Excessive sweating can be localized, i.e. connected with only a limited area of the body. Examples might be palmoplantar hyperhidrosis or acrohyperhidrosis which means excessive sweating of palms or feet. Another possible case is when excessive sweating affects the whole body evenly. This is called generalized hyperhidrosis. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is a medical diagnosis of unknown etiology, where a person is suff ering from excessive sweating. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis usually involves 1% of the population. Excessive sweating may be connected with a numberof other problems including skin irritation, warts, bacterial or fungal infection and also psychological problems such as loss of self-confidence, avoiding of physical contact, decreasing social activities and developing of depression.

Excessive sweating is further connected with a number of physiological and psychic problems. Physiological problems include skin irritation caused by bacterial or fungal infection, warts caused by human papillomaviruses or nail bed fungal infection. Psychic problems include loss of self-confidence, avoiding physical contact, decreasing social activities and developing depressions. Hyperhidrosis can be further divided according to its origin into:

• Primary idiopathic hyperhidrosis
  There are no obvious reasons for hyperhidrosis. Its origin is most probably genetic and is conditioned by hereditarily increased production of sweat glands. In most cases this type of hyperhidrosis is localized and can be found in 1-3 per cent of population.
• Secondary hyperhidrosis
  Excessive sweating is conditioned by the health condition of the individual. The causes may vary, among the most common we can count: obesity, gout, diabetes mellitus, menopause, hyperactive thyroid, cancer or mercury poisoning. Secondary hyperhidrosis can also be associated with certain types of medication, e.g. antidepressants, anticholinesterases, pilocarpine or propranolol.