Breaking Out In Sweats For No Reason: What It Means & What To Do About It

Breaking Out In Sweats For No Reason?

Many people wonder why they are breaking out in sweats for no reason; and unfortunately, there is no one single answer for everyone. There are many factors that can be contributed to random sweating, such as age, diet, or hormones to name a few.  We have to look at some possibilities to determine the root issue.

Possibilities for Random Sweating:

1.) Stress: Stress can be one major cause for breaking out in sweats for no reason. One way to determine if you are stress sweating is to smell your armpits.  If you find that your body odor stinks more than normal (like onions), you’re likely to be sweating from your apocrine glands, which excretes when your body is under stress. 

2.) Sickness: You could be coming down with the flu or some other illness that’s causing you to have a fever.  Do you have chills? Dizziness, coughing, sore throat, or any other signs of illness?  Check your temperature for a fever and even see a doctor if signs point to you getting sick.

3.) You have hyperhidrosis. This is a genetic condition that affects about 8 million people in the United States, and can be a major reason you are breaking out in sweats for no reason.  Many people don’t even realize they have it.  It can cause you to sweat for no apparent reason.  It can also cause you to sweat more excessively when you do have a reason

(such as running, anxious, elevated temperatures).

4.) Low blood sugar:  Your blood sugar should be between 70 and 100 mg/dL, if measured when fasting.  If it’s below 70, one symptom could be sweating, along with cold or clammy skin (particularly on the back of your neck on the hairline).  If your heart beat is going faster than normal, you feel shakiness, dizziness, or nausea, you may need to check your blood sugar levels.

5.) Lymphoma: On an even worse note, there’s the possibility of lymphoma (cancer of the lymph cells).  Even though doctors don’t fully understand why, this can cause you to sweat until you’re drenched.  You can check other symptoms for signs of cancer with these tips here.

6.) Risk of heart attack:  If your random breakouts have been going on for a while, it’s probably not a heart attack. But it should be ruled out if you have any discomfort in your chest, shortness of breath, or discomfort in any other parts of your upper chest.  Go to the hospital right away or call an ambulance if you have any of these symptoms.


How to Be Prepared If You’re Breaking Out In Sweats for No Reason

1.) Wear breathable clothing. Cotton or linen shirts can help with more airflow and are lighter than other material such as polyester or wool, which should be avoided.  This also goes for undergarments as well. (If you’re experiencing excessive sweating in the groin area (female), you may want to check out the article by clicking the link.)

2.) Use a strong antiperspirant. Maxim and Sweatblock are powerful antiperspirants that can keep your sweat glands under control.  If you want to go with a more natural approach without using aluminum, you should try a salt-based deodorant such as Crystal™ deodorant that blocks sweat naturally by creating an odor-killing barrier to block the formation of the bacteria causing the odor.

3.) Wear an undershirt made to hide and absorb sweat. Thompson Tee and SweatShield Undershirts are great to use when you’re out in public but don’t want to be seen sweating through your shirt. They are designed to keep any sweat from coming through, while staying breathable at the same time.

4.) Have Your Thyroid and Hormone Levels Checked. If it’s a hormonal or thyroid imbalance, it could be causing you to sweat randomly and even more than normal.  Your doctor can run tests to determine this.



How to Reduce the Amount You Sweat

You may not be able to stop it 100%, but if you are breaking out in sweats for no reason, you can take some steps to reduce the amount you are sweating.

Reduce Your Caffeine Intake: If you drink coffee, energy drinks, or anything else with lots of caffeine, it may be time to cut back a bit and see if this helps.  Caffiene raises your blood pressure and body temperature, and can make you sweat even when you’re not doing anything strenuous.

Adjust Your Diet: There are certain foods that can make sweating worse for you. Here are some types of food you should avoid until you figure out what’s going on:

  • Processed, fatty foods
  • Foods high in sodium
  • Spicy foods
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Alcoholic drinks

Stay Hydrated: As ironic as it sounds, drinking more water will actually reduce the amount you sweat.  When you’re dehydrated, your body trigger your sweat glands to try and cool itself off.  Drinking plenty of water is a good thing.

Eliminate Stressors: If you discover that you may be sweating because of a stressful or anxious situation, you should figure out what the stress factor is, and eliminate or reduce that stress factor.  If you happen to be around people when you’re sweating more, you may be nervous sweating. This can be controlled by breathing exercises and coping therapy.


Conclusion:

The key to figuring out why you are breaking out in sweats for no reason is to pay attention closely to your body.  Eliminate possible factors and see how that helps.  If you can’t figure it out on your own, or you feel that something isn’t right, please don’t hesitate to go see a doctor.  It’s better to be safe than sorry.