Medical expert of the article
New publications
Causes of severe sweating of the whole body, head, hands and feet
Last reviewed: 06.07.2025

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Excessive sweating is a serious problem of our time, which does not so much cause pain and is associated with illness, as it causes discomfort to a person, limits his life activity. It is not only possible to fight this disease, but also necessary. In order to overcome this phenomenon, it is necessary to undergo a comprehensive examination, find out the cause of the pathology and eliminate it. Cosmetics do not eliminate the pathology, but only mask the symptoms. Therefore, it is better to treat the disease.
The cause of excessive sweating is hyperfunction of the sweat glands, in which the sweat glands produce an excessive amount of secretion - sweat. Also, the cause may be enlarged pores that pass a large amount of liquid through the skin. Many factors can lead to a sharp increase in sweating. Among them, it is worth noting, first of all, overheating of the body, since it is as a result of the separation of a large amount of liquid that the body cools down and heat exchange is normalized.
Poisoning may also be the cause, since excess water is removed from the body with sweat, as well as toxins accumulated and dissolved in it. Sweating may be caused by stress, as well as a number of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Sweat often appears during increased physical and emotional stress, at elevated temperatures, and chills. Severe pain, nausea, high blood pressure, and even critical days in women are usually accompanied by increased sweating. Also, some medications, herbal remedies, alcohol, and some food products can provoke hyperproduction of sweat. Frequently, visiting a sauna or bathhouse is also accompanied by excessive sweating.
Severe sweating of the whole body
If the whole body sweats, especially at night, a number of diseases can be suspected. This often happens with elevated temperature, feverish conditions. In this case, as a rule, the body temperature rises very strongly, chills appear. All this can occur against the background of an inflammatory process, infection, severe intoxication of the body. In this case, a specific odor appears, which indicates the presence of bacterial endo- or exotoxins in the blood, which accompany the inflammatory process and maintain its active course. In addition, an increase in temperature and excessive sweating can indicate a viral infection. An experienced doctor can differentiate a bacterial infection from a viral infection based on the results of tests.
The intensity of temperature is closely related to the intensity of the inflammatory process, and accordingly, to the degree of sweating. Usually, there is a pattern: the higher the temperature rises, the more sweating. This can be explained quite simply: excess moisture comes out with sweat, and accordingly, excess heat.
Thus, the body is cooled, which helps to reduce body temperature. In addition, excess toxins and wastes are released with sweat. The body is cleansed, recovery occurs much faster and more intensively.
The whole body can sweat when heat exchange is impaired, when metabolism is impaired. This is especially pronounced in people with obesity, excess body weight. This is due to the fact that excess body weight creates an additional load on the heart, lungs, kidneys and other systems. The level of intoxication also increases significantly, since fluid and toxins, metabolites are retained in the body.
If a person has a thyroid gland disorder, there will also be profuse sweating, especially in winter. Sweat is also released quite intensively with hyperthyroidism and at night. Usually this disease is accompanied by a lack of strength, weakness. Immunity is significantly reduced, a person loses appetite. Irritability and sensitivity increase. Often the eyes become large and seem to bulge outward. In addition, trembling appears in the body. Hands tremble especially strongly, chills may appear.
Heavy sweating of the whole body may indicate the development of tumors, both malignant and benign. It may also be a sign of a disorder of the lymphatic and immune systems. Lymphoma and leukemia can be recognized by the presence of such accompanying factors as pale skin and strong enlargement and compaction of the lymph nodes.
Excessive sweating during sleep
Most often, this is a sign of some serious illness. In sleep, a person most often sweats in the presence of inflammatory and infectious processes. Also, an exacerbation of many chronic diseases can be accompanied by profuse sweating at night.
If you regularly sweat in your sleep, this may be a sign of tuberculosis. Accompanying signs include a strong wet cough, accompanied by wheezing in the lungs, sputum production. Body temperature may also increase, weakness and loss of appetite may develop. If you have one or more symptoms, you should see a TB doctor. It is necessary to conduct a diagnostic examination, the sooner the better.
Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus can be accompanied by profuse sweating. Sweat is released when the blood glucose level drops sharply. The skin also becomes pale, the heart rate increases, and muscle tremors appear.
Sweating in sleep may indicate the development of various neoplasms. In particular, it may be a sign of pancreatic cancer. Additional diagnostic criteria include weakness, hunger attacks, weakness, muscle spasms, and tremors.
Excessive sweating of the legs and feet
If your feet and legs sweat, this may indicate specific diseases of the legs and feet. In particular, a fungal infection that affects the skin of the feet manifests itself in a similar way.
Feet may also sweat under severe stress, emotional or physical strain, neuropsychic overstrain, overfatigue. It may be a sign of a structural or functional disorder of the nervous system. In this case, sweating is unbalanced, most often only one half of the body sweats. Against the background of nervous system disorders, alopecia - hair loss - may occur.
Heavy sweating in the morning
If a person sweats, especially in the morning, it may be a sign of a serious illness. For an experienced diagnostician, sweating may indicate various diseases and be one of the symptoms. Thus, it may be a sign of kidney or liver failure, cardiovascular problems.
Sweating also increases with some infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, typhoid fever, cholera, diphtheria. Often, increased sweating is observed against the background of high blood pressure, metabolic disorders. Diabetes mellitus, phenylketonuria are often accompanied by increased sweating.
Severe sweating of the head and face
The head may sweat excessively if a person experiences increased physical exertion, mental overstrain, stress. Also, sweating of the head may be a sign of viral diseases, diseases of the throat, nasopharynx. Sweating of the head may increase with skin diseases, increased sensitivity of the skin and dysfunction of the sweat glands.
The face sweats if a person has a disordered facial skin function, enlarged pores. Most often, the face sweats in people with oily or sensitive skin. This has its positive effects, in particular: a large number of toxins and metabolites are excreted with sweat. As negative aspects, we can consider an increased risk of developing fungal and bacterial infections, a tendency to inflammation, rashes, acne and cupids. Sweating of the face and head increases against the background of disorders of the endocrine system, immunity, with increased sensitivity of the nervous system.
Severe sweating of hands, palms
Hands and palms most often sweat when a person is exposed to stress, experiences severe stress, is nervous. Often this condition is observed against the background of disturbances in the normal functional state of the autonomic nervous system, with nervousness, psychosis, in a state of affect, overexcitement.
Sweating can occur under strong emotional influence. Moreover, a person can experience both positive and negative emotions. Some diseases of the cardiovascular system can also be accompanied by increased sweating. Hands and palms can sweat due to intoxication of the body, alcohol poisoning, and taking certain medications.
Excessive sweating under the arms
A person may sweat under the armpits for various reasons. This may be a consequence of increased stress, changes in the functional state of the body. Also, heavy sweating in some cases may be a sign of metabolic disorders, a symptom of diseases. Many people tend to consider this problem as cosmetic and use cosmetics to eliminate it. Antiperspirants have proven themselves well.
But the problem is that they do not eliminate the problem completely and do not cure it, but only mask it. Therefore, this problem should be approached from a medical point of view. In order to get rid of excessive sweating, you need to see a doctor, undergo a full examination and cure the problem. Various medications and physiotherapy procedures can be used for treatment. Excessive sweating can be treated with folk and homeopathic remedies.
Excessive sweating in old age
In old age, sweating is associated with various pathological conditions, pressure surges, and disruption of the main vital signs. Various degenerative and inflammatory processes often occur. Intoxication and autoimmune processes are common, which entail excessive sweat production and its removal from the body. Sweat glands themselves are also subject to age-related changes, resulting in their excessive activation and overstrain.
Also, older people sweat more because their nervous system is disrupted, and their hormonal state is disrupted. Older people are more nervous about various, even minor, reasons.