Everything You Need to Know About Hyperhidrosis – Excessive Sweating

Sweating is a natural phenomenon of the body. Whether you’ve just come from a robust workout or spent a few minutes in the sweltering heat, you’re probably going to sweat 3-4 times a day. It’s totally normal, and actually healthy to perspire that much. Your body gets rid of the toxins and cools itself off through that sweat. You can always take a quick shower and spray some deodorant to feel nice and clean again.

However, if you’ve been noticing excessive sweating, even when there isn’t an external trigger, then you may have a condition called Hyperhidrosis. It is a common disorder, which affects almost 3-4% of the American population currently. The most common parts of the body that are prone to sweating are underarms, soles of the feet, palms, and sometimes the upper back.

It’s not that hard to identify whether you have this condition or not because it usually starts around the age of 13. If left untreated, excessive sweating can certainly threaten your quality of life. It can lead to poor relationships, lack of confidence, and make socializing extremely difficult. If you’re sweating for nearly everything you do – like holding the car wheel, shaking someone’s hands, or using your phone – then it’s important to seek medical treatment.

Symptoms

Some common signs of Hyperhidrosis include having constantly wet palms and wet soles of the feet. If your clothes quickly soak with sweat, or you face painful skin problems like bacterial infections, then you may have Hyperhidrosis. Stained clothing, frequent sweating without an external trigger and lack of self-confidence are all symptoms of this grave condition. Over time, you may develop body odor issues, which can keep you from approaching people and making friends.

Causes

The possible causes of excessive sweating include primary Hyperhidrosis and secondary Hyperhidrosis. The former is associated with heightened stress, anxiety, and nervousness. It causes profound emotional stress in the patient for which they may need urgent treatment. The root of the problem is in fact excessive sweat production in the apocrine glands of the human skin.

Secondary Hyperhidrosis is usually caused by diabetes, heart diseases, spinal cord injuries, anxiety, or Parkinson’s. And, while this is just a handful of causes, the problem can also be deeper, linking to respiratory failure, hyperthyroidism, and even cancer. 

Treatment

However, none of this should ever scare you. As acute as the problem looks, it can be solved with a quick surgery. While Botox or paralytic agents may be a temporary solution, getting an excision to reduce those apocrine glands is a permanent Hyperhidrosis treatment. The professional will insert a small incision in the armpit and use cannulas to remove the excessive glands.

Day Plastic Surgery

Nobody likes to walk around reeking of sweat. There is no harm in seeking surgery to improve the quality of your life. And, if you’re seeking a professional surgeon to do the job for you, then get in touch with Dr. Norman Bakshandeh Day at Day Plastic Surgery.