Hypohidrosis (Anhidrosis): When You Don’t Sweat Enough
According to the Mayo Clinic, hypohidrosis occurs when your sweat glands don’t function properly and, as a result, block your ability to sweat.
Though dehydration can cause short-term hypohidrosis, some people deal with a chronic lack of sweating that they were either born with or developed later in life. Cases of hypohidrosis that are purely genetic (people born with the condition) are incredibly rare. More often, people have hypohidrosis because of conditions or injuries that affect the nerves or skin, such as diabetes or psoriasis, according to MedlinePlus.
Certain medications — including antipsychotics — can also affect sweat gland function and contribute to hypohidrosis, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The scientific community has limited data on the true prevalence of hypohidrosis because doctors suspect that many mild cases go undiagnosed, according to the International Hyperhidrosis Society. One research article noted that cases are very rare, and the authors suspected that many cases go unreported.
Severe cases of hypohidrosis are typically diagnosed quickly in infancy or childhood, but less severe cases often aren’t diagnosed until later in life — if at all.