Name and treatments for Excessive Sweating?

3 Comments

1. Tin S says:

   November 10, 2009 at 8:41 am

   People with excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) sweat profusely, and some sweat almost constantly. Although people with a fever or those exposed to very warm environments sweat, people with excessive sweating tend to sweat even without these circumstances. Excessive sweating may affect the entire surface of the skin, but often it is limited to the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, armpits, or genital area.

   Usually, no specific cause is found. However, a number of disorders can cause excessive sweating.

   Some Causes of Excessive Sweating
   Type
   Examples

   Hormonal (endocrine) disorders
   An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), low blood sugar levels, certain pituitary gland disorders

   Drugs
   Antidepressants, aspirin Some Trade Names
   ECOTRIN
   ASPERGUM
   and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, some drugs for diabetes, caffeine, theophylline Some Trade Names
   BRONKODYL
   THEOLAIR
   . Withdrawal from opioids

   Nervous system disorders
   Injuries, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, damage to certain nerves by cancer

   Cancer*
   Lymphoma, leukemia

   Infections*
   Tuberculosis, heart infection (endocarditis), severe fungal infections of the entire body

   Other
   Carcinoid syndrome, pregnancy, menopause, anxiety

   * Causes primarily night sweats.

   People who sweat excessively are frequently anxious about their condition, and it may lead to social withdrawal. This anxiety may make the sweating worse.

   Severe, chronic wetness can make the affected area white, wrinkled, and cracked. Sometimes the area becomes red and inflamed. The area may emit a foul odor (bromhidrosis) due to the breakdown of sweat by bacteria and yeasts that normally live on the skin. Clothing may also become soaked with sweat.

   Treatment

   Excessive sweating can be controlled to some degree with commercial antiperspirants. However, stronger treatment is often needed, especially for the palms, soles, armpits, or genital area. Applying an aluminum chloride solution at night may help—prescription and nonprescription strengths of this drug are available. A person first dries the sweaty area and then applies the solution. If the response is inadequate, a plastic film can be applied over the solution to enhance its effectiveness. In the morning, the person removes the film and washes the area. If the solution irritates the skin, the plastic film should be left off. Some people need two applications daily; this regimen usually gives relief in a week. Then an application once or twice a week is sufficient to maintain relief.

   A solution of methenamine Some Trade Names
   HIPREX
   MANDELAMINE
   also may help. Tap water iontophoresis, a process in which a weak electrical current is applied to the sweaty area, is sometimes used. Drugