Hypohidrosis (Absent Sweating): Causes, Symptoms, And Treatments

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Hypohidrosis (Absent Sweating)

Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.D. — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on September 29, 2018

Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention

Hypohidrosis is an inability to sweat. It can affect your entire body or just a single area. The condition has many causes. It can be inherited at birth or develop later in life.

Sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself off. Some people aren’t able to sweat typically because their sweat glands are no longer functioning properly. This condition is known as hypohidrosis, or anhidrosis. It can affect your entire body, a single area, or scattered areas.

The inability to sweat can cause overheating. This can lead to heat stroke, which is a potentially life-threatening condition.

Hypohidrosis can be difficult to diagnose. This means that mild hypohidrosis often goes unnoticed.

What causes hypohidrosis?

As you age, it’s normal for your ability to sweat to diminish. Conditions that damage your autonomic nerves, such as diabetes, also make problems with your sweat glands more likely.

Nerve damage

Any condition that causes nerve damage can disrupt the functioning of your sweat glands. This includes:

Ross syndrome, which is a rare disorder characterized by sweating dysfunction and pupils that don’t dilate properly
diabetes
alcoholism
Parkinson’s disease
multiple system atrophy
amyloidosis, which occurs when a protein called an amyloid builds up in your organs and affects your nervous system
Sjögren syndrome
small cell lung cancer
Fabry disease, which is a genetic disorder that causes fat to build up in your cells
Horner syndrome, which is a form of nerve damage that occurs in your face and eyes

Skin damage and disorders

Skin damage from severe burns can permanently damage your sweat glands. Other possible sources of damage include:

radiation
trauma
infection
inflammation

Skin disorders that inflame the skin can also affect your sweat glands. These include:

psoriasis
exfoliative dermatitis
heat rash
scleroderma
ichthyosis

Medications

Taking certain medications, particularly those known as anticholinergics, can result in reduced sweating. These medications have side effects that include a sore throat, dry mouth, and reduction in perspiration.

Inherited conditions

Some people may inherit a damaged gene that causes their sweat glands to malfunction. An inherited condition called hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia causes people to be born with either very few or no sweat glands.

What are the symptoms of hypohidrosis?

The symptoms of hypohidrosis include:

minimal sweating even when other people are sweating heavily
dizziness
muscle cramps or weakness
a flushed appearance
feeling overly hot

Mild hypohidrosis may go unnoticed unless you engage in vigorous exercise and become overheated because you’re not sweating or are sweating very little.

How is hypohidrosis diagnosed?

Your doctor will need to take a thorough medical history to diagnose this condition. You should share all symptoms that you’ve experienced with your doctor. This includes breaking out in a red rash or skin flushing when you should be sweating. It’s important to tell them if you sweat in some parts of your body but not in others.

Your doctor may use any of the following tests to confirm a diagnosis of hypohidrosis:

During the axon reflex test, small electrodes are used to stimulate your sweat glands. The volume of sweat produced is measured.
The silastic sweat imprint test measures where you sweat.
During the thermoregulatory sweat test, your body is coated with a powder that changes color in areas where you sweat. You enter a chamber that causes your body temperature to reach a level at which most people would sweat.
During a skin biopsy, some skin cells and perhaps some sweat glands are removed and examined under a microscope.

How is hypohidrosis treated?

Hypohidrosis that affects only a small part of your body usually won’t cause problems and may not require treatment. If an underlying medical condition is causing hypohidrosis, your doctor will treat that condition. This may help reduce your symptoms.

If medications are causing your hypohidrosis, your doctor may recommend trying another medication or reducing your dosage. While this isn’t always possible, adjusting medications may help to improve sweating.

Can hypohidrosis be prevented?

It may not be possible to prevent hypohidrosis, but you can take steps to avoid serious illnesses related to overheating. Wear loose, light-colored clothing, and don’t overdress when it’s hot. Stay inside if possible, and take care not to overexert yourself in the heat.

You can also take steps to cool your body off and avoid overheating. This includes applying water or cool cloths to your skin to make you feel like you’re sweating. When the water evaporates, you’ll feel cooler.

If it’s left untreated, hypohidrosis can cause your body to overheat. Overheating requires quick treatment to prevent it from worsening into heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition. You should call 911 or visit an emergency room if you’re having a heat stroke.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Cheshire WP. (2016). Thermoregulatory disordersand illness related to heat and cold stress. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2016.01.001
CheshireWP, et al. (2008). Drug-induced hyperhidrosis and hypohidrosis: incidence,prevention and management [Abstract].http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18217788
MayoClinic Staff. (2014). Anhidrosis: definition.http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anhidrosis/basics/definition/con-20033498
PariserDM. (n.d.). Hypohidrosis.http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/sweating-disorders/hypohidrosis

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Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M.D. — Written by Rachel Nall, MSN, CRNA — Updated on September 29, 2018

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