5 reasons to sweat excessively (without doing sports)

The times you've been the most sweaty after doing a spin class or going to Hot Yoga, you've thought you've finished a good workout. But what happens when you sit down to dinner or are talking to someone new and you start to sweat?

Sweating is the body's response to controlling body temperature. When your skin is hot, a message is sent to the brain to cause sweating. As you sweat, the evaporation of sweat cools the body.

hombre sudando sin hacer deporte

So it makes perfect sense for you to sweat when the temperature is warmer or during exercise, but there are times when perspiration occurs that really itches your head.

Causes of having excess sweat

Things of everyday life

You are stressed by a work project that you need to hand over to your boss. Or maybe your best friend just got some great news and the two of you are yelling together over a video call. All of these emotions can raise your body temperature and make you sweat.

That said, if it's annoying or troublesome for you, it can be a stressor in and of itself, leading to more stress and sweat. And the cycle is not broken. Controlling anxiety can help in this situation, especially by working on relaxation techniques that cause less worry.

Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by excessive sweating. People with hyperhidrosis tend to sweat four to five times more than other people.

What feels like out-of-control sweating can happen on its own or be the result of a medical condition. It usually begins before the age of 25, is frequently located on the hands, feet, or armpits, and sweating episodes occur at least once a week.

There are effective treatments for hyperhidrosis, including certain antiperspirants and permanent, non-invasive procedures, so it's worth talking to your doctor for advice.

It is a symptom of a disease

Severe sweating caused by a health condition usually begins in adulthood, usually occurs during sleep, and the symptom can be the result of diabetes , menopause , hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid), gout , rheumatoid arthritis, or even lymphoma .

Finding the right treatment for your condition will help ease symptoms and help you feel better overall, even when it comes to sweating.

hombre sudando en exceso

It's something you ate

The last time you ate the chili pepper from the Thai restaurant, sweat broke out. Or maybe that steaming bowl of pho is making you take off your sweater. It is logical, if you are eating something hot, your body temperature rises and you sweat to lower it.

However, if you sweat excessively while sitting down to eat anything, including cold foods, it can be " taste sweat ," which can occur in response to the same health conditions that lead to hyperhidrosis.

It can be your medicine

Some medications can act on certain parts of your brain and nervous system and ultimately trigger sweating. These include, but are not limited to, antidepressant and tricyclic antidepressant medications, NSAIDs such as naproxen, opioids , certain antibiotics and antivirals , corticosteroids , thyroid medications, and insulin .

One clue that sweating is coming from your medications is that it tends to occur all over the body rather than centralized points (for example, just on the hands or feet).

Your doctor may be able to change the dose, give you a different formulation, or consider a new medication if perspiration is bothersome.

Should you go to the doctor?

Assuming you're not worried about having an underlying medical problem, you may not need to seek help. If sweating doesn't bother you and it happens after a specific trigger, you don't necessarily have to do anything about sweating.

That said, if you have to change your shirt because you're sweating or dripping sweat when the people around you don't even have glitter on their foreheads, talk to your doctor about the possibility of hyperhidrosis.

Most urgently, if sweating occurs with alarm symptoms (shortness of breath, chest pains, palpitations, headaches, or dizziness), call 911. Starting a cold sweat along with the above symptoms may indicate a heart attack.