Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis is a pathological condition characterized by increased sweating. Sweat glands exceed normal needs, which are sufficient to maintain body temperature. The main function of sweating in a healthy person is to maintain a normal temperature, but as soon as it increases, the sweat glands begin to produce sweat in an amount sufficient to maintain the initial temperature.

The content of the article:
Classification of hyperhidrosis
Causes of hyperhidrosis
Methods of treatment of hyperhidrosis
Non-surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis
Local surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis
Sympathectomy
The latest methods of treatment of hyperhidrosis
Prevention
Hyperhidrosis
The secretion of sweat is a completely normal condition, so the body produces the release of excess toxins, salts, liquids. With an increase in temperature and stress, the overload protection mechanism is triggered, the skin evaporates moisture. But when sweating is always present, it indicates violations. Hyperhidrosis can be so severe that it simply prevents a person from living normally. Excessive sweating with hyperhidrosis manifests itself in all situations, not only stressful, but in such situations especially, and even in hot weather, physical activity.

Hyperhidrosis does not pose a serious threat to human health, but it can cause significant psychological discomfort. There is no criterion that would determine the intensity of sweating as such, but if this process makes you uncomfortable, then it’s time to see a doctor. In addition to increased sweating, hyperhidrosis can also manifest itself with an unpleasant odor, which is difficult to get rid of.

Classification of hyperhidrosis
Hyperidrosis is divided into several types:

idiopathic: there is no definite cause of its occurrence;
secondary: the cause is a pathological condition;
local: the process occurs in certain areas of the body;
generalized: the effect spreads throughout the body.
Idiopathic hyperhidrosis is local in nature, manifests itself in the area of the feet, armpits, face, palms — the intensity can be different. Secondary hyperhidrosis can be either generalized or local. Very rarely, primary hyperhidrosis can be diagnosed in the facial area or as a gustatory hyperhidrosis, which occurs after operations on the salivary or parotid glands, in diabetes mellitus — as a complication.

The most common forms of localized hyperhidrosis will be palmar-plantar and hyperhidrosis of large folds. Very often, these forms will be the result of non-compliance with personal hygiene, a manifestation of vegetative-vascular dystonia, flat feet, wearing rubber, tight shoes, synthetic, unnatural clothing.

Causes of hyperhidrosis
As a rule, the disease manifests itself at the age of 15 to 30 years. According to statistics, women are more prone to increased sweating than men. The most common type of hyperhidrosis is increased sweating of the extremities.

Sweat glands in people with hyperhidrosis are no different from ordinary ones.

One of the main causes of hyperhidrosis is an increase in the concentration of sweat glands. The next most common will be an incorrect reaction of the body to stimuli, such as: emotions, heat exposure, physical exercise. In this case, increased sweating may differ from normal by 10 times. This is most often observed during a stressful situation or nervous tension.

Food
Hyperhidrosis may be associated with eating. In this case, increased sweating (which is usually expressed in the forehead, upper lip) is a consequence of taking coffee, tea, chocolate, hot drinks, spicy dishes, alcohol. The process of increased sweating occurs a few minutes after the start of a meal, its mechanism is not fully understood.

von Frey
Another cause of hyperhidrosis in the facial area will be von Frey syndrome, which occurs after surgical operations on the salivary gland, after severe diseases on the salivary gland. The syndrome can also develop in newborns after damage to the facial nerve during childbirth.

Neurological disorders
The cause of excessive sweating may be stroke, neurosyphilis, Parkinson’s disease. Increased activity of the sympathetic nervous system may be the cause of hyperhidrosis. Intense sweating is possible during stressful situations.

Endocrine disorders
When we talk about hyperhidrosis in this case, it is most often provoked by thyrotoxicosis, carcinoid syndrome, acromegaly, menopausal syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hypoglycemia. With these diseases, hyperhidrosis will only be a symptom and then not always.

65% of patients with acromegaly are diagnosed with excessive sweating of the head.

Infectious diseases
Hyperhidrosis is an ordinary and quite natural symptom for almost all infectious diseases. The cause of it will be an “endogenous pyrogen”, since increased sweating will regulate body temperature. It is most often observed in tuberculosis, malaria, septicemia, brucellosis.

