To diagnose this condition, a doctor will perform a physical exam. This includes looking closely at the areas of the body that sweat excessively. Your primary care doctor may refer you to a dermatologist, the specialists who are most knowledgeable about this condition. The doctor may ask very specific questions, which can help them understand more about your excessive sweating.
In most cases hyperhidrosis which affects all or most of the body (generalized hyperhidrosis) has an underlying condition, while primary hyperhidrosis tends to affect specific parts of the body (focal hyperhidrosis).
The doctor will probably diagnose primary hyperhidrosis if:
Sometimes medical testing is necessary. Some patients require a test called the sweat test. This involves coating some of their skin with a powder that turns purple when the skin gets wet. To find an underlying medical condition, other medical tests may be necessary.