Generalized sweating (generalized hyperhidrosis) is increased sweating over the entire surface of the body. The disorder may be accompanied by weakness, redness of the skin, and an increase in general temperature. The most common causes of hyperhidrosis are menopause and other endocrine disorders, prolonged infectious diseases, and poisoning. To establish the origin of general sweating, quantitative and qualitative tests, instrumental imaging methods, and laboratory tests are carried out. The elimination of unpleasant symptoms consists in the treatment of the underlying pathology.
Increased sweating is observed in 80% of patients during menopause. General sweating is caused by vasomotor disorders and dysregulation of the nervous system. Women report feeling "hot flashes" and redness of the upper half of the body, combined with increased sweating. The duration of attacks of hyperhidrosis with menopause is 3-5 minutes, they are repeated up to 2 times a day. The symptom is most pronounced at night, which leads to sleep disturbances. The frequent repetition of "tides" is the basis for a visit to the doctor to find out the cause of the discomfort.
With an increase in the concentration of thyroid hormones, general hyperhidrosis is caused by an increase in metabolism and increased heat production. The skin is constantly hot and moist. Patients note that it is difficult for them to endure high air temperatures. In stuffy rooms, general sweating increases significantly - sweat trickles down the skin, clothes get wet through. In addition to sweating disorders in hyperthyroidism, causeless weight loss, irritability, and palpitations are possible. Similar symptoms are caused by various reasons: thyroiditis, toxic goiter, tumors of the thyroid gland.
When infected with Koch's wand, generalized hyperhidrosis is associated with chronic intoxication of the body, which increases the function of the sweat glands. Increased sweating in tuberculosis is more often observed in the evening against the background of subfebrile body temperature, general malaise. Sometimes patients wake up at night due to the fact that the bed linen is completely wet. General excessive sweating worries for several months, accompanied by weakness and decreased performance, a rare dry cough and moderate pain in the chest.
The appearance of general hyperhidrosis may be due to various hormonal disorders that change metabolic parameters. Increased sweating persists constantly, increased sweating is possible with strong emotional upheavals, staying in hot rooms. The disorder has a different intensity. With especially excessive sweating, the patient has to change clothes several times a day due to an unpleasant smell and getting wet. Excessive sweating can be caused by:
With a tumor pathology of the lymph nodes, the first sign of the disease may be increased sweating throughout the skin. General hyperhidrosis develops against the background of normal body temperature and a satisfactory condition, so patients do not go to the doctor for a long time. As the process progresses, the amount of sweat increases, the skin, especially the palms, armpits and face, becomes constantly wet. In addition to lymphogranulomatosis, general sweating can be provoked by other tumor causes: non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, leukemias.
The most typical hyperhidrosis for infections occurring subacutely and chronically - brucellosis, malaria. Sweating is associated with periodic increases in body temperature. Malaria is characterized by a special rhythm of increased sweating - a symptom manifests itself every 3-4 days, depending on the form of the disease. With brucellosis, there is a constant generalized hyperhidrosis, occurring against the background of myalgia, arthralgia, skin rashes. The cause of increased sweating may be HIV infection in the case of the development of acute retroviral syndrome.
General sweating is more common with massive intoxication with organophosphorus compounds, which are used in agriculture as insecticides. A person has increased sweating, accompanied by profuse salivation and lacrimation. The causes of these manifestations are damage to the peripheral nervous system and increased stimulation of the sweat glands. In addition to generalized hyperhidrosis, the patient has repeated vomiting and diarrhea, and in severe cases, breathing may be difficult.
General sweating is typical for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, atonic constipation and other neuromuscular pathologies with drugs that stimulate the work of the parasympathetic nervous system - cholinomimetics and anticholinesterase drugs. Such a side effect may appear after the first use of the drug in a standard or maximum therapeutic dosage. As a rule, normal sweating is restored on its own, but the development of unpleasant manifestations must be reported to the attending physician for correction of treatment.
A specialist therapist or family doctor is engaged in finding out the cause of general hyperhidrosis. Diagnostic search is aimed at establishing primary disorders of the body, which can be manifested by profuse sweating. For examination, modern laboratory analyzes and various methods of instrumental visualization are used. The most informative are:
Patients with generalized hyperhidrosis should seek medical help to determine the cause of the disease and select an adequate treatment regimen. Before the diagnosis is verified, a frequent hygienic shower, treatment of areas of the skin exposed to friction with clothes, talcum powder or special powders helps to reduce unpleasant manifestations. Clothing and underwear should be chosen from natural materials. Strong antiperspirants can be used to eliminate the unpleasant smell of sweat in the armpits.
Hygiene measures for sweating
Medications that allow you to eliminate excessive sweating are not effective enough. For reliable relief of sweating disorders, it is necessary to carry out etiotropic therapy aimed at eliminating the cause of hyperhidrosis. Medicines are combined with local antiperspirants, physiotherapy methods (laser exposure, iontophoresis). According to indications, psychotherapy is used. The following drugs are included in the treatment regimen for general sweating:
To eliminate generalized hyperhidrosis, a remote surgical method can be used - sympathectomy (crossing the nerve trunk at a certain level, which reduces the work of the sweat glands). The best way is endoscopic sympathectomy, which is characterized by minimal trauma and a short rehabilitation period. Percutaneous and open methods are also used. If general sweating is caused by oncological causes (various types of tumors of the lymph nodes), lymphoid tissue is removed, which is combined with radiation and chemotherapy.