Sweating is our body’s way of cooling. Some people are not able to sweat because their sweat glands are not functioning properly. This condition is called hypohidrosis. It affects our whole body. The absence of sweating can cause overheating. It can lead to heatstroke, which is a potentially life-threatening condition. Hypohidrosis can become very difficult to diagnose and this means that mild hypohidrosis usually goes unnoticed. This condition has so many causes. It is inherited during the birth of a person or develop later in the life of a person.
What causes hypohidrosis?
As you age, it’s normal for your ability to sweat to diminish. Conditions that damage our autonomic nerves, for eg. diabetes, also make problems with our sweat glands more likely.
Nerve damage
Any condition which causes nerve damage can disrupt the functioning of our sweat glands.
This includes: · Ross syndrome, which is the rare disorder characterized by sweating dysfunction and pupils which don’t dilate properly · Diabetes · alcoholism · Parkinson’s disease · multiple system atrophy · amyloidosis, which occurs when a protein called amyloid builds up in your organs and affects your nervous system · Sjögren syndrome · small cell lung cancer · Fabry disease, It is a genetic disorder which increases fat in your cells. · Horner syndrome, It is the form of nerve damage which occurs in our face and eyes.
Skin damage and disorders
Skin damage from severe burns that can permanently damage our sweat glands. Here are various possible sources of damage include: · radiation · trauma · infection · inflammation
Skin disorders that inflame the skin can also affect our sweat glands. These include:
Taking certain medications, particularly named as anticholinergics, can result in the absence of sweating. These medications have side effects which include a sore throat, dry mouth, and reduced perspiration.
Inherited conditions
Some people may inherit a damaged gene which results in their sweat glands to malfunction. An inherited condition named hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia causes a person to be born with either very less or no sweat glands.
What are the symptoms of hypohidrosis?
The symptoms of hypohidrosis include • one sweat very less in quantity even when other persons are sweating heavily. • muscle cramps or weakness • a flushed appearance • feeling overly hot Mild hypohidrosis often go unnoticed unless one involves in vigorous exercise and becomes overheated because one is not sweating or are sweating very little.
How is hypohidrosis diagnosed?
Your doctor will need to take a thorough medical history to diagnose this condition. You should tell all the symptoms that you’ve experienced with your doctor. This includes breaking out in the red rash or the skin flushing when you should sweating. It is really very important to tell them if you sweat in some parts of the body but not in the others. Your doctor can use any one of the following tests to confirm diagnosis of hypohidrosis: • During the axon reflex test, small electrodes are taken to stimulate our sweat glands. The volume of sweat produced is measured. • Silastic sweat imprint test measures that you sweat. • During thermoregulatory sweat test, your body is covered with the powder which changes the color in areas where you sweat. You enter a chamber that causes your body temperature to reach that level at which most of the people would sweat. • During a skin biopsy, some skin cells and sweat glands are removed and examined under the microscope.
How is hypohidrosis treated?
Hypohidrosis which affects only a small part of your body will not cause any problems and may not require any treatment. If hypohidrosis is caused by an underlying medical condition, your doctor will treat that condition properly. This may help reduce your symptoms. If hypohidrosis has occurred due to medications, your doctor will recommend you to try another medication or reduce your dosage. While this is not always possible, adjusting some medications may help you to improve sweating.
Can hypohidrosis be prevented?
It may not always be possible to prevent the hypohidrosis, but you can take some steps to avoid any serious illnesses related to overheating. You should wear loose, light-colored clothes, and don’t overdress yourself when it is so much hot. Stay inside if it is possible, and you should take care not to overexert yourself in the heat. You can also take some steps to cool your body and avoid overheating. It includes applying water or cool clothes to your body to make yourself feel like you’re sweating. When the water evaporates, you’ll feel cooler. If it is left untreated, hypohidrosis will cause your body to overheat. Overheating always requires quick treatment to prevent our body from worsening into heatstroke. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition. You should call 911 or visit an emergency room if you’re having a heat stroke.
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