Why do I always overheat?

[kiethton]

For as long as I can remember I have always run hot, far hotter than average...

Going to the gym, within 5 minutes doing cardio I look like I've been swimming whilst wearing my clothes, in business meetings I heat up and sweat beneath my suit, especially when under pressure, and even when at my desk i'm hot when everybody else is complaining of being cold...

Needless to say it's rather embarassing, never knowing if you've got patches the size of beach balls under your arms and showering at least twice a day incase I smell (I don't normally for the record!) and to make sure I feel clean.

This goes back as far as I can remember, back at school I was comfortable walking to school in shorts when it was snowing and now I naturally hate the summer heat and am far more comfortable in winter.

I'm 23 now, and with a few interviews lined up for the next week I don't want to turn to a sweaty mess and set the wrong impression, drying my palm on my trousers to make sure its not like shaking a wet duck and getting up from the faux leather seats hoping I don't have a damp arse...

How do I fix this? Doctors seemed to think it was normal when I went in a few years ago and as a result I haven't ventured back, I am generally pretty fit, can run 10k without too much issue, cycle the 15 miles each way to work and back over the summer and interval train a few days a week (4 min Km's between 3 weight circuits per session). Although I am carrying a little timber currently I am not obese but am big framed, however I am currently watching my eating, loosing near a stone in the past 2 weeks with another 1.5 to go before I'm at my perfect weight (nerdfitness inspired diet).

Does anybody know the likely causes or know of things I can do to solve this embarassing problem?

[swansea v6]

I suffer with the same thing, was so much worse in my late teens and early twenties. Now 36. To stop the underarm sweat use a product called driclor. You apply it at night and wash off in the morning, really stops you sweating for up to two weeks. Though don't shower for about 4 hours before you apply it or you will not stop scratching!!

[jfrf]

I am generally always hot as well. Maybe not as extreme as you but I have a fan at my desk which I use even in winter after arriving at the office: this helps a lot.
Luckily I work at dress down place so polo shirts are fine

Personally I have always put it down to high metabolism and some muscle mass creating heat
Often I have to walk slowly just to avoid the possible onset of heating/sweating
I'm sure any excess weight will not help as I know carrying loads makes me hot quickly

In terms of extreme sweating I have heard of hyperhidrosis on tv reality medical programmes. I think this is solved often by surgery and severing some of the sweat glands. I'm sure you can find details on google
I am definitely not in this league though

[kiethton]

Thanks for the driclor advice, ill look at getting some ASAP.

I really don't know what causes it but seems to be so much worse when I'm under pressure, hense the interview worries.

[swansea v6]

I was the same! Also when eating, the sweat would drop off me, not nice at all

[kiethton]

swansea v6 said:

I was the same! Also when eating, the sweat would drop off me, not nice at all

Yes! A big meal, especially if its warm will see me sweating! Just got to catch the drips before they fall :sick:

Anyway had the interview this morning and it was rather warm in the room, in the first grilling I was dripping and the patches returned, but thankfully subsided by the time the second was done and I had to get up...

Fingers crossed as its now the only outstanding opportunity, just found out I was turned down after the first interview at Barclays

[SebastienClement]

Yep I suffer with this too!

A lot of my time is spent outdoors, and I'm perfectly happy to trudge around in the winter in short sleeves. I drove a long motorway journey last night - set off at 9pm and arrived 4am - the outside temp was hovering around 4'c most of the time, yet I still had the aircon set to "lo" and blasting out in the car all the way.

My hands and feet are always warm, no matter what the weather.

It's fine while you're outdoors in the winter - but come summer it's awful.

Shops and shopping centres are terrible too.

For me it does seem to be worse under pressure too - if I'm anxious about something I'll get thoroughly overheated.