Excessive Sweating

Hyperhidrosis explained

Sweating is a perfectly natural biological tendency, a method in which our bodies maintain proper temperature. When it is warm, during physical activity, or when feeling stressed, angry, nervous, or frightened, we may sweat.

In those with hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating, as you might expect from physical activity, occurs without a physical or emotional prompt. The cause of this excessive sweating is overactive sweat glands. Primary hyperhidrosis, which affects only two to three percent of people, can lead to vast amounts of sweat under the arms, or on the hands or feet. Of the total number of people who suffer from this condition, less than half of them seek medical treatment.

A treatable condition

Today, it is possible to treat hyperhidrosis, and plenty of reason to do so. Living with over-productive sweat glands and the subsequent consequences can be taxing physically and emotionally. Skin may become irritated by the constant moisture, and the risk of fungal and bacterial infection is increased.

Excessive sweating is also detrimental to one's emotional well-being, affecting confidence in social and professional settings. Those with hyperhidrosis may avoid shaking hands, or touching others. Frequent changes of clothing can be necessary to get through the day, leading to extreme self-consciousness. Excessive sweat can even limit productivity if it gets in the way of completing routine activities at work or at home.

Although we may not think much of excessive sweating and its impact, this treatable condition can greatly affect your quality of life. Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Laser Surgery has effective solutions to help you.

Treating Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis can be treated in several ways, such as:

• Antiperspirants, which may be store-bought or prescribed by your physician, can be applied to armpits, feet, or hands to control sweating.
• Iontophoresis, which delivers low-voltage currents to sweat glands to halt their activity temporarily. A suitable treatment for hands and feet, this procedure takes approximately ten to twenty minutes to complete. For optimal results, multiple treatments might be necessary.
• Botox has recently been discovered to be effective at deactivating sweat glands for a period of up to eight months at a time. Injecting Botox into the Armpits is frequently done by our providers, with outstanding results.
• Surgical treatment may be most suitable for extreme cases. In this procedure, nerves associated with overactive sweat glands are cut to decrease production. Due to the complexity of surgical procedures, this option is usually a last resort.

The effectiveness of Botox

The discovery of Botox for hyperhidrosis has opened the doors for more people to experience vast improvement in their conditions. Studies show that up to 55 percent of patients treated with Botox experienced improvement, compared to only 6 percent of patients treated with alternative methods. Further promise has been shown by research indicating 81 percent of Botox patients saw more than 50 percent decrease in sweat production after treatment.

Contact Center for Dermatology and Cosmetic Laser Surgery regarding your best solution for excessive sweating.

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