Why Do I Sweat Excessively?
Excessive sweating can be caused by physiological reasons such as hot weather or exercise, as well as pathological reasons such as spontaneous sweating, night sweats, head sweat, and partial sweat.
High ambient temperature, such as hot weather in summer, supplementation of water before and during exercise, and engaging in heavy physical activities can naturally lead to the excretion of a lot of sweat.
Pathological reasons refer to sweating caused by certain discomforts in the body, which is a pathological reaction of body functions.
Spontaneous Sweating: Sweating that occurs due to the use of diaphoretics or certain internal stimuli is known as "spontaneous sweating". It may be caused by weakness of lung qi, leakage of body fluids, and instability of wei yang, leading to symptoms such as mental fatigue, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and aversion to cold in people with yang deficiency.
Night Sweats: Night sweats are a common type of pathological sweating, referring to sweating that occurs during sleep. People with night sweats often have a yin deficiency constitution and may experience symptoms such as irritability, dry mouth and throat, and insomnia.
Head Sweat: Head sweat only occurs on the head and is often attributed to damp-heat and yang-ming heat in traditional Chinese medicine.
Partial Sweat: Also known as "half-body sweat," it refers to sweating that only occurs on one side of the body, either left or right, or in a certain upper or lower part. This condition is often caused by wind-phlegm or wind-dampness leading to obstruction of meridians and disharmony of qi and blood. It is more common in the elderly and may be a precursor to stroke.
