiencing it, is an anxiety disorder marked by sudden and intense panic attacks. These attacks occur without warning and specific triggers, leading to severe anxiety and symptoms that disrupt daily life. Individuals with panic disorder often experience autonomic nervous system abnormalities, such as rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, sweating, and trembling, which can result in increased sweat production.
Hyperthyroidism
If you continuously lose weight despite eating a lot, it might not be a welcome symptom in today’s preference for thin bodies. This could indicate hyperthyroidism, characterized by a rapid heart rate, weight loss, excessive sweating, and frequent shortness of breath due to excessive thyroid hormone production and increased metabolism.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a truly frightening disease. It’s not just diabetes itself but the complications caused by diabetes that are genuinely frightening. Diabetes reduces the ability to control blood sugar, leading to the risks of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. When blood sugar is low, it can lead to decreased concentration, slight trembling, and abnormalities in the autonomic nerves that control sweat production. Especially during the night or early morning, the secretion of cold sweat can become excessive. So, if you sweat a lot while sleeping, you may need to suspect diabetes.
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