Sweating, excessive

Alternative names:

diaphoresis; increased sweating; perspiration-excessive

Definition:

Diaphoresis is profuse sweating not brought on by physical activity, emotional response, or high environmental temperature.

Considerations:

Sweating is perfectly natural, especially when exercising or hot or if something has happened to cause an emotional response (being angry, embarrassed, nervous, afraid, or anxious).

Emotionally-induced sweating is usually limited to the hands, feet, face, and armpits. When the whole body is sweating, other physical causes should be considered.

Common causes:

• environmental temperatures (warmth)
• fever, often triggers sweating to cool off the body
• certain foods and medications (such as coffee and morphine)
• hormonal imbalance, such as occurs in menopausal women
• overactive thyroid gland--the hands shake, the hair thins, the skin is smooth, and the pulse is fast
• diabetics receiving insulin or oral medication may go into a cold sweat when their blood sugar drops too low
• periodic sweating (in the absence of a hormonal change), is frequently caused by an abscess
• emotional or psychological stimulation (being in or thinking about difficult situations)
• exercise
• spicy foods
• malaria
• drugs (including antipyretics, aspirin and acetaminophen poisoning, some antipsychotics, sympathomimetics, and thyroid hormone)
• withdrawal from alcohol or narcotic analgesics
• obesity

Note: There may be other causes of excessive sweating. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as location, quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for excessive sweating, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.