We all sweat, but you have diabetes so, How Does Diabetes Cause Sweating? Sweating for the most part is normal. One of the ways is by low blood sugar levels or by a nervous system that is damaged. Normally you can experience emotional and physical stress and sweating is a natural response to both of these instances. But excessive sweating is when there’s a problem because it is not normal.
Can Diabetes Cause Excessive Sweating?
Nervous system damage from diabetes in conjunction with low glucose levels can be the major cause of the condition of sweating in folks who are diabetic. When your blood sugars are exceptionally low they cause “do or die” response by sparking the release of the hormones that escalate sweating.
A very bad situation is when your blood sugars are much too high for too long a period of time and this is when you lose nerve function and this creates a condition such as diabetic neuropathy. I know all about this condition because I have it. It’s not something you want to have I assure you. I have numbness in my feet because my blood sugars have been way too high for much too long and it’s very difficult to live with.
Sweat glands can get damaged when the nerves that control them send the incorrect signals and in some cases send no signals whatsoever. For the majority of these occurrences, there is either no ability to sweat or an extreme amount of sweating caused by the neuropathy.
Issues That Cause Diabetics to Sweat Heavily
1- Stress- Stress can do many negative things to you including excessive sweating. This occurs when your body senses a threat coming on. The hormone adrenaline inundates your body and increases your breathing rate, heart rate, blood sugar, blood pressure, and of course perspiration. Sweat glands provide your sweat which is located in your groin and your armpits. A good deal of people also sweat on the palms of their hands and additionally on their feet.
There are a zillion reasons for you to be nervous and stress about things and for the most part it’s normal. Using an antiperspirant for under your arms that can help to keep perspiration to a minimum. I apply Gold Bond powder in any crevice of the body that may get sweaty including in between the toes which helps stave off fungus caused by heavy sweating.
2- Being in heat outside- Being outdoors where there’s a haze, humidity, and excessive heat is usually an issue for most folks. But if you’re a diabetic and you’re exercising on top of it, the result will be difficulty on your heart and then causes excessive sweating. When you’re older and you have a chronic disease such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes you may have a decreased response to being dehydrated and in that case you may suffer from heat stroke much faster and much more often.
Stay in the shade especially during the hot times of the day. Keep in air conditioned places and keep yourself hydrated. When I go to the beach I make sure I have plenty of water, an umbrella, and a hat to stay out of the direct sunlight.
3. Hyperthyroidism- This happens to be another reason for excessive sweating. Hyperthyroidism is a metabolic condition that diabetics may be apt to develop and approximately 10% of diabetics will do just that. It also affects the female population more than the male population.
Your thyroid gland is responsible for maintaining blood sugar levels and insulin levels. When your thyroid gland is overactive there are more hormones than usual being secreted and this raises your metabolic rate. It causes heart palpitations, weight loss, dry eyes, insomnia, and excessive sweating. You should have your thyroid checked by your physician.
4. Heart Issues- There’s a huge connection between heart disease and diabetes. It happens to be the leading cause of death in people who have diabetes. Cardiovascular disease raises in people with diabetes. The longer the time period is that you have diabetes the bigger the risk you have of developing heart disease and having heart failure, heart attack, or a stroke.
Keep your diabetes under control, lose weight by getting rid of the belly fat too. You need lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise. Sweating could be a sign of a heart attack but not by itself. There are other symptoms. It’s important to get your diabetes under control. There’s no other way to put it. It affects everything!
Night sweats
Let’s talk about what causes the night sweats and hypoglycemia at night when you have diabetes. You may not be aware of certain things that can cause your blood sugars to drop during the night. One thing that you should be doing everyday is exercise but as you do this a lot you are using up the glucose your body stores. The issue is that by not restoring these before you turn in at night makes it possible for you to experience hypoglycemia during the night as you sleep.
And the other thing is that if you are insulin dependent, it gives you a higher risk of the night sweats as you are not able to monitor your glucose at night. This is something to think about too. Do you drink beer or maybe have a glass of wine at night before retiring? You can be preventing your liver to function in producing glucose overnight. This may possibly be why you are waking up in the middle of the night with cold sweats.
It may be beneficial to arrange your sleeping situation beforehand. It’s important to have your room cool and not on the warm side. For me, this is imperative because I can’t sleep when it’s warm or hot. You can open your window (which doesn’t work for me) or turn on a circulating fan and set your air conditioning level to your preference. I always make sure the room is set to my temperature before I get into the bedroom. Doing these things can keep the chances of hypoglycemia at night to a minimum.
You may also want to examine your bedding. If you are sleeping with something that has natural fibers it can make a tremendous difference in your sleep. They are better for regulating the temperature of your body and for the absorption of moisture keeping it off your body. Wool may also help you to feel cool and dry throughout the night.
These are tips to try and lower your chances of low blood sugar at night:
- Try and alter your exercise schedule so that you do it during the day and not at night, especially too close to bedtime. By doing this you will be helping to recharge your glucose storage before it’s time to hit the hay. It’s important to do this because you really need a good night’s sleep and don’t need to be waking up in a cold sweat.
- A few hours or so before bedtime you should be avoiding any alcohol and steer clear of hot and spicy foods because these will all lead to night sweats for sure.
Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is a condition when your nerves that are in control of your sweat glands get their movement going and this in turn cause your excessive sweating. People with this condition need to be examined by a skin specialist or dermatologist to have routine sweat and lab tests performed.
