Excessive Sweating Treatment

Hyperhidrosis, the medical term for excessive sweating, can be caused by other medical conditions or can itself be the condition. These two different types of hyperhidrosis are called primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis.

Primary hyperhidrosis is the medical condition of excessive sweating while secondary hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that is caused by a different medical condition or
medication (external forces that cause the excessive sweating).

Two Types of Hyperhidrosis, Two Different Sets of Symptoms

Generally, someone suffering from primary hyperhidrosis will experience very localized sweating, such as heavy armpit sweat, sweaty palms, sweaty feet, or sweating on other specific, sometimes seemingly random, parts of the body. Everybody knows that everybody sweats and that it is the body’s way of cooling down, but sufferers of primary hyperhidrosis sweat even in the absence of heat or physical activity. If you experience constant sweating in the face, thighs, armpits, palms, or feet, you may be suffering from primary hyperhidrosis.

People suffering from secondary hyperhidrosis usually experience a less localized, whole-body type of sweating that may occur only at night – a symptom less common with primary hyperhidrosis. The following conditions may contribute to secondary hyperhidrosis:

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After a long recess, which we apologize for, we’re continuing our New York Times sweaty article analysis.

The article continues with average temperatures in people as it relates to sweating and the times of day. Body temperatures and menopause in women are both discussed in the begining of the second half of the article. Everyone’s inside body temperature hovers around 98.6 degrees fahrenheit with slight differences usually due to one’s genetics. The body’s temperature is set by one’s hypthalamus, which is the area in the brain that serves as one’s thermostat. People generally run a little “cooler in the morning, a little warmer in the late afternoon.”

Women run about half a degree higher after ovulation. With menopause the female thermostat becomes notoriously trigger-happy, imagining excess heat where none exists and generating unnecessary sweat.

Here the New York Times brings up the faulty inner thermostat in women at the onset of menopause that causes hyperhidrosis. Excessive sweating often does occur for women after menopause and is quite common and can add more discomfort for women in a very difficult time. But men may not have it easy as they go through the reverse of sweating symptoms.

Men may be more thermally stable, but not for long: beginning about age 60 both sexes sweat less, even if they are in good physical condition, and even if they become seriously overheated. Thus the statistics that during heat waves the elderly are at highest risk of heat stroke.

Excessive sweating is the norm with extreme heat and humid conditions and if it does not occur, it can be deadly for those with a broken and worn down inner thermostat.

Obesity and Sweating

Perspiration and weight issues are a complicated mixture according to the article’s expert, Dr. Crandall. The excess weight may of course prevent the inner organs from feeling the very hot temperatures on the skin but the reverse is also true, the sheer bulk of tissue can prevent the heat from escaping from the inner organs, causing all sorts of problems for the overweight individual.

Carrying more weight generates more metabolic heat to get rid of. That means more sweat, but research suggests that large people cannot grow more sweat glands to cope with the extra heat load. Radiation of heat from skin to air may become especially important in their heat control.

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We read an interesting and well researched article on sweating in the New York Times and would just like to share some of the articles more interesting sweating points.

Sweat is our interior coolant, part of a uniquely human biologic machine. The machine drips and occasionally stalls: long waits on torpid platforms can inspire glum reflections on how it will hold up as the planet heats up. But experts counsel optimism: the system is sturdy, adjustable and even reproducible by engineers working to make our future sweaty selves more comfortable.

Indeed, for those of us who have hyperhidrosis, this interior coolant seems to come from a giant, unlimited tempermental sweat reservoir inside. Excessive sweating sufferers tolerance for heat isn’t the issue, as hyperhidrosis causes the body to sweat in all circumstances accross all types of people. Overheating is only one cause among many for excessive sweating…

But we have little tolerance for even brief overheating: the brain malfunctions with six or seven degrees of fever, and an internal temperature of 110, barely a dozen degrees above normal, is often cited as the upper limit compatible with life. So a good internal air-conditioner is essential, both to dissipate the heat generated by the body’s metabolism and to relieve the heat absorbed from miserable summer weather.

The trigger for hyperhidrosis sufferers is broken and the safety lock, is unfortunately turned off. So the excessive sweating is unpredictable, however, often times it occurs during stress. The New York Times article goes further into the history of sweating and is a rather interesting read.

“It is plain old unglamorous sweat that has made humans what they are today,” writes the evolutionary anthropologist Nina G. Jablonski in her recent book “Skin.” “Without plentiful sweat glands keeping us cool with copious sweat, we would still be clad in the thick hair of our ancestors, living largely apelike lives.”

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Hyperhidrosis is a social disease in many ways. One less talked about problem with excessive sweating, a symptom of hyperhidrosis, is the acne that may be a result of the constant and profuse sweating.

Excessive sweating is simply the overactive excretion of fluids using the pores in your body. You’re body needs to both cool itself and cleanse itself with sweating in general. People who sweat excessively often develop acne due to this constant sweating, which in turn leads to clogged pores and also bacteria on the skin, which then in turn leads to hyperhidrosis acne.

The clogging of pores by excessive sweating leads to the deposits of fatty oils and the body’s other waste products laying on the surface of the skin. This process of using sweat to get rid of waste through the skin’s pores, leads to the clogging of these same pores when sweating is constant. This constant sweating presents more fatty oil on the skin’s surface which then leads to even more growth of bacteria, in turn causing the skin deformity known as acne (blackheads, zits, etc.). This is how hyperhidrosis causes acne and other related skin diseases. Of course, there are many ways to take care of hyperhidrosis acne and these other related skin conditions, such as Proactiv and over the counter topical treatments, but many of these treatments may dry out the skin and cause irritation. It is then very important to decide on the level of treatment you may need specifically in your excessive sweating and hyperhidrosis acne situation. In the following paragraphs, we want to focus on the cause of this particular acne, the excessive sweating and the appropriate treatments for hyperhidrosis acne itself.

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Growing up is tough enough on its own, having excessive sweating while young is just added misery to an increasingly difficult situation. The onset of hyperhidrosis usually occurs in the very early teens, often times puberty and excessive sweating go hand and in sweaty hand, pun intended.

Hyperhidrosis in young kids is usually due to circumstances besides hyperhidrosis in of itself. Kids usually sweat a lot on their own, therefore excessive sweating shouldn’t ever lead to panic. Often times, safe holistic treatments can be used to decrease discomfort and the excessive perspiration. In the case where you instinctively feel that something is wrong, where your gut makes you feel that there is a real problem, take heed and consult some experts. In this particular case, put holistic solutions for sweating on hold, and then explore every possible medical condition where excessive sweating could be a symptom.

First off, there are a few medical reasons that infants and young kids may have excessive perspiration. Rushing to a diagnosis to any of the possible conditions is never a good idea, but if excessive sweating persists, then by all means, check for more symptoms of disease or condition that you think applies to the sweating.

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Facial excessive sweating is usually called facial hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis on the face is a particularly difficult condition because of the immediate social implications it holds for the excessive sweating sufferer and also because facial hyperhidrosis is particularly difficult to hide.

Excessive sweating from hyperhidrosis usually leads to body odor, or facial odor rather, which in turn also adds to the social ills that sweating problems sometimes cause. Facial hyperhidrosis may even lead to excessive sweating in the scalp area, even if there weren’t any particular stress or physical exertion on the body. This of course, often times leads to nervousness, paranoa and mental irritation. Facial hyperhidrosis occurs in men and women and is more often passed down genetically through either the mother or father.

Facial hyperhidrosis, like other forms of hyperhidrosis, is a sweating disorder that is related to the malfunctioning of the sympathetic nervous system. There generally is no definite cause or specific reason for the excessive sweating in patients, as scientifically or medically, the specific cause is not yet known. However, the majority of factors point towards the sympathetic nervous system and is generally, the cause is most likely rooted in somewhere there, in that mass of nerves.

First we’ll go through the nonsurgical treatments for facial hyperhidrosis. These excessive sweating treatments are often times easy to use and they treat hyperhidrosis sometimes just as effectively as other methods in, of course, less severe cases. These alternative treatments for facial sweating include:

Antiperspirants with strong base are also used by a lot of people. These include over the counter products like MegaDry, Whit Wetless lotion, Drysol, Clear Gel, Clearasil etc. Using gel based AICI has also helped in curing facial hyperhidrosis. Prescription drugs like Xanax, Propanolol SR and Probanthine are also medicated by some. But it is strictly advised to use these drugs only with a prescription from a physician. Some dermatologists recommend use of Botox injections, however they’re very costly and have their own set of side effects. Botox as a cure is only temporary and lasts up to 8 months.

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Iontophoresis is a fairly safe and effective way to control hyperhidrosis of the feet and palms and is an alternative for those who need to try other methods to curb their excessive sweating.

