Sweating Excessively

I sweat constantly, usually from my under arms. It has nothing to do with heat or the weather. If I am home it normally does not happen, but the minute I am placed in a social situation, even just driving down the street, I sweat. Any suggestions?

The human body has two types of sweat glands, and both of them may be found in the armpit. One, called the apocrine gland, responds to hormones rather than heat, and may be activated by nervousness and strong emotions. The other type of gland is called the eccrine gland. These are the glands that respond to heat and release salts and water in order to regulate body temperature. These, too, may be activated by emotional stress.

Excessive perspiration, a condition called hyperhidrosis, may result from underlying medical problems, but more often arises from stress. In fact, extreme nervousness may cause one to sweat close to three quarts of fluids very rapidly, and since this kind of emotional strain activates both kinds of glands, it is no wonder that the armpits are quickly turned into what feels like a couple of faucets under the arms.

Obviously, the least expensive way to halt the perspiration is to shop around until you find an effective anti-perspirant. If you are currently using a deodorant product, it will do nothing to prevent perspiring - deodorants just work to hide odor, as their name aptly implies. An anti-perspirant will help considerably more in halting the sweat before it gets a chance to go.

If stress is the underlying cause of excessive perspiration, though, addressing that stress will cause the sweating to go away, too. Involve family members in giving you emotional support in social situations so that you may begin to feel more confident. Plan ahead - think about what you will likely talk about with other people and think about how you will say what's on your mind. And don't forget to breathe deeply. Deeply inhaling and exhaling calms the mind and body, and slows those pits down.

REFERENCES
a listing of scientific articles and texts used.