Excessive sweating

Category: General & Whole-Body Symptoms · All general symptoms

What it can feel like

Excessive sweating means sweating much more than the situation calls for — palms that drip, shirts soaked through on a cool day, or generalised sweating episodes that interfere with work and confidence. It may affect particular areas such as hands, armpits and feet, or the whole body.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Sweating can be associated with heat, exercise, anxiety and embarrassment, spicy food and alcohol, and hormonal changes such as the menopause. Sweating limited to the palms, soles and armpits that began young is often a longstanding pattern in its own right.

Other possible causes

New generalised sweating can be associated with fever and infection, an overactive thyroid, low blood sugar episodes, some medicines, and, less commonly, longer-term conditions — particularly when it arrives with weight loss or palpitations.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

Sweating with chest pain, breathlessness or palpitations
Sweating with unexplained weight loss, fever or night sweats
Sweating episodes with confusion or shaking, especially in someone using insulin
Sweating that suddenly changes in pattern after years of being stable

What a clinician may do

A clinician will ask where and when you sweat, what sets it off, and about medicines, weight and other symptoms. Examination and blood tests — including thyroid and blood sugar — may be arranged, and there are stepwise treatments from skin preparations to specialist procedures when sweating is severe.

Watch: related videos

Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.

▶ WatchExcessive sweating solutions frenchWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchExcessive sweating causes and how to reduce itWatch on MedicalVideos.com ▶ WatchWhy do i sweat so much how to stop sweaty armpits how to stop your hands from sweatingWatch on MedicalVideos.com

Related guides on MedicalVideos.com

Frequently asked questions

Why do my hands sweat so much?

Sweating that concentrates on the palms, soles and armpits and started in the teens or twenties is usually a primary pattern — the sweat glands themselves are overactive rather than a sign of illness. Your clinician can confirm the pattern and discuss treatments.

Can sweating be a sign of something serious?

Occasionally — especially generalised sweating that is new in later life or arrives with weight loss, fever or palpitations. That combination is worth a check, even though most sweating has an ordinary explanation.

Related symptoms — General & Whole-Body Symptoms

Chills Excessive thirst Fatigue Feeling cold all the time Feeling generally unwell (malaise)Fever

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.