What Causes Excessive Sweating?
You have been so helpful in the past with my Sarcoidosis question and other questions. So now I have another one. I have always excessively perspired. Recently its gotten ridiculous. I am breathing hard and sweating very easily. I can work hard, but not without becoming drenched and looking like a pig and being exhausted. What do you suggest?
Hyperhidrosis needs a workup
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
Excessive sweating AKA hyperhidrosis is a wide array of manifestation to many etiologies underlying and need a lot of work up to reach one.This symptom is sweating in excess of that required for normal thermoregulation, is a condition that usually begins in either childhood or adolescence. Although any site on the body can be affected by hyperhidrosis, the sites most commonly affected are the palms, soles, and axillae. Hyperhidrosis may be idiopathic or secondary to other diseases, metabolic disorders, febrile illnesses, or medication use. Hyperhidrosis exists in 3 forms: emotionally induced hyperhidrosis (in which it affects the palms, soles, and axillae, localized hyperhidrosis, and generalized hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis often causes great emotional distress and occupational disability regardless of the form and it needs to be sorted out.
Following lab work needs to be done to sort out the roots for this excessive sweating
Thyroid function tests may reveal underlying hyperthyroidism or thyrotoxicosis.
Blood glucose levels may reveal diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia.
Urinary catecholamines may reveal a possible pheochromocytoma.
Uric acid levels may reveal gout.
A purified protein derivative (PPD) test can be performed to screen for tuberculosis.
Chest radiography may be used to rule out tuberculosis or a neoplastic cause of the hyperhidrosis.
Consult to a neurologist and endocrinologist and discuss the different management plans from conservative to interventional like topical agents as anticholinergics, boric acid, 2-5% tannic acid solutions, resorcinol, potassium permanganate, formaldehyde (which may cause sensitization), glutaraldehyde, and methenamine,Drysol (20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate in absolute anhydrous ethyl alcohol),topical application of baking soda,aluminium chloride gel are to be discussed
Systemic agents as anticholinergic medications such as propantheline bromide, glycopyrrolate, oxybutynin, and benztropine. Also sedatives and tranquilizers, indomethacin, and calcium channel blockers are also useful.
Iontophoresis (passing a direct current across the skin) Also works like charm, so does botulinum toxin.
last but not the least is the surgical parasympathectomy if the above mentioned maneuvers fail
Seek your doctor and discuss these options with them and let them decide what is best for you.
I hope it helps.Dont forget to close the discussion please.
May the odds be ever in your favour
Regards
S Khan
Thyroid is fixable easily
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
Now that you mentioned the thyroid and temperature regulation issues the sweating is all explained. Yes the thyroid issue can be fixed easily by meds and ablative techniques and surgical corrections too. Eye care for any opthalmopathy itself needs management with steroids to decompressive orbital interventions.
All you need is some good anti thyroid medications and a good endocrinologist to discuss the other options and also sort out any other likely cause we talked about.
Rest assured if it turns out to be thyroid issue, it will be easily managed.
Take care