Hyperhidrosis, also known as excessive sweating, is a condition where an individual sweats excessively, not necessarily due to heat or exercise. The sweating may be so severe that it drips through clothes, becoming a source of embarrassment. Thankfully, several treatments help reduce sweating and other symptoms, and surgical interventions are also available for severe cases. But it is necessary to know the reason behind it. Below are a few causes of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating: Pregnancy A primary cause of hyperhidrosis is pregnancy. During pregnancy, blood flow increases throughout the body, making women feel warmer and causing excessive sweating. Hormones also tend to fluctuate significantly during gestation, which is a trigger for perspiration. It is more common in the first and third trimesters and can also occur postpartum or after delivery when hormones begin to settle down. Menopause Menopause is another reason why a woman’s hormones fluctuate. Hot flashes are the most familiar symptom during this time, caused due to ever-changing levels of estrogen in the body. The fluctuation of this hormone suddenly causes the individual to feel warm and sweat excessively. Nighttime sweats are pretty common in the perimenopausal period. Eating non-spicy food, sitting under a fan, or dressing in light layers help reduce the discomfort associated with extreme sweating caused by menopause.

Sweating is a completely normal phenomenon. You may sweat excessively when you are exercising, when it’s too hot outside, or when you are frightened or nervous. It’s the body’s reaction to cooling itself down. But some people drip with sweat even when they are not exercising or feeling hot. In such cases, sweating may be caused because of an underlying condition. Take a look at normal and underlying health reasons the body sweats excessively. Normal reasons the body sweats Perimenopause Perimenopause is the period when a woman stops having a menstrual cycle and is about to enter menopause. During this time, the body sweats excessively because of irregular hormone levels. There is also a shift in estrogen levels, causing the body temperature to rise, resulting in hot flashes. The exact reason for this is not known. Foods Consumption of certain types of food can trigger excessive sweating. Such instances of sweating are known as gustatory sweating. Spicy foods, caffeinated drinks such as soda, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages can cause excessive sweating. Emotions Certain emotions like anger, fear, embarrassment, and anxiety can make people sweat excessively, which is normal. Sweating stops once you get your emotions under control. Complicated conditions causing excessive sweating Primary focal hyperhidrosis Primary focal hyperhidrosis causes excessive sweating in people even when they are not doing any physical activity.