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Suggest Remedy For Excessive Sweating In An Elderly Person
Question: I am a 66 year old female. My problem is that I sweat to the point that it drips down my face and my clothes are very wet. What could be causing this? YYYY@YYYY
Brief Answer:
different possible causes
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Increased sweating is called hyperhidrosis.
There are 3 forms : (1) emotional hyperhidrosis where sweating occurs mainly on the palms,soles and axilla
(2)localized- where one particular area of the body is affected
(3)generalized-there is wide spread sweating, different areas of the body affected
In generalized the causes may be: (1)generalized problems with a part of the nervous system controlling sweating. It is called the autonomic nervous system.
This would be autonomic dysregulation. Can occur in different conditions eg diabetes
(2)metabolic disorder- such as thyroid disease, gout, a condition called pheochromocytoma where there is increased production of certain hormones
(3)infections or other fever causing illnesses
(4)cancer
If the sweating is localized to a particular area , this can be due to problems with parts of the autonomic nerves in this area or the sweat glands in that particular region.
To find out the exact cause, your doctor would need to do blood tests- thyroid function tests, gout if considered, full blood count, ESR (checks for inflammation in the body).
Urine for the hormones found in pheochromocytoma
Chest x ray
The treatment would depend on the cause found.
In some persons, no specific cause can be identified. There are topical and oral medications that can be used to help
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
different possible causes
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Increased sweating is called hyperhidrosis.
There are 3 forms : (1) emotional hyperhidrosis where sweating occurs mainly on the palms,soles and axilla
(2)localized- where one particular area of the body is affected
(3)generalized-there is wide spread sweating, different areas of the body affected
In generalized the causes may be: (1)generalized problems with a part of the nervous system controlling sweating. It is called the autonomic nervous system.
This would be autonomic dysregulation. Can occur in different conditions eg diabetes
(2)metabolic disorder- such as thyroid disease, gout, a condition called pheochromocytoma where there is increased production of certain hormones
(3)infections or other fever causing illnesses
(4)cancer
If the sweating is localized to a particular area , this can be due to problems with parts of the autonomic nerves in this area or the sweat glands in that particular region.
To find out the exact cause, your doctor would need to do blood tests- thyroid function tests, gout if considered, full blood count, ESR (checks for inflammation in the body).
Urine for the hormones found in pheochromocytoma
Chest x ray
The treatment would depend on the cause found.
In some persons, no specific cause can be identified. There are topical and oral medications that can be used to help
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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