Absolute Virtue
it's genetics, but you sweat to bring your body temp down. So no, there's really nothing wrong with you. You WANT to sweat.
Yes, sweating's a vital component of thermoregulation. But excessive sweating isn't normal, even if you have a family history of it, and while it can be benign, it can also be a symptom of disease.
NichOrion
Okay, so I'm 200 pounds, but I don't think my weight has anything to do with it since my BMI is 13% and I'm not very physically active unless I'm riding my bike around places. So, riddle me this, why, when I do ANYTHING, my body's sweating like crazy.
I use antiperspirant/ deoderant (Old Spice), and I want to know if there's any prescription-grade over-the-counter stuff that would work better... And if there's anything I might have wrong with me. I know stuff like this can be fruitless, but I'm a musician/ actor, so I want to be sweating as little as possible in order to LOOK presentable when I do a performance and to save my guitar from getting ruined by sweat.
If anybody has input, I'd very much appreciate it.
If you have underarm wet patches at the end of the day, pretty much everyday, that's not normal (unless you're a builder or something else where you are quite physically active.) And if you regularly have excessively sweaty palms and soles, that is also not necessarily normal.
Excessive sweating can be caused by numerous endocrine diseases, such as hyperthyroidism for example. If hyperthyroidism is the case, it is usually (but not necessarily) accompanied by other signs and symptoms such as: tachycardia and weightloss, despite a good appetite, to name a few.
Most likely, if you're totally healthy but sweat excessively, you probably suffer from "hyperhidrosis" (excessive sweating) due to an overactive sympathetic nervous system. This isn't a risk to your health at all, but as you rightfully said, it is unpleasant and can be embarrassing.
Please refer to the UK's National Health Service website below for more information on this condition:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Hyperhidrosis/Pages/Introduction.aspx
As the NHS says, you should visit your family doctor (GP) about the matter. This is just to check that you aren't suffering from any conditions that require treatment (such as the hyperthyroidism I mentioned above) but also to address the issue. Your problem will most likely be controlled through simple lifestyle changes and prescription antiperspirant (which will be far more effective than anything obtained over the counter.) If this is insufficient, there are other treatment options available such as iontophoresis (refer to the page for more information) or even surgery - but this is only done in extreme cases.
I hope this helps.
EDIT: Excessive sweating can also be a side-effect of a number of drugs. If you are on regular medication, check the drug information leaflet that comes with it to see if it is a known side effect. If it is, don't stop taking your medication, but go back to your GP and see if there are any alternative treatments available to you.
