aetiology

Last reviewed 09/2022

Gneralised hyperhidrosis is associate with a number of conditions:

  • infective: acute viral/bacterial infections; chronic infections (tuberculosis, malaria, brucellosis)
  • drugs: alcohol, cocaine, heroin (including withdrawal), ciprofloxacin, aciclovir, esomeprazole, sertraline, and other antidepressants
  • endocrine: diabetes, hyperthyroidism, menopause, pregnancy, carcinoid syndrome, hyperpituitarism, pheochromocytoma, acromegaly
  • neurological disorders: stroke, spinal cord injuries, gustatory sweating after parotidectomy, Parkinson’s disease
  • other: lymphoma and other myeloproliferative disorders, congestive heart failure, anxiety, obesity

Focal hyperhidrosis can be due to:

  • idiopathic
    • the cause of primary focal hyperhidrosis is unknown but, as up to two thirds of people with the disorder have a family history, a genetic predisposition is assumed
  • gustatory sweating (sweating after eating or seeing food that produces strong salivation. Chewing can also stimulate sweating)
  • neurological causes
    • spinal injuries
    • neuropathies

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