Causes of Profuse Perspiration

Hyperhidrosis is when a person sweats profusely either all the time or frequently --- more than once a week, says MayoClinic.com. Perspiration, or sweating, is the body's method of cooling itself, a necessary and normal process. Only when it happens more than is necessary to maintain healthy temperature is the profuse sweating a problem. This condition can disrupt your daily activities and cause you embarrassment. It can also be a source of anxiety, which exacerbates the condition.

Emotional Stress

• Emotional stress or your body overreacting to emotional stimuli can cause focal hyperhidrosis. This affects your palms, the soles of your feet and sometimes the underarm area. Often, genetics cause this type of excessive perspiration, and it runs in families.

Medications

• Sometimes medications cause general hyperhidrosis, which is profuse sweating in large areas of the body, often seemingly without a cause. Consult your doctor if you suffer from this condition. He can rule out infections, health conditions or if it is simply a side effect from medication, says MayoClinic.com.

Menopause

• It is common to hear menopausal women complaining about profuse sweating and night sweats during this normal stage of a woman's life. Talk to your gynecologist to see if she can offer supplements or other medications that can reduce the severity or frequency of hot flashes or night sweats.

Medical Problems

• Profuse perspiration or a cold, clammy sweat is one of the main symptoms of a heart attack. Often, this is accompanied by pain in the jaw, right or left arm pain, shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest area. Call 911 or seek emergency help if these symptoms are present.

  Other medical conditions that result in profuse sweating are leukemia, overactive thyroid, lymphoma, an infectious disease or low blood sugar. Only a doctor can rule out these types of problems and find the true cause of your problem. Your first step is to visit your family care practitioner, who might refer you to a dermatologist, says the International Hyperhidrosis Society.

Physical Activitiy

• Engaging in a team sport, physical labor, exercising or being outdoors during a blazing hot day in the summer can all lead to profuse perspiration. Drink plenty of water during any circumstance that cause you to sweat a great deal to avoid dehydration. Extra fluids, resting periodically in the shade when outside and listening to your body's cues when they tell you it is time to take a break are ways to deal with profuse sweating.