Excessive Sweating: Hyperhidrosis and Diaphoresis
Do you find yourself sweating more than you think is normal? Really excessively? You might have hyperhidrosis or diaphoresis.
While there is no real way to measure how much you sweat, and there aren't any serious health risks for heavy sweating—excessive sweating can affect your quality of life. Excessive sweating can be extremely frustrating and embarrassing. About 1-3% of people suffer from hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is the more general term for excessive sweating that has probably existed in patients since childhood. Diaphoresis, is excessive sweating that's more specifically, caused by:
* hormonal imbalances (e.g., menopause in women)
* overactive thyroid gland (The thyroid hormone increases body metabolism and heat production.)
* certain foods and medications (e.g., coffee with its high amounts of caffeine)
* withdrawal from alcohol, drug, or narcotic dependency
* tumors
* shock
* overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system
People who have excessive sweating are often quite healthy and are not any more nervous or upset than those who sweat normally. But they do:
• frequently change their clothes due to armpit sweating
• avoid handshakes
• miss out on social gatherings due to concern about sweating
• have challenges with romantic relationships
• have difficulty writing because the pen slips through their fingers or their sweat may soak through ink on the page
Not comfortable by any means. Many excessive sweaters have suffered since youth and many don't realize that it's a treatable condition. If the possible causes (like those of Diaphoresis) aren't curable on their own - you can treat the sweating itself. Though no treatment is perfect - treatments certainly improve the lives of those living with the condition. If you feel that sweating is causing problems in your life and if over-the-counter antiperspirants don't work (you can also apply them to your hands and feet) - see a doctor. You might have hyperhidrosis (or focal hyperhidrosis, which is concentrated on just the palms, soles, or armpits).
Your regular doctor can prescribe a strong prescription antiperspirant. If this doesn't help he or she can prescribe an even higher-strength prescription aluminum salt-based antiperspirant. If neither of these don't work, get a referral for a dermatologist, since they are often more familiar with hyperhidrosis than other physicians. You might move on to the follwing treatments:
• Iontophoresis - which is procedure where you soak the hands or feet in a basin of water that has an electric current passed through it. This requires frequent treatments but it is often effective.
• Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) - not just used for anti-wrinkle, headaches, and muscle spasms - Botox can also prevent sweating. 50 units of Botox are injected into 20 spots in each armpit. This can prevent sweating for up to 6 months! Injections can, however, be uncomfortable. And though the FDA hasn't approved Botox use in hands and feet - some physicians administer it anyway. However, this is so painful that it often requires nerve blocks beforehand. (Remember - FDA has only approved Botox for excessive sweating, not cases where regular antiperspirant works).
• Oral medications - anticholinergics reduce sweating but side effects usually limit their use (dry mouth, blurred vision, etc)
• Surgery - for severe cases, you can go to a surgeon. This procedure, Sympathectomy, is an operation that destroys the nerve supply to the sweat glands in the skin. A surgeon inserts an endoscopic instrument into the chest between two ribs just below the armpit. The lung is briefly deflated to better see the nerves so as to destroy them. Complications of this surgery can be very severe - including intense sweating in other areas, lung and nerve problems. So this is obviously quite rare and is only performed as a last resort.
If you have excessive sweating all over your body (not just hands, feet, or armpits)- it's often caused by an underlying disease (infections, hormone problems, cancer, or nerve problems). This "generalized hyperhidrosis" often occurs during sleep (unlike focal hyperhidrosis - which occurs when you're awake). Definitely see a doctor if you're all-over body sweating. In case the cause is something serious.
Learn more:
Excessive-Sweating.net
WebMD Hyperhidrosis vs. Sweating
Stop Excessive Sweating Video from WebMD
Excessive Sweating Overview
While there is no real way to measure how much you sweat, and there aren't any serious health risks for heavy sweating—excessive sweating can affect your quality of life. Excessive sweating can be extremely frustrating and embarrassing. About 1-3% of people suffer from hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is the more general term for excessive sweating that has probably existed in patients since childhood. Diaphoresis, is excessive sweating that's more specifically, caused by:
* hormonal imbalances (e.g., menopause in women)
* overactive thyroid gland (The thyroid hormone increases body metabolism and heat production.)
* certain foods and medications (e.g., coffee with its high amounts of caffeine)
* withdrawal from alcohol, drug, or narcotic dependency
* tumors
* shock
* overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system
People who have excessive sweating are often quite healthy and are not any more nervous or upset than those who sweat normally. But they do:
• frequently change their clothes due to armpit sweating
• avoid handshakes
• miss out on social gatherings due to concern about sweating
• have challenges with romantic relationships
• have difficulty writing because the pen slips through their fingers or their sweat may soak through ink on the page
Not comfortable by any means. Many excessive sweaters have suffered since youth and many don't realize that it's a treatable condition. If the possible causes (like those of Diaphoresis) aren't curable on their own - you can treat the sweating itself. Though no treatment is perfect - treatments certainly improve the lives of those living with the condition. If you feel that sweating is causing problems in your life and if over-the-counter antiperspirants don't work (you can also apply them to your hands and feet) - see a doctor. You might have hyperhidrosis (or focal hyperhidrosis, which is concentrated on just the palms, soles, or armpits).
Your regular doctor can prescribe a strong prescription antiperspirant. If this doesn't help he or she can prescribe an even higher-strength prescription aluminum salt-based antiperspirant. If neither of these don't work, get a referral for a dermatologist, since they are often more familiar with hyperhidrosis than other physicians. You might move on to the follwing treatments:
• Iontophoresis - which is procedure where you soak the hands or feet in a basin of water that has an electric current passed through it. This requires frequent treatments but it is often effective.
• Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) - not just used for anti-wrinkle, headaches, and muscle spasms - Botox can also prevent sweating. 50 units of Botox are injected into 20 spots in each armpit. This can prevent sweating for up to 6 months! Injections can, however, be uncomfortable. And though the FDA hasn't approved Botox use in hands and feet - some physicians administer it anyway. However, this is so painful that it often requires nerve blocks beforehand. (Remember - FDA has only approved Botox for excessive sweating, not cases where regular antiperspirant works).
• Oral medications - anticholinergics reduce sweating but side effects usually limit their use (dry mouth, blurred vision, etc)
• Surgery - for severe cases, you can go to a surgeon. This procedure, Sympathectomy, is an operation that destroys the nerve supply to the sweat glands in the skin. A surgeon inserts an endoscopic instrument into the chest between two ribs just below the armpit. The lung is briefly deflated to better see the nerves so as to destroy them. Complications of this surgery can be very severe - including intense sweating in other areas, lung and nerve problems. So this is obviously quite rare and is only performed as a last resort.
If you have excessive sweating all over your body (not just hands, feet, or armpits)- it's often caused by an underlying disease (infections, hormone problems, cancer, or nerve problems). This "generalized hyperhidrosis" often occurs during sleep (unlike focal hyperhidrosis - which occurs when you're awake). Definitely see a doctor if you're all-over body sweating. In case the cause is something serious.
Learn more:
Excessive-Sweating.net
WebMD Hyperhidrosis vs. Sweating
Stop Excessive Sweating Video from WebMD
Excessive Sweating Overview
Tags: botox, excessive, glands, hyperhidrosis, perspiration, sweat, sweating
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Comment by Ellen S on July 16, 2009 at 11:11am - Amanda - How did I miss this?! I replied to your other sweating blog post, and you had already covered much or it here. Awesome info! Sweat isn't just a hygiene issue - it's a medical issue.
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