Understanding Hyperhidrosis and Stress: A helpful guide if you’re feeling the heat…

Hyperhidrosis: What is it, and what can be done…

As we move towards (dare we say it), brighter days (shhh, say it in hushed tones would you!), and with the change of season from winter to spring, temperature begins to rise.

With that, the smiles start to appear on peoples’ faces once again and the pubs begin to bulge onto the pavements on Bank Holidays and school nights. It feels at this point we can all start to breathe a collective sigh of relief as we exit a long, cold, dreary and all too wet winter, in the UK at least.

But.

Whilst warmer weather can raise a degree of temperature, it can also ramp up the uncomfortable, unwanted and sometimes unmanageable effects these toastier conditions can have on the body AND on the mind.

Anxiety, for one, can be affected by an increase in heat.

It’s plenty enough to have to deal with the issues causing and caused by anxiety, but environmental factors such as a temperature increase can warm up the already overheating engine running inside of us during these times of fight or flight.

And the body in these times of overheating needs to cool down, not get hotter.

Now sure, things are all good if we’re sitting under the air conditioning unit bolted to the office ceiling. Or if we’re chilling by the pool, swimming occasionally to the pool bar to order a sneaky margarita (keep dreaming Nick).

But perhaps not so good if it’s a sunshiny day and we’re running late and chasing down the full-to-the-brim bus…

Or facing a meeting in a windowless box with the big cheeses seemingly scrutinising our every word…

Or just having to get through the endless day-to-day to-do lists that keep amassing more at the bottom than we are managing to tick off at the top, which can have us sweating just at the thought.

Or…

(fill in blanks at will)

When stress goes up, so does temperature. And when the temperature goes up, stress can also rise alongside.

The Hyperhidrosis Cycle

For some, warmer days can sometimes mean staying home more often…

Just as the increase in temperature can be uncomfortable (we’re not all sun lizards after all), some people can also struggle with an over-increase in body temperature, leading to an experience of persistent perspiration, known as hyperhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis, a condition characterised by excessive sweating – can significantly affect someone’s life, particularly when coupled with… yeah, you know it’s coming… STRESS.

This condition often leads to a cycle of distressing and debilitating worry, sometimes promoting other concerns and conditions too – generalised anxiety disorder, health anxiety, sometimes depression, and occasionally people can experience an increase in irritability, frustration, and anger, which in turn can exacerbate excessive perspiration. This negative loop can make the discomfort and the psychological burden of hyperhidrosis worse.

Here are eight ways hyperhidrosis can affect feelings, emotions, and life:

Increases self-consciousness and feelings of embarrassment.
Amplifies feelings of anxiety in work, or social situations.
Often leads to avoidance of activities or reduced social interactions.
Can cause physical discomfort and disturbance, such as skin infections.
May impact professional life due to the challenge of managing symptoms at work.
Can lead to increased annoyance over the constant need to deal with the condition.
May intensify emotional distress and contribute to low mood and depressive feelings.
Affects personal relationships due to a sense of insecurity and self-imposed isolation.

Now, whilst it’s often reported that it typically takes some time for hyperhidrosis to subside after a stressful period, the positive side is that as stress levels decrease and coping mechanisms improve, so too can the negative symptoms of hyperhidrosis.

There are substantial benefits to addressing hyperhidrosis effectively, including:

Improved self-esteem and reduced social anxiety.
Enhanced comfort during daily activities.
Better skin health and less risk of infections.
Increased participation in social and professional events.
Reduction in stress associated with managing symptoms.
Overall improvement in quality of life and mental well-being.

Most people who have been struggling with the effects of persistent sweating have searched and found (or sometimes. not found) ways and means of dealing with the visual side of this concern – ways to manage it best.

There are forums dedicated to the condition and support networks that can serve as a vital step in the management of the symptoms (I’ve included a couple at the footer of this blog if you need)

Often, people find themselves stuck in this space, not really knowing the ‘whys’, and confused about why the symptoms started, when they’ll next arrive and, when they do go, fooling them into believing that the symptoms have passed permanently, not knowing when or how next round of hyperhidrosis will strike.

Self Care for Hyperhidrosis – What Can I Do?

Self care ideas can serve as a cornerstone in managing hyperhidrosis…

Although more ‘symptom-based’ efforts can be beneficial, they may not deal with the origin of the concern, or help to begin to eradicate the condition – with this in mind, these self care ideas can alleviate some stress by helping to create a degree of control over existing, negative symptoms…

The top three self-care ideas include:

1. Regular mindfulness or relaxation techniques to manage stress.

This self care idea is key to making a more long-term change with hyperhidrosis. Whilst help with the symptoms of hyperhidrosis is not to be overlooked, looking at and dealing with the very concerns that cause the stress/excessive perspiration cycle, and working towards breaking its uncomfortable hold over your mental/physical state, is numero uno in not having the issues plaguing you in the weeks and months ahead.

2. Wear clothing made of natural fibres to allow the skin to breathe (see useful article here)

3. Try to maintain a balanced diet to avoid foods that may arouse sweating, such as chilli, acidic foods, high-sugar foods etc (see helpful article here)

Tackling hyperhidrosis with self care ideas can help manage stress levels – not only that, but they’re available right now and at a low or no-cost. Yep, we’re talking FREE – and who doesn’t love a bit of free!!

So these simple (although I appreciate not always easy to get going) ideas which could well be something you can jump into right now (?), are crucial in controlling the existing excessive perspiration you may be experiencing.

Still, if individuals find self-care maintenance challenging, therapy can be a supportive alternative.

Often, whether taken online or face-to-face (at London Hypnotherapy, what works best for you works best for me here :), therapy can help someone experience a significant reduction in symptoms, and may even remove the nervous system response to a concern, or concerns, contributing to the unwanted state of mind and body.

Beyond Home Improvements – A Little Extra Help

Solution-focused hypnotherapy is particularly effective for hyperhidrosis in both management and reduction/removal of these unwanted symptoms.

The important therapeutic element of solution focused hypnotherapy is that it focuses on helping someone look beyond the condition, helping to paint the picture of a life once symptoms have subsided, and critically looking at how that life would look, over what created the symptoms in the first place.

Hypnosis encourages three leading processes in change, helping to alter the brain’s natural way change of thinking; intense absorption, cognitive flexibility, and dissociation. These neurological changes help someone focus more keenly on what they want, help them become more adaptable in the face of challenges, and allow someone to look at their life with less judgment to discover a clear and simple path to better outcomes.

This form of hypnotherapy can play a pivotal role in natural brain and behavioural changes, providing a calming influence and reducing the effects of the fight-or-flight response.

Summing up…

To summarise, managing hyperhidrosis involves understanding the condition, practising self-care, and considering hypnotherapy as a natural, calming treatment to alleviate symptoms. Hypnotherapy can offer a profound difference, providing those in London and throughout the UK with a tool to reclaim control over their bodies and emotions.

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Nick Bullock

Nick is a solution focused therapist and hypnotherapist running an online and clinical practice in Central London. A writer of blogs and short stories, he's a keen researcher in all things mental health, bringing simple, creative solutions to the page.

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