Hyperhidrosis is a condition in which patients will experience excessive sweating, most often in their underarm area. It can also occur in other areas including the hands, feet, scalp, neck, back, groin, and more.
Hyperhidrosis is split into 2 categories, depending on the patient’s symptoms:
- Generalized Hyperhidrosis – Excessive sweating along the entire body, at once.
- Focal Hyperhidrosis – Excessive sweating in a specific part or section of the body, such as the underarms.
Causes
While there is no obvious cause for excessive sweating, some factors in your life may be triggering this issue – including:
- Various medications
- Menopause or Pregnancy
- Overactive Thyroid Glands
- Anxiety
- Infections
- Hypoglycemia
- Cancer
The way we sweat is controlled by our body’s internal thermometer. When we are hot, our brain signals nerves to trigger our sweat glands to produce sweat. This is the body’s natural means of cooling itself – however, when an individual suffers from hyperhidrosis, these nerves become overactive, causing us to sweat much more than normal.
Treatment Options
Before opting for more invasive treatment measures, it might help to try and make certain lifestyle changes in order to see how that may help.
- Avoid tight fitted clothing
- Avoid triggers that can make you sweat more profusely.
- Avoid wearing black clothes, on sunny days especially.
- Wear light and loose clothing – made of breathable fabrics.
Unfortunately, most patients will require a more involved method of treatment. Depending on your specific case, we may recommend the use of certain topicals, oral medications, injections or devices (MiraDRY®).
For more information about Hyperhidrosis, or to schedule an appointment, contact Nova Dermatology today.