Tumor formations
Very often hyperhidrosis is a symptom of Hodgkin’s disease, which is common after 40 years. Severe sweating and fever are common symptoms of this disease.

Genetic disorders
Cystic fibrosis, Riley-Day syndrome, it is with these diseases that increased sweating is associated.

Taking medications
Hyperhidrosis can be a side effect of taking medications. Among them: insulin, antiemetics, aspirin, drugs with cholinergic effect. Often this manifestation may be the result of an overdose.

Methods of treatment of hyperhidrosis
Treatment of hyperhidrosis is a whole system of various methods. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages. Only the attending physician, after conducting tests, examination, and anamnesis collection, can prescribe the correct treatment of excessive sweating. On our website you will not only find all possible ways to treat hyperhidrosis, but also a list of clinics that practice medicine in this direction, you will be able to compare prices and choose the most acceptable option for yourself.

Non-surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis
If hyperhidrosis is not a symptom of the underlying disease, then conservative methods are used for its treatment in medical practice: physiotherapy, drug therapy, psychotherapeutic, antiperspirants.

Psychotherapeutic methods
Psychotherapeutic methods are aimed at solving psychological problems, controlling emotions and fears that do not allow a person to cope with hyperhidrosis on their own.

Of course, such methods are not able to save a person from hyperhidrosis, but if the disease is of a nervous nature, is associated with stress, serious experiences, then such therapy can have a very beneficial effect on the body.

Drug therapy
For drug therapy, groups of drugs of different directions are used, the purpose of which will depend on each specific case. Sedatives are indicated for people with an unstable nervous system, reducing the excitability of the nervous system, they allow you to cope with the main cause of hyperhidrosis — stress. If the problem is related only to insomnia, mild excitability, then herbal medicines will be enough, but if the situation is more serious, the attending physician prescribes tranquilizers, which are taken strictly by prescription.

Tablets that are prescribed for the treatment of hyperhidrosis can be directed directly to the sweat glands or to the entire body, the nervous system. To reduce sweating, Atropine is prescribed in tablets, but the drug has side effects in the form of weak intestinal tone, visual impairment, dry mouth.

Medicines with the extract of belladonna also proved to be quite good. They are able to gradually, but quite effectively reduce the secretion of sweat glands.

Antiperspirants
Antiperspirants have a local effect, due to their chemical composition, they prevent increased sweating. The drugs block the excretion of sweat outside, which can result in allergies, dermatitis and even edema.

Antiperspirants and deodorants have radically different actions. If we are talking about deodorants, we cannot mention medicinal properties, because they simply do not exist, then in the case of antiperspirants everything is different. Deodorants simply interrupt the smell of sweat with a stronger one: floral, spicy or some other.

Antiperspirants already have the property of treatment. New generations of these drugs are able to completely rid a person of such a problem as excessive sweating.

The basis of almost all antiperspirants today is aluminum chloride. It narrows the sweat tubules and thereby regulates sweating. For some antiperspirants, it will be enough to apply once a week (usually at night, always on dry skin) and you can already observe the effect.

It is not advisable to use antiperspirants before actions that provoke profuse sweating: going to the gym, any other sports activities, a sauna, a sauna or just extreme heat — this can provoke swelling that will occur due to narrowing of the sweat glands.

Physiotherapy methods
Among the physiotherapeutic methods, hydrotherapy is very common: baths, showers, which have a restorative effect on the nervous system.

Medicinal electrophoresis involves exposure to direct current with medicinal ions. Direct current therapy is carried out on the problematic stock, thereby achieving its dehydration. Medicinal substances retain their effect for up to 20 days. Thus, hyperhidrosis of the armpits, palms, and feet is treated.

Unfortunately, all conservative methods of treating hyperhidrosis give only a temporary effect. As a result, the disease returns again. It is possible to get rid of excessive sweating only with the help of surgical intervention.