Water is used in Iontophoresis to conduct a safe electrical pulse through the skin’s top most layer. It’s not known how or why iontophoresis for excessive sweating is at all effective. However it is surmised that the electricity and certain mineral particles in the fluid combine so that to thicken the outer most skin layer through a microscopic process. This thickened outer layer of skin restricts the release of the excessive sweat. After the sweat is blocked or temporarily stopped, excessive sweat production on the palms and feet disappears for a period of time like a switch that controls hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating has been turned off.

Iontophoresis for hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating consists of a fairly basic instrument to temporarily treat excessive sweating of the hands (palmar hyperhidrosis) and feet (plantar hyperhidrosis). Iontophoresis is often the choice for those who have already tried prescription strength hyperhidrosis antiperspirants. For these people, Iontophoresis is more powerful excessive sweating treatment. Iontophoresis maybe set to an individual’s particular hyperhidrosis situation. Iontophoresis for hyperhidrosis has proven to have a fairly good success rate for those with excessively sweaty palms and sweaty feet.

Specifics of the Process of Iontophoresis

Hyperhirdrosis sufferers sit with their sweaty hands or feet, or both, dipped in containers full of water for a period of time, lasting 20 to 40 minutes. The iontophoresis device sends a small electric current through the fluid. Excessive sweating sufferers repeat the procedure every other day for five to ten days. Often times the patients stop the practicing the procedure when the excessive sweating is reduced to a level that thy’re able to cope with. When the correct or desired stoppage of sweating has been achieved, hyperhidrosis sufferers are put on a timeline for iontophersis use. The timeline may vary from once a week to once every few weeks or so, dependant upon the severity of the hyperhidrosis and the particular individual. However, to keep the excessive sweating at bay, as soon as the symptoms return, iontophoresis must again used.

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Botox for hyperhidrosis can only truly be regarded as the last line of defense in sweating stopage. It’s sort of like fixing a damn that’s been built with toothpicks by freezing the river behind the damn. You might stop the flood, however, everything dies in the river, and six months later, your excessive sweating comes back like a lawyer you just hit with your car. Botox for axillary hyperhidrosis is expensive, nonpermanent and lastly, loaded with risks and side effects. Remember, Botox after all is a toxin, botulinum toxin to be specific.

To start out grimly, Botox treatments for hyperhidrosis there have been semi-rare spontaneous fatalities. Sometimes these deaths are associated with dysphagia, pneumonia, and/or other significant debility or anaphylaxis, after the hyperhidrosis procedures with botulinum toxin, or Botox for hyperhidrosis, as it is commonly known.

There also have been quite a number of incidents where adverse events involving the cardiovascular system, which consists of arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, caused fatal outcomes for the hyperhidrosis patients. However, it is to be noted that some of these excessive sweating patients had risk factors such as cardiovascular disease. What is really disturbing is that to this day, the exact relationship of these events to the hyperhidrosis treatment of botulinum toxin injection has not yet been fleshed out, so to speak. They simply cannot figure out how these fatalities happend or where the hyperhidrosis procedure went wrong.

These situations have been reported since the hyperhidrosis remedy has been advertised, however a direct causal relationship to the botulinum toxin injected for axillary hyperhidrosis is yet to be discovered: skin rashes (including erythema multiforme, urticaria and psoriasiform eruption), pruritus or sever itching of often times undamaged skin, and many allergic reactions. Did we mention that Botox is a toxin? However, hyperhidrosis for some individuals is so severe that they’ll risk all fo the above and below to be averted of there extreme sweating problems. (more…)

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Excessive sweating affects about ten million people in America each year. What defines excessive sweating in an individual? Constant sweating that may be inconsistent through a week but can last for days and the sweat can pour throughout a whole day, regardless of temperature and season, are a few of the defining characteristics of excessive sweating. Over sweating from underarms, sweaty palms and other areas which can cause discomfort and can even be embarrassing leads to many embarassing situations and can cause many headaches in the workplace, home life and social events. We haven’t even began to talk about the body odor possibilities from excessive sweating (that’s for another post on another day). Hyperhidrosis and the resulting excessive sweating can lead people to some extremes.

Lindsay Lohan has reportedly denied the rumors that she has botoxed her armpits, and confesses she does know someone who has gotten botox shots for their excessive sweating. She also claims that after the botox treatment for excessive sweating, her friend sweat more on her nose and face, which is a common side effect of the hyperhidrosis treatments. Botox is an excessive treatment for most cases of hyperhidrosis and has a spotty history of complications. It’s also a very expensive procedure for hyperhidrosis.

