Treatment options available for excessive sweating/Hyperhidrosis

Why our body sweat?•Sweating is a temperature regulatory

function of the human body.•It helps to keep the body cool and

maintain normal body temperature.•The sweat glands are regulated by the

sympathetic nervous system nerves.•When the sweat glands become

hyperactive, they secrete sweat even under normal temperature conditions.

Excessive sweating/Hyperhidrosis•Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis is a

condition in which the sweat glands secrete much more sweat than is required to regulate the temperature of the body.

•In the focal hyperhidrosis, the excessive sweating targets palms of the hands, underarms, face and soles of the feet.

•In generalized hyperhidrosis, the entire body sweat excessively.

Treatment options•There are number of options available for

excessive sweating treatment.•These include:AntiperspirantsLife style changesIontophoresisBotulinum ToxinAnticholinergic DrugsEndoscopic Thoracic Symathectomy

(ETS)

Antiperspirants •Deodorants does not stop sweating but

antiperspirants do.•You can buy over the counter antiperspirants

for controlling excessive sweating.•If it does not work, consult a doctor and ask

for the prescription strength antiperspirant especially ones having aluminum chloride for excessive sweating treatment.

•It plugs the sweat glands and stop sweating.•It should be applied at night before bedtime

and should washed off after waking up.

Life style changes•Bringing about changes in the lifestyle

habits can also improve excessive sweating.•Wear organic cotton and loose clothing.•Avoid the food triggers such as spicy and

oily foods, fast food, alcohol and smoking.•Wear cotton socks that absorb sweat and

change them twice or thrice during a day.•Wear shoes made up of natural materials

such as leather.

Iontophoresis •This excessive sweating treatment is effective

for hands and feet. •Hands or feet are immersed into a bowl of water.•A bearable electric current is passed through the

water.•The duration of treatment is usually 20-30

minutes.•But patients need many treatment sessions

before they finally see improvements in excessive sweating.

Botulinum Toxin injections•Botulinum toxin or botox can also be used

as an excessive swetaing treatment.•It is a highly effective treatment that works

by blocking the transmission of nerve impulses to the sweat glands.

•This stops the working of sweat glands.•It is an FDA approved

excessive sweating treatment.•The effects of Botox treatment lasts for

about 2-8 months.

Anticholinergic drgs• These drugs work by inhibiting parasympathetic

nerve impulses transmission.• The action of the chemical messenger is

blocked by these drugs thus stopping the function of sweat glands.

• It takes about two weeks for the improvements to show up.

• But these drugs have certain side effects including blurred vision, dryness of mouth, dizziness, constipation, loss of taste and urinary retention.

ETS (Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy)

•It is a surgical treatment for excessive sweating.•It is only recommended when other non-surgical

excessive sweating treatments fail to give relief.• In ETS, the nerves that transmit messages to the

sweat glands from the brain are cut.• It can be performed for treating hyperhidrosis of

face, hands and underarms.•It is not recommended for the treatment of

excessive sweating of feet as it can cause permanent sexual dysfunction.