Abstract
Abnormal sweating results from a wide variety of medications that affect the sympathetic nervous system, the thermoregulatory network or the sweat glands. Furthermore, it may result from sleep-stage disturbances, autonomic nervous system disorders, medullary and spinal cord abnormalities, reduction in serum osmolality or abnormalities of osmoreceptor function, hypercapnia, disorders of hormone secretion (hypothyroidism, postmenopausal syndrome, cortisol) and direct sweat gland stimulation by pressure, heat, trauma or toxins. The key to successful diagnosis of sweating disorders is to differentiate whether the patient suffers hypohidrosis or hyperhidrosis and whether the disorder is focal or generalised.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Fealey RD, Low PA, Thomas JE (1989) Thermoregulatory sweating abnormalities in diabetes mellitus. Mayo Clin Proc 64:617–628
Gibbons CH, Illigens BMW, Centi J, Freeman R (2008) QDIRT: quantitative direct and indirect test of sudomotor function. Neurology 70:2299–2304
Illigens BM, Gibbons CH (2009) Sweat testing to evaluate autonomic function. ClinAuton Res 19(2):79–87
Low PA, Caskey PE, Tuck RR, Fealey RD, Dyck PJ (1983) Quantitative sudomotor axon reflex test in normal and neuropathic subjects. Ann Neurol 14:573–580
Provitera V, Nolano M, Caporaso G, Stancanelli A, Santoro L, Kennedy WR (2010) Evaluation of sudomotor function in diabetes using the dynamic sweat test. Neurology 74:50–56
Stewart JD, Nguyen DM, Abrahamowicz M (1994) Quantitative sweat testing using acetylcholine for direct and axon reflex mediated stimulation with silicone mold recording; controls versus neuropathic diabetics. Muscle Nerve 17:1370–1377
Lahrmann H, Magnifico F, Haensch CA, Cortelli P (2005) Autonomic nervous system laboratories: a European Survey. Eur J Neurol 12:375–379
Ross AT (1958) Progressive selective sudomotor denervation; a case with coexisting Adie’s syndrome. Neurology 8:809–817
Mold JW et al (2012) Night sweats: a systematic review of the literature. J Am Board Fam Med 25:878–893
Tugnoli V, Eleopra R, De Grandis D (1999) Hyperhidrosis and sympathetic skin response in chronic alcoholic patients. Clin Auton Res 9(1):17–22
Schlereth T, Dieterich M, Birklein F (2009) Hyperhidrosis—causes and treatment of enhanced sweating. Deutsches Ärzteblatt International 106(3):32–37
Cheshire WP, Fealey RD (2008) Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis. Drug Safety 31(2):109–126
Cheshire W, Freeman R (2003) Disorders of Sweating, 23(4):399–406
Wasner G, Maag R, Ludwig J, Binder A, Schattschneider J, Stingele R, & Baron R (2005) Harlequin syndrome–one face of many etiologies. Nature Clinical Practice. Neurology, 1(1):54–9. http://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0040
Viera AJ, Bond MM, Yates SW (2003) Diagnosing night sweats. American Family Physician, 67(5):1019–24. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12643362
Swinn L, Schrag A, Viswanathan R, Bloem BR, Lees A, Quinn N (2003) Sweating dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease. Movement Disorders: Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 18(12):1459–63. http://doi.org/10.1002/mds.10586
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Struhal, W., Lahrmann, H. (2017). Sweating Disorders. In: Struhal, W., Lahrmann, H., Fanciulli, A., Wenning, G. (eds) Bedside Approach to Autonomic Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05143-7_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05143-7_4
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05142-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05143-7
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)