Hyperhidrosis: Causes and permanent treatment of excessive sweating
Published on: July 6, 2022
The condition known as hyperhidrosis describes excessive sweating that isn’t caused by heat or activity. Sweating a lot may soak through your clothing or run down your arms and legs. Besides interfering with everyday life, excessive perspiration can induce social anxiety and shame.
In hyperhidrosis, the sweat glands in your body overreact. This excessive activity causes you to sweat heavily at times and locations where others would not. In the cause of this article, we will be discussing various causes of hyperhidrosis and the range of treatment options available.
What causes hyperhidrosis?
You may be wondering, what is the reason for continuous sweating? Below are some of the hyperhidrosis causes:
- Diabetes
- Hot flashes with menopause
- thyroid issues
- Blood sugar levels are too low.
- Several types of cancer
- Myocardial infarction
- Disorders of the central nervous system
- Infections
- Heavy perspiration is another side effect of several drugs, as is the withdrawal from opioids.
Your body cools itself through sweat. When your body temperature rises, your neurological system activates your sweat glands. When stressed, you’re more likely to experience sweating, especially on your hands.
Hyperhidrosis Symptoms
Sweating that interferes with daily tasks is known as hyperhidrosis. Anxiety-inducing bouts of uncontrollable perspiration occur at least once a week, hampering social interactions and other necessities of life. Hyperhidrosis can manifest as any of the following symptoms:
- The palms of the hands are clammy or damp.
- Clammy foot soles
- Persistent perspiration that permeates clothes
- Hyperhidrosis may cause the following symptoms:
- Skin conditions that are both irritating and painful, such as bacterial or fungal infections
- Concerned that your clothes may be soiled
- Reluctant to engage in any physical activity
- Self-consciousness
- Withdrawal from society, might lead to depression on occasion
Types of hyperhidrosis
It is essential to know the different types of hyperhidrosis.
First and foremost, there is primary focal hyperhidrosis, the most frequent form of the condition. If you have this type, your sweat glands become hyperactive despite the absence of physical activity or an increase in temperature triggering them. Feelings of anxiety or tension exacerbate the condition. It mainly affects the soles and palms of your hands, although it can also affect the face.
This kind of hyperhidrosis has no known medical reason. Due to its tendency to run in families, it may be inherited in nature.
When a medical problem causes excessive sweating, it is called secondary hyperhidrosis. It’s the less prevalent kind. It is more likely to generate total body perspiration.
Can hyperhidrosis be cured?
Focal hyperhidrosis has no treatment. To improve your quality of life, treatment focuses on lowering your symptoms.
Secondary hyperhidrosis can be treated in various ways, depending on the underlying cause. When the source of excessive sweating can be pinpointed and treated, the excessive sweating usually subsides.
How do you treat hyperhidrosis naturally?
If you’re bothered by excessive perspiration and unpleasant body odor, try these tips:
- Take a bath at least once a day. The quantity of microorganisms on your skin may be kept in check by taking regular baths. Dry your body carefully, particularly the areas between your toes and your arms.
- Opt for natural footwear and sock sets. Natural materials such as leather enable your feet to breathe and help avoid sweaty feet. Moisture-wicking athletic socks are a wonderful choice while engaging in physical activity.
- Socks should be changed regularly. Once or twice a day, change your socks or hose and dry your feet completely. Pantyhose with cotton soles could be a good option
How to treat excessive sweating
Treatment for hyperhidrosis can be difficult, and you may have to search for a long time before finding the ideal option. In most cases, less invasive therapies are the first option.
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Stronger Antiperspirants
Your doctor may prescribe a stronger antiperspirant if a regular one isn’t working to keep you dry.
Hyperhidrosis is frequently addressed with the use of antiperspirants containing aluminum chloride. The sweat glands are blocked. Thus this is how it works. At night, you’ll need to use the product and wash it off before you get out of bed in the morning.
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Anticholinergics
Anticholinergics and antimuscarinics may be administered to treat your symptoms. The nervous system employs acetylcholine, a substance in these medications, to stimulate the sweat glands.
Hyperhidrosis treatment: How to stop excessive sweating permanently
You may be sent to a dermatologist for additional therapy, such as iontophoresis, botulinum toxin, or surgery, by your general practitioner if lifestyle modifications and treatment do not alleviate your symptoms.
Iontophoresis
The hyperhidrosis hands and feet may benefit from iontophoresis treatment if you suffer from excessive perspiration. The armpit can also be treated but it’s less effective
Iontophoresis is the application of a small electric current through water or a wet pad to treat skin conditions. The sweat glands are supposed to be blocked by this.
You may use a small electric current to cure your hands and feet by placing them in a basin of water. A moist contact pad is put on each armpit and a current is transmitted through the pad to treat your armpits if necessary.
Electric current may produce moderate discomfort and skin irritation during treatment, but it is not unpleasant.
Botulinum toxins injections
It is possible to inject Botulinum toxin into the skin to treat hyperhidrosis. When the brain’s impulses to the sweat glands are blocked, perspiration is reduced.
At least 15 injections are administered to the affected parts of the body, such as the armpits, hands, and feet. Typically, the treatment takes between 30 and 45 minutes to complete.
Treatment can be repeated as needed once the injections have worn off for a few months.
Surgery
Surgery may be indicated in some situations if it is severe and hyperhidrosis medication has failed.
Endoscopy Thoracic sympathectomy (ETS)
Regarding hyperhidrosis, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is the most commonly performed surgical procedure. When it comes to the hands or the armpits, this is the most common remedy.
As a result of these small chest incisions, the nerves that govern perspiration in the afflicted area are severed or clipped. This implies that the sweat glands can no longer receive messages. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia and on both sides of the body.
A procedure to remove or obliterate sweat glands
The sweat glands in the armpits might be removed or destroyed as a treatment for excessive perspiration beneath the arms.
Curettage, or Shelley’s treatment, uses a probe positioned just above the skin to produce electromagnetic radiation, killing sweat glands. At the same time, other methods include creating an incision in the armpit and gently scraping out the sweat glands (curettage).
destroying sweat glands by putting a laser instrument beneath the skin and introducing it via a tiny incision
A local anesthetic is usually used for these treatments, so you’ll be awake, but your armpit will be numb during the process.
Although just a few doctors perform this operation, it has the potential to be a long-term cure for people who suffer from excessive underarm perspiration. There is a good chance that you will have to pay for private care if you want to use the NHS.
They may not work for everyone; some are new enough that their long-term safety and effectiveness have not yet been shown.
Final words
Constantly changing clothes, wiping, putting napkins or pads under the armpits, and cleaning are all ways to cope with excessive sweating. Another option is to wear heavy or dark clothing to hide the sweat. Worrying about one’s own body odor is more common than you may think.
But if you wish to opt for a permanent solution for your hyperhidrosis, then the London Cosmetic Clinic has a range of treatment options available for you.
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