Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating can be due to an underlying medical condition or can occur without a traceable cause. The former is called secondary hyperhidrosis, and the latter is called primary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis can occur at an early stage in life, and this is an inherited condition. To know better about how these conditions are different, it would be useful to know about the causes of primary and secondary hyperhidrosis.

What are the causes of primary and secondary hyperhidrosis?

1. Stress
Everyday stress or even being present in a highly stressful situation can trigger excessive sweating in people. Various kinds of emotions and stress can affect the nerves that can directly activate the sweat glands even in pleasant temperatures or when the body is not physically active.

2. Trigger food items
People with primary hyperhidrosis might notice a sudden surge in sweating after consumption of trigger foods like caffeinated drinks or spicy foods. Consumption of alcohol might have similar effects.

3. Weather changes
The body of someone with primary hyperhidrosis is likely to respond much quicker and much more severely to weather changes. Even if the temperature slightly fluctuates to the warmer side, the person might start sweating profusely.

Causes of secondary hyperhidrosis

Discussing the causes of primary and secondary hyperhidrosis is critical because understanding the differences helps in finding the right treatment. Natural ways to reduce sweating might not be useful if you have a medical condition that is causing you to sweat more. The focus then should be on treating the underlying issue. The following factors can cause secondary hyperhidrosis.

1. Injury in the spinal cord
The nerves that transmit signals to and from the brain might be impacted during a spinal cord injury. This leads to the unwanted activation of sweat glands. So people with spinal cord injury might experience excessive sweating.

2. Lymphoma
One of the common symptoms of this health condition is nighttime sweating. People with lymphoma might often wake up from their sleep due to excessive sweating at night. This could be due to the chemicals released by the lymphoma cells and can result in experiencing poor sleep quality.

3. Sulfonylureas
These medications are prescribed to people with diabetes. This medication can cause a fluctuation in the blood glucose level, resulting in excessive sweating, especially at night.

4. Pregnancy
Pregnant women might also occasionally acquire secondary hyperhidrosis. The condition might resolve on its own after delivery.

After knowing the causes of primary and secondary hyperhidrosis , you can work on avoiding triggers and incorporate lifestyle changes that can reduce sweating. There are also several natural remedies you can try at home to keep excessive sweating under control.