Iontophoresis
Ionophoresis has been used in medicine for a long time for the treatment of hyperhidrosis. But if earlier it was bulky devices that could only be located in large rooms of hospitals, and treatment was possible only in a hospital, now the situation looks completely different. Very compact devices have been invented, which are excellent for the treatment of hyperhidrosis at home.

With the method of ionophoresis, treatment is carried out with water. Ordinary tap water, when a weak current charge is passed through it, becomes therapeutic precisely in a situation with hyperhidrosis. Usually this method is used for plantar and palmar hyperhidrosis, in which case the hands and feet are lowered into specially designed baths with water. To eliminate excessive sweating of the legs, this is a very effective method.

In that case, if we are talking about the elimination of hyperhidrosis of the armpits, then electrodes are applied to the axillary areas, but due to the inconvenience, this method has not really caught on.

Local surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis
Surgical intervention in hyperhidrosis is an extreme measure. It is usually resorted to when none of the methods of conservative treatment has given the expected result.

Surgical methods of treating hyperhidrosis are divided into remote and local, and there are central (sympathectomy) and local.

Remote surgical interventions are performed on a part of the body that is located at a distance from where hyperhidrosis is focused. And local intervention is performed only in the armpits.

Local methods mean liposuction of the axillary zone, excision of the skin of the axillary zone, closed curettage of the axillary zone. The side effects of all these manipulations are minimal, but they must be carried out under the strict supervision of the attending physician.

Hyperhidrosis of the armpits is a fairly common phenomenon, brings its owner a lot of uncomfortable sensations. With the help of surgical intervention, a decrease in the number of sweat glands is achieved, which reduces the level of sweating. Surgical intervention is carried out through small punctures, no cosmetic defects are observed after. For 90% of patients, the problem of excessive sweating of the armpits remains in the past, and the unpleasant smell of sweat also becomes only a memory.

Liposuction
Liposuction is a fairly common term, but in addition to its direct purpose — fat removal — it is also performed for therapeutic purposes, for the treatment of sweating.

Liposuction of the armpit destroys the sympathetic nerves passing through the subcutaneous fat, which prevents nerve impulses from reaching the sweat glands. A small tube is inserted through a small hole, fat is sucked out of the armpit using an electric pump. Liposuction is performed under local anesthesia.

Surgical intervention is quite traumatic, intended more for overweight people. Another modification will be ultrasound liposuction. It is widely used in plastic surgery, is less traumatic, and allows for a larger volume of intervention.

Curettage
Curettage is a surgical intervention very similar to liposuction. Only for its implementation, another tool is used — a curette, which is inserted into the hole. The curette looks very much like a spoon, and fatty tissues and sweat glands are scraped out, as it were. The few that remain in the skin simply cease to function.

Excision of the axillary area
The skin area is removed along with subcutaneous tissue. It is especially important for recurrent hydradenitis.

Sympathectomy
Sympathectomy is a surgical intervention that involves excision of sympathetic nerves. Most often, the use of sympathectomy is performed to reduce their activity.

This procedure has significant advantages over other types of surgical intervention and conservative treatment:

this is the most effective method and effective in the fight against hyperhidrosis and erythrophobia;
the method is low-traumatic;
it is used not only for hyperhidrosis, but also for erythrophobia or Raynaud’s disease — redness of the face with excitement;
improves blood circulation in some part of the body.
And although sympathectomy is a surgical intervention, it allows you to get rid of increased sweating forever. Of course, before performing a remote surgical intervention (the place of surgery does not correspond to the place of increased sweating), it is necessary to try conservative treatment options: creams, gels, antiperspirants, and only then perform surgery.

Sympathecomy is not indicated for all patients. There are people who are prohibited from performing surgical intervention of this kind. Diabetes mellitus will be an absolute contraindication, sympathecomy is not performed for infectious, endocrine diseases. And in general, you need to understand that if the cause of excessive sweating is another disease, then you need to treat the disease-the root cause.

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy
This surgical intervention is practically not carried out nowadays, it has been replaced by an endoscopic procedure, which is more gentle and safe.

The essence of thoracoscopic sympathectomy is that the surgeon gets access to the sympathetic nerve by means of a wide incision in the neck. Thoracoscopic sympathectomy quite often ended in complications, bleeding could begin or air got into the pleural cavity, which is why this method takes second place.

