All of us sweat. It is our body’s natural response to changing temperature. When there is a rise in the temperature outside or when the body is doing an intense activity, we sweat. Sweating keeps the body cool In simpler terms, sweating performs an important function of maintaining the body temperature. We also sweat in response to stress. We may notice that we sweat when we worry. In this article, we explore what is nervous sweating and how to stop nervous sweating.

  In certain situations, sweating can be very embarrassing. For instance, during a stage performance. In many cases, when we have an important event, we may notice our palms becoming wet. Other situations where we may sweat without wanting to are when we are afraid of the results. For example, while approaching a love interest. People sweat before giving a speech. Here are some common symptoms of nervous sweating.

• Palms may become wet.
• Soles of the feet may become wet
• Beads of sweat on the forehead.
• Sweat in the area of armpits or elbow joints.

Sweating due to anxiety can trap you in a loop. At one end you feel anxious which makes you sweat. However, when you sweat, you may worry about how your nervousness is visible. This anxiety makes you sweat even further. This becomes a vicious circle.

Nobody likes a sweaty face or palms. Especially when it indicates your anxiety. It can lead to a lot of emotional stress and shame. It can make you uncomfortable in front of others. This sweating can lower your confidence. Additionally, when people sweat in front of others, it makes them feel vulnerable.

People can start avoiding social situations if they are nervous and sweating. This is because nobody wants to shake hands if their palms are sweaty. It can lead to loneliness and depression sometimes.

In this condition, a person sweats so much that his clothes get soaked in sweat and it disrupts the normal activity of life. It is a related term to nervous sweating. However, in this condition, the sweating is so profuse that it disrupts the routine of a person. This type of sweating makes the person feel embarrassed and very anxious. Symptoms are similar to the ones mentioned above. One additional symptom is that sweating is so profuse that it drenches the clothes of the person.

Although stress is a common cause of this condition, many other factors can lead to this. Some of them are medical conditions such as diabetes. Menopause, heart attack, high or low blood pressure, etc are also some common causes.

Our body has a unique way of dealing with stress or threats. Whenever it is dangerous the body sends signals to the parasympathetic nervous system. This system triggers a fight-flight or freezes response. When in the fight or flight stage, the body is in motion. When we move, the body temperature rises. Just take the example of walking, our body heats up, right? Similarly, when the body is asked to fight or flight, the temperature rises. However, this can cause overheating too. Therefore to cool down, the body’s natural response is to sweat. In anxiety, the brain and the body are always on alert. This causes our sweat glands to work extra hours.

On the other hand, the knowledge that you sweat a lot leads to more anxiety as discussed. This means that if you are aware that you sweat a lot, you can get extra cautious at times of performance. This again kicks off the fight-flight response which leads to activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Our body has a unique way of dealing with stress or threats. Whenever it is dangerous the body sends signals to the parasympathetic nervous system. This system triggers a fight-flight or freezes response. When in the fight or flight stage, the body is in motion. When we move, the body temperature rises. Just take the example of walking, our body heats up, right? Similarly, when the body is asked to fight or flight, the temperature rises. However, this can cause overheating too. Therefore to cool down, the body’s natural response is to sweat. In anxiety, the brain and the body are always on alert. This causes our sweat glands to work extra hours.

On the other hand, the knowledge that you sweat a lot leads to more anxiety as discussed. This means that if you are aware that you sweat a lot, you can get extra cautious at times of performance. This again kicks off the fight-flight response which leads to activation of the sympathetic nervous system.

As we have discussed, social anxiety or low self-esteem are common causes of anxiety. These factors can lead to nervousness about speaking in front of others. If you or your loved ones suffer from low self-esteem or social anxiety, help is not far away. At Epsychonline we offer courses that target nervous sweating. They help you gain an in-depth understanding of this issue and there are ways to work on anxiety caused by nervousness. Courses such as DBT for social anxiety and Self-esteem can be very useful. There are various useful articles on anxiety and how to work upon it. Do check them out.