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In our previous post we’ve mentioned various types of excessive sweating. We also wrote about scenarios and consequences of hyperhidrosis, the clinical title for excessive sweating, in certain areas of one’s life.

Below is a solid list of types of hyperhidrosis associated with different areas of the body and a brief social scenario dealing with this particular form of excessive sweating:

Palmar Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating of the hands – Leads to awkward encounters as in almost every single western society shaking hands is a form of greeting.

Axillary Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating of the armpits – Forces people to either change clothes often to avoid sweat stains, wear baggy, oversized clothes and/or wear darker colors hide the excessive sweating.

Plantar Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating of the feet – Can result in an increase in foot odor, blisters, corns and calluses on the overly sweating feet.

Facial Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating of the face (i.e. not emotional or thermal related blushing, however both conditions may be linked or appear in the same person) – Could lead to socially awkward encounters when the other person may think there is an emotional problem with the person excessively sweating.

General Hyperhidrosis: Overall excessive sweating -
This condition is quite common where the person may have one form of excessive sweating one day and then the hyperhidrosis moves on to another part of the body the next day.

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There’s basically a type of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) for every part of your body. We won’t go into all of the clinical terms and definitions quite yet for hyperhidrosis, as fascinating as that is, we want to save that until our following excessive sweating treatment posts. However, here are some examples of hyperhidrosis on the body.

Excessive underarm sweating or axillary hyperhidrosis, is a clothes ruiner and social interaction stealer. One cannot be graceful and charming as one should be while your pits are crying a river of sweat. Worrying about your sweaty underarms can then of course, lead to even more sweating. You may even need think in advance and bring extra, large or baggy dark clothes for these sort of situations. Excessive sweating is life alteration at its worst.

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Suffering from excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis? Excessive sweating is quite an annoying physical circumstance to live with. You may spend lots of time, effort and resources dealing with your excessive sweating daily only to be defeated yet again by your sweating problem the next day, and the following days. Hyperhidrosis can be a downward spiral mentally, the cause of this spiral coming from within your own body.

Here’s an excessive sweating scenario. You’re asking your boss for a raise and then all of the sudden it’s Niagara Falls in your armpits. There’s a rainforest called excessive sweating in your pits. You might get the raise but your also might not be as charming and as eloquent as you should be.

Fearing that others may be aware, you keep putting on different clothes or wear large, dark shirts and pants to hide your sweating problem. You might even take breaks frequently to shower to look dry and refreshed again. However, you start excessively sweating again. All you can think is how do you stop excessive sweating.

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Hello out there, this is our first Excessive Sweating Treatment post, so we’ll be gentle, but firm, especially with the following hyperhidrosis editorial.

We found this article on Ezine about the true causes of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating. It’s laughable because such a claim at this stage in the history of hyperhidrosis, is impossible to make…

Excessive sweating is a huge problem experienced by a lot of people around the world. You should know you are not alone. Many confuse causes for normal sweating with the causes for excessive sweating.

The main reason we sweat is to cool our body down to the normal body temperature of about 98 degrees Fahrenheit of 37 degrees Celsius. When we are in exercising or running to catch the bus it is natural to sweat a little. The water from the sweat get cooled down by the wind and out body stays about the normal temperature.

Okay, so the above is just article filler and really, we think everyone on the planet knows we mainly sweat to cool our bodies down.

Normal sweating might be a little problem in some situations, but it is nothing compared to excessive sweating. To a certain degree the causes for excessive sweating is similar to natural or normal causes for sweating. Still a person who struggle with excessive sweating will sweat much more in situations when others only sweat a little. Excessive sweaters will also sweat for almost no reason at all.

Causes of Excessive Sweating Despite what you might believe the real cause for excessive sweating is that excessive sweaters try too hard. It is the products you use to stop sweating that causes excessive sweating.

Okay, here is where our beef with this excessive sweating article starts. There has been no conclusive evidence that any off the shelf products cause more sweating for the majority of users. We have heard of operations for hyperhidrosis or surgeries for excessive sweating having the side effects of increased perspiration in other areas of the body, even sometimes leading to more sweating overall. However, we’ve never heard of antiperspirants having the opposite effect of sweating even more profusely for the most of the users of the antiperspirant. This might be the case for a few people, a small percentage of the time, but for the majority of people suffering from excessive sweating, this is simply not the case.

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