The sympathetic trunk is connected to other organs, so they may be injured during the operation. As a consequence, Gorner’s syndrome may be observed.

Endoscopic sympathectomy
In place of thoracoscopic sympathectomy, endoscopic manipulations that leave behind a small incision are now firmly and deservedly have practically no negative consequences.

This is the most common operation that eliminates excessive sweating in men and women. The surgeon inserts the endoscope through a small hole in the neck, and in this case all the necessary tools will be attached to the endoscope, as well as a miniature camera with which you can watch the operation on a computer or TV screen.

The surgeon fully controls his actions, does not make unnecessary incisions. During surgery, the sympathetic trunk is removed or it is exposed to a chemical substance, the sweat glands do not receive impulses to release sweat. Immediately the palms become warm and dry.

Another option of sympathectomy will not be the destruction of the sympathetic node, but it is squeezed by a special clip. The effect of the procedure will be the same, but the clip can always be removed. This is necessary in order to eliminate the side effect of the procedure — severe compensatory hyperhidrosis, which occurs in 2% of cases after sympathectomy.

Complications of sympathectomy — compensatory hyperhidrosis
Quite rarely, but after sympathectomy, a complication in the form of compensatory hyperhidrosis may occur. This situation usually happens no more than 2% of the time. It is expressed in the fact that the palms remain dry, but other parts of the body sweat: the stomach, back. Then it will be necessary to re-surgical intervention and removal of the clip. And the earlier the repeated operation is performed, the more chances there are for its positive resolution.
Compensatory hyperhidrosis is manifested by the fact that at the slightest changes in temperature, the entire human body begins to sweat. Repeated sympathectomy in this case will be the only possible solution. In this case, the patient’s condition returns to the previous one — the palms or armpits sweat, but the whole body remains dry.

Compensatory hyperhidrosis can appear both immediately and after a few days. And although in most cases sweating is moderate, still sometimes, when its degree is moderate or pronounced, it can cause some discomfort to the patient.

There are generally three degrees of such hyperhidrosis:

light: perspiration increases slightly, it is transferred easily, almost imperceptibly, the skin surface is slightly moist, sweat does not drain;
moderate: the secretion of sweat is increased moderately, droplets of sweat can flow down the skin, there are slight inconveniences for a person, but in general it is easily tolerated, increased secretion triggers an emotional surge, physical exertion or an increase in ambient temperature;
intense, pronounced degree: profuse sweating, as a starting point there may even be minor nervous disturbances, an insignificant increase in ambient temperature, slight physical tension, droplets of sweat flow down the skin quite strongly, there is a need to change clothes, sometimes up to several times a day, such a condition is carried by a person quite painfully, constrains him in choosing profession, building relationships.
Treatment of compensatory hyperhidrosis will depend on the degree of its severity. If frequent hygienic procedures and some food restrictions are sufficient for a mild stage, then for a moderate degree, in addition to previous measures, acupuncture may be required, but an intensive form of compensatory hyperhidrosis requires medical intervention.

The latest methods of treatment of hyperhidrosis
The number of patients who suffer from the problem of excessive sweating has been increasing lately, as there are more methods of getting rid of hyperhidrosis. Today there are a number of tools that will help get rid of the problem of hyperhidrosis for a long time or even forever.

Botox
Botox will be a new answer to the question of how to treat hyperhidrosis. Now it is not just a means for smoothing wrinkles, but also a multifunctional drug.

Once it was noticed that when butoloxin was injected under the skin, the effect not only appeared to smooth wrinkles, but it was also noticed that the place where the drug was injected reproduces sweat less intensively. On the palms, in the axillary areas, in the groin area, on the soles, it has become much easier to eliminate such a disease as hyperhidrosis.

As in the field of cosmetology, the effect of such injections lasts about six months, so injections must be repeated periodically. But because of their high cost, not everyone can afford such treatment.

Botox injections are quite painful, especially when injected into the palms and soles. Therefore, this procedure is performed under local anesthesia. Injections in the armpit area are also quite unpleasant, but usually patients are able to cope with them without the use of local anesthesia.

