Hyperhidrosis is defined as sweating more than is needed to regulate the body’s temperature.
In cases of focal hyperhidrosis (where only certain parts of the body are affected), the most common parts of the body to be affected are your:
- armpits
- palms of your hands
- soles of your feet
- face and chest
Some people may only have one area of their body affected by hyperhidrosis, whereas for others several areas can be affected. Both sides of the body are usually affected equally – for example, both of the feet or both hands.
Most people with focal hyperhidrosis have at least one episode of excessive sweating a week. The frequency of sweating in people with secondary hyperhidrosis (where the condition has an underlying cause) will depend on what the underlying cause is.
There are no guidelines to determine what constitutes "normal sweating", but if you feel that you sweat excessively and it has started to interfere with your everyday daily activities and social life, you may have hyperhidrosis.
For example, you may have hyperhidrosis if:
- You are reluctant to shake hands with someone or have other physical contact due to feeling self-conscious about your sweating.
- You are reluctant to take part in activities, such as dancing or exercise, for fear that they will make your sweating worse.
- You are finding that excessive sweating is interfering with your job – for example, you have difficulty holding tools or using a computer keyboard.
- You are having problems with normal daily activities, such as driving.
- Your attempt to cope with the sweating takes up a significant amount of time – for example, you need to have frequent daily showers and change your clothes two or three times a day.
- You become socially withdrawn and self-conscious.
