Sweating is the body's way of cooling down. However, after a spinal cord injury, you may experience excessive sweating beyond what is required for thermoregulation (hyperhidrosis). Hyperhidrosis can exist on its own or be a symptom of autonomic dysreflexia.
Sweat glands derive their innervation from the sympathetic nervous system. The spinal sympathetic structures that are located in the intermediolateral areas extend from T1-L2 segments and are under the control of hypothalamic centers.
Symptoms may include excessive sweating, changes in blood pressure, the inability to tolerate heat and gastrointestinal symptoms.
The episodes are triggered by visceral sensations and may last days to weeks [1]. This report presents the case of a patient with single-level cervical stenosis, with a longstanding history of “hot flashes” accompanied by dizziness, flushing, diaphoresis, and palpitations.
What causes excessive back sweating? Excessive back sweating can be the result of a condition called primary hyperhidrosis, a medical condition that causes overactive sweat glands. This condition affects all parts of the body, but is often localized to specific areas like the back.
Seek immediate medical attention if your heavy sweating is accompanied by lightheadedness, chest pain or nausea. Contact your doctor if: You suddenly begin to sweat more than usual. Sweating disrupts your daily routine.
Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which a person sweats excessively and unpredictably. People with hyperhidrosis may sweat even when the temperature is cool or when they are at rest.
Contact your provider if you have symptoms of spinal stenosis. More serious symptoms that need prompt attention include: Difficulty or poor balance when walking. Worsening numbness and weakness of your limb.
Causes of excessive sweating:
Facial hyperhidrosis is caused due to overstimulation of eccrine glands. This in most cases doesn't have any specific cause, while it can be hereditary. It can also be caused due to anxiety, substance abuse, menopause, hyperthyroidism or drugs like insulin, pilocarpine etc.”
The answer for some is cervical spine instability. Listen to these people's stories. They have issues with sweating among many different symptoms. Many have a diagnosis of hyperhidrosis – excessive sweating But their sweating and other symptoms reflect a common origin, a problem in the neck.
Sweating is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. This is the part of the nervous system that is not under your control. Sweating is the body's natural way of regulating temperature.
Impaired thermoregulatory sweating is a major manifestation of autonomic failure or small fiber neuropathy. In this setting, excessive sweating in some segments of the body may reflect a compensatory response in areas with spared autonomic innervation.
Eccrine sweat glands
Eccrine glands are often referred to as the small gland variety, but are by far the most ubiquitous type of sweat gland [12]. Humans have ~2–4 million eccrine sweat glands in total and are found on both glabrous (palms, soles) and non-glabrous (hairy) skin [13–15].
Walking, standing, or extending the lumbar area of the spine can cause symptoms to worsen. Sitting or flexing the lower back or neck may relieve symptoms. The flexed position “opens up” the spinal column, enlarging the spaces between vertebrae at the back of the spine.
This condition is called spinal stenosis. Degenerative changes of the spine are seen in up to 95% of people by the age of 50. Spinal stenosis most often occurs in adults over 60.
Cold sweats happen if you become chilly while sweating. Your skin may become pale, moist, and clammy. However, cold sweats are not an actual medical diagnosis. Instead, cold sweats are a symptom of an underlying health condition, like menopause, stress, infections, or low blood sugar.
Unlike most types of sweat, cold sweats aren't caused either by heat or working your body hard. They're actually caused by our body's 'fight or flight' response, which is designed to protect us in dangerous situations.
Causes of night sweats
medicines – some antidepressants, steroids and painkillers. low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) alcohol or drug use. a harmless condition called hyperhidrosis that makes you sweat too much all the time.
The greater surface area that comes with a larger body also requires more perspiration to cool it down. Age: Your body becomes less tolerant to heat as you age. “Sweat glands change with age, reducing the body's ability to cool itself effectively,” says Webert.