Botox injections are one of the most controversial methods in the fight against hyperhidrosis. If you are not afraid of the financial side of the issue, which is quite impressive, you are able to endure pain for a while, then you can use this method to get rid of excessive sweating for six months.

Dysport
Along with botox, such a drug as dysport is also actively used. Its active substance and effect does not differ from butoloxin. The same side effects exist: weakness, pain at the injection site, headache, redness of the area of exposure.

But nevertheless, an experienced doctor will make injections as accurately as possible, minimize side effects, but even if side effects occur, they disappear within a few days.

Laser
One of the most popular, harmless, modern and effective methods of treating hyperhidrosis is a laser. During the procedure, optical fibers are injected under the skin, they damage the walls of the sweat glands. The procedure has practically no contraindications, it is safe, takes no more than 25 minutes, after which the patient can go home. With the help of a laser, sweating is cured in 85% of cases.

The method of laser treatment of sweating primarily involves the determination of the problem area, this is carried out using a Minor sample (iodine-starch test), only then the operation is performed.

A micro puncture is made in the skin, its diameter will not be more than a millimeter, 300 microns of optical fiber are inserted there. With the help of a laser beam, the membranes of the sweat glands are damaged, and later the damaged cells are removed naturally. The surrounding tissues are not damaged at the same time, so we can safely say that the method is not traumatic.

For several days after applying the laser, it will be necessary to wear a special aseptic sticker, and after a week there will not even be a hint of the manipulation performed.

There is a small chance of bruising, which, however, pass quite quickly. In addition, sometimes patients experience a slight decrease in skin sensitivity, but usually this phenomenon does not present significant discomfort.

The effect of the procedure is purely individual, it depends on the severity of hyperhidrosis. If the procedure did not give the desired effect, it is recommended to repeat it three months later.

Advantages of using a laser:

carrying out the procedure on an outpatient basis with the use of general anesthesia;
absence of burns, hematomas, postoperative scars;
the probability of infection of tissues is almost zero, laser surgery is as sterile as possible;
it will take 20-30 minutes to perform the operation, since it is carried out only on the surface layers of the skin;
long-lasting effect and great effectiveness: for 80-85% of patients, one session is enough to get rid of hyperhidrosis forever;
there is no rehabilitation period;
the laser also affects the hair follicles, so the hair also stops growing at the treatment site.
Before treating hyperhidrosis with a laser, it is very important to undergo a thorough examination and pass all the necessary tests, since the procedure has a number of contraindications:

allergic reactions in problem areas;
inflammatory local processes;
impaired blood clotting;
chronic diseases that are at the stage of exacerbation;
lactation period;
pregnancy;
taking antibiotics;
myasthenic or myasthenic syndrome.
For many patients, the treatment of hyperhidrosis using laser exposure has become a real find.

Prevention
Even if hyperhidrosis seems to be a fairly harmless disease that, apart from aesthetic discomfort, does no more harm, it is not so. Constant and increased sweating can cause the addition of fungal as well as bacterial microflora, therefore, a variety of skin diseases are very common with hyperhidrosis.

In order to protect yourself as much as possible from excessive sweating, it is important to follow the rules of personal hygiene, abandon rubber and uncomfortable shoes, tight, unnatural clothes.

Proper nutrition;
Hygiene rules. A shower at least twice a day, especially contrast, has a positive effect on the vegetative functions of the body. It is useful to add table salt to a cold bathroom. It is very important to monitor the cleanliness of the armpits and do depilation in a timely manner;
Sports activities;
Comfortable clothes;
Stabilization of the nervous system. To get rid of sweating, medications alone are not enough, additional simulation of the nervous system is also needed. Stress is one of the main causes of hyperhidrosis, if you avoid stress and nervous tension, learn to cope with various serious situations, get out of them steadfastly and balanced, then in this way you can cope with the manifestations of hyperhidrosis;
Folk remedies. If you have sweating that exceeds normal, then special herbal teas and decoctions are highly recommended as an additional remedy;
Giving up bad habits.

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