Sweating or perspiration is that familiar feeling of the wet dampness on our skin. You do not just sweat when it is hot or when you are exerting yourself; sweating is the body’s normal stress response to certain conditions. Though everyone sweats, not everyone sweats excessively. Let us understand when sweating is considered to be excessive and starts interfering with your life and what can you do to control it:

Normal causes of excessive sweating
According to the National Library of Medicine Journal, the human body has close to 2-4 million sweat glands. These are found on the palms, soles, and skin. Sweating helps regulate your body’s temperature and doesn’t let it succumb to heat. Besides, it also helps in excreting excessive iron and nitrogen from your body.

Let’s take a look at some of the most common causes of body sweats:

• Exercise
  Exercising heats up the body quickly. When you contract your muscles, your body produces energy. The excess energy escapes as body heat, resulting in sweating. Another reason is that when exercising, the body undergoes many chemical reactions while it burns fats, proteins, and sugars. These reactions heat the body, leading to body sweats. To avoid dehydration while exercising, make sure that you drink enough water.
• Hot weather
  The whole purpose of sweating is to keep your body from overheating and collapsing. Known as “thermoregulation,” sweating allows heat transfer when the sweat changes from liquid to a gaseous form before escaping your skin. Excessive loss of electrolytes and water due to hot weather can be managed by hydration and spending less time in the sun.
• Mood changes
  Many may not be aware, but your state of mind decides how much you will sweat. Whether you are angry, anxious, panicked, or stressed, your body goes into a fight or flight response. Your brain releases the stress hormone “cortisol,” which increases the heart rate, leading to excessive perspiration. It always helps to manage anxiety and stress by taking frequent work breaks and practicing mindfulness.

Abnormal causes of sweating
Excessive sweating could be caused without any apparent reason. For instance, the weather might be good, and you may be relaxed, but if you still break into profuse body sweats, it is known as abnormal or excessive sweating. It may cause sweat to pool on your back, under the arms, or even soak your shirt or socks. Other common areas of sweating include your lower back, soles of your feet, genitals, and palms of your hands.

Let’s take a look at some of the abnormal causes of body sweats:

• Hyperhidrosis
  According to the Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, more than 200 million people worldwide have hyperhidrosis. The condition has two types: primary and secondary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis is one that’s not caused due to any underlying medical condition. Secondary hyperhidrosis, however, is caused by health conditions such as leukemia, lymphoma, or malaria.
• Pregnancy
  Pregnancy causes the hormones to fluctuate wildly. It is especially true in the first and third trimesters of your pregnancy. Your blood flow also increases during this time leading to high blood pressure. All this leads to an increase in body temperature and especially night body sweats.
• Diabetes
  Diabetes is a common cause of abnormal body sweats. When the body cannot use blood sugar properly, the fluctuating glucose levels put the body in a fight-or-flight response. As a result, your body releases adrenaline, leading to excessive sweating.
• Heart conditions
  Sudden onset of excessive body sweats may indicate the onset of heart disease or a sign of heart attack. It occurs when the blood supply to your cardiovascular system is cut off, causing the nervous system to go into a flight or fight mode, leading to sudden sweating and even hot flashes.
• Excess body weight
  Individuals who are overweight or have a higher body mass tend to sweat much more than leaner people. Since body fat acts as an insulator and raises your body temperature, people with more fat tend to feel much hotter and sweat more. This also tends to leave a larger body surface area that requires more perspiration levels to cool down.

How to tackle excessive sweating?
Excessive body sweats are undesirable and make you feel awkward, especially in social situations. Here are some ways to manage it:

• If you sweat excessively, without the regular triggers of heat, exercise, or stress, it indicates a medical condition. Speaking to a general practitioner and getting a diagnosis and appropriate treatment is essential.
• Wear breathable fabrics that allow proper ventilation. Choose light-colored cotton and linen clothing to help your body reflect the heat instead of absorbing it.
• Avoiding certain food types also helps with excessive body sweats. Lower your consumption of spicy foods and include fresh and cooling ingredients in your meal plan.
• Apply a good quality antiperspirant deodorant. This is one of the best ways to manage the sweat ducts and not allow the sweat to reach the surface of the skin. The best antiperspirant deodorant would be natural and offer protection from the sun.
• Design your schedule according to the weather. Avoid outdoor activities during peak summers. Stay cool and keep yourself hydrated. Take a bath twice daily in the summers.

Excessive sweating may not just indicate an underlying medical condition but may also cause itching, inflammation, and skin changes. It is best to check this immediately and seek your doctor’s advice.