What is hyperhydrosis?
Hyperhydrosis is a condition that is characterized by excess perspiration, more than is normal, that may occur all over the body or in specific areas, especially the palms, bottoms of the feet, armpits, or face.
If I sweat a lot, do I have hyperhydrosis?
Perspiration is a process with a purpose that has its own characteristics in each individual, involving the excretion of salts through the eccrine glands of the skin in order to regulate your body temperature. For that reason, moments of increased perspiration may be completely normal and physiological, if they are due to an increase in body temperature caused by exercise, fever, emotional stress, or outside temperature.
However, when the amount of sweat is excessive, and episodes of increased perspiration without any apparent justification become frequent, you may be experiencing hyperhydrosis. The problem is that these episodes are highly irritating and may make your social or work life more difficult.
Is there a solution?
Hyperhydrosis is normally caused by a variety of factors and affects up to 3 % of the population. However, we recommend visiting a dermatologist in order to rule out the secondary hyperhydrosis that underlies conditions such as hyperthyrodism, diabetes, certain neurological conditions or those affecting the parotid gland before beginning specialized treatment.
Are there any gentle treatments?
Treatment is normally of the symptoms in their initial states, and is based on reducing excess perspiration through topical means and products.
It is based on inhibiting secretion from the sweat glands through the application of a lotion, spray, or roll-on. These solutions utilize aluminum salts with anti-inflammatory substances that reduce the irritation and itching that can be caused by excess perspiration
We recommend that you apply that at night to dry skin, until you are able to control the symptoms and perspiration on a daily basis.
You should keep in mind that the main side effect of these treatments is irritation of the skin.
Advice
- Reduce your intake of alcohol, coffee, tea, tobacco, and spicy foods: they produce cholinergic reactions and vasodilation, which causes sweating.
- Try to keep your skin dry by wearing clothing made of synthetic fibers. You can also use:
- Talcum powder or boric acid, which are both useful in fighting hyperhydrosis in the folds of your skin and feet.
- Insoles to absorb perspiration from your feet.
- Maintain proper cleaning and hygiene, without washing your hands excessively.
- Excess sweating causes your hands to dry out, which can be worsened with excessive washing, especially if you do not use proper soap.
Are there more treatments available?
It's true that topical treatments are only directed towards light or moderate changes in skin activity. If the hyperhydrosis continues, it will require more aggressive treatment:
- Pharmaceutical products: anticholinergics, alpha-2 adrenergics (clonidine), and anxiolytics may help to relieve hyperhydrosis.
- Side effects: blurry vision, urinary retention (anticholinergics), hypotension (clonidine), or drowsiness (anxiolytics).
- Injection of botulinum toxin: blocks glands and is effective in preventing perspiration on the palms and bottoms of the feet. Its effect lasts 7-9 months.
- Iontophoresis: utilizes the effects of an electric current.
- Surgical treatment: sympathectomy.
- This consists in the surgical removal of the thoracic sympathetic nerves responsible for stimulating the glands that produce sweat on the hands.