Common symptoms of hyperhidrosis may include:
- Sweating in a cold place or when being cold
- Sweating excessively when performing minor activities
- Excessive sweating when sleeping at night
- Still sweating after attempting to warm up with additional clothing
- Stress and/or being nervous can escalate your symptoms of hyperhidrosis
Some possible treatments for hyperhidrosis:
- Botox injections can be successful in blocking nerve signals that produce sweat. There is a side effect near where the injection site is of a muscle weakness but this is only short term.
- There are some cases that may be extreme where either electrical therapy or surgery are options.
- The use of specific antidepressants.
These will all be obviously attended to according to your doctor.
Home treatments for managing symptoms:
- Keeping your feet air dry by walking barefoot as much as possible
- Make sure that you change your socks at least every day and also when they become sweaty
- Try and change off shoes each day so as to not wear the same pair each and every day
- Choose materials to wear that keep moisture off your body when engaging in any extreme activity or exercise.
- Practice good hygiene for your body
Best Ways to Stop the Heavy Sweating
1. Antiperspirants- You want to use the extra strength antiperspirants which are much more effective with stopping your sweating because of higher concentrations of active ingredients. It’s worth giving it a try.
2. No caffeine and no spicy foods- That coffee that you love so much may stimulate your sweat glands and so can those spicy foods that you also love. They are responsible for the activation of neurotransmitters inside your brain. Whatever is stimulating these neurotransmitters is always responsible for affecting your glands that cause sweating.
3. Apple cider vinegar- Is so very healthy for you in so many ways. Apple cider vinegar is especially beneficial for relieving heartburn, acid reflux, weight loss, and helping to control your blood sugar. You can apply it to your skin to help remove bacteria and close up your pores. By rubbing it in on your areas that sweat, you can leave it overnight and wash off in the morning. You can also drink it by mixing two teaspoons with some honey in a glass of water. It may take a day or two for it to take effect.
4. Tomato juice- I love tomatoes and they are just so awesome for you. They fight cancer among many other things but tomatoes also shrink your pores and can decrease excessive sweating by controlling your internal temperature.
5. Baking soda and cornstarch- These two are water absorbing magnets and baking soda is alkaline and acts as a natural deodorant by neutralizing body odor. Create your own by mixing three parts of baking soda to two parts of cornstarch and apply to your skin while it’s dry and leave on for only 30 minutes and no longer. Then you can rinse it off with water.
6. Black or green tea- Black tea with its astringent properties can reduce sweat by applying it directly to your skin. Green tea can tighten your sweat glands and calm you down to prevent stress and sweating because of vitamin B and magnesium it contains.
7. Lemon- This delightful fruit aids in reducing heavy sweating and eliminating bacteria because it contains citric acid. It’s as easy as cutting a lemon in half and rubbing it on your underarms and squeezing the juice out.
And Finally
How Does Diabetes Cause Sweating? Well, we now answered that question and more. Sweating is normal for your body to do. It’s the excessive sweating that comes from diabetes and other ailments that you want to control. Start by taking the steps outlined here toward controlling your heavy sweating. You will get there and get it under control.
Reverse Your Type 2 Diabetes Below Now!
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below and pass this on to others who may need help. I would appreciate it! Thank you for reading and have a happy and a healthy one!
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Hi
I have been searching for diabetes symptoms for a friend as she is scared to go to the docs.
After reading your post I think she should.
Also this became interesting to me as I have been sweating a lot lately and it is so uncomfortable and embarrassing, makes me think maybe I should get checked.
Your information is a big help not just to me but also to everyone out there who hasn’t got a clue about why they are sweating, your info has deffo made me want to go visit the doc, lets hope it is just the menopause .
Thanks.
Hi Sharon,
There is plenty of information on my website about symptoms.
Excessive sweating just happens to be one of them and I agree about it being uncomfortable and embarrassing.
There’s no harm in having it checked out.
I hope it’s nothing and has no relation to diabetes and just the menopause as you mentioned.
Thank you so much for your comments!
~Rob
That’s a relief! I’m glad that there are home treatments available for hyperthyroid and excess sweating – we have moved interstate to a warmer climate and I’m simply roasting up here! Apple Cider Vinegar is already my go-to for so many different reasons – do you have a personal favourite to combat sweating?
Hey Kegan,
Thankfully sweating isn’t a major problem for me, at least not from the diabetes standpoint.
I try to stay away from stress and out of the extreme heat here in Florida.
But I love apple cider vinegar and it is great and not just for sweating.
The key is to keep diabetes under control if you have it.
Thanks for your input!
Cheers!
~Rob
I was diabetic for 13 years and was taking metformin 1000 mg twice daily. Last A1C was 15. My symptoms have always been stomach and bowels. I am a 54 year old male. the metformin wasn’t really working so this year, our family doctor started me on Natural Herbal Gardens Diabetes Disease Herbal mixture, With the help of Natural Herbal Garden natural herbs I have been able to reverse my symptoms using herbs, my symptoms totally declined over a 7 weeks use of the Natural Herbal Gardens Diabetes disease natural herbal formula. My diabetes is totally reversed!
Hey James, that’s amazing that your A1C was so high and that you’ve been able to reverse your diabetes. Everything takes time and it’s great that you were successful!