Q: I am a 31-year-old male. My weight is 65 kg and my height is 5 feet 6 inches. Sometimes only half of my body sweats. Either right or the left portion sweats as if a vertical line has been drawn between the body. Like, one leg, half of the abdomen and chest and half of the face. I have been observing this from the past 6-7 years. What is the reason behind this? Is it a serious problem? Do I need to consult a doctor? Which specialist should I go to? I had schizophrenia 2 years back and a year back I got schizophrenia bipolar disorder. I recovered well both the times; presently there is no problem. I also have type 2 diabetes and I am on medication regularly. (glycinorm - M40).

A:Abnormal sweating is known as dyshydrosis, and it is thought to be caused by an inherent abnormality of the autonomic nervous system. It may be worse in some neurological disorders or when there is diabetes. Anxiety makes the problem more troublesome, and anti-anxiety medication may help. Avoiding sweating by limiting exposure to heat is not always practical. One may be able to raise the threshold of onset (and reduce unwanted sweating) by regularly working up a sweat by vigorous exercise. Some surgeons are willing to cut the responsible autonomic nerves, but there is a risk of damage to normal voluntary nerves that may be close to the site of the operative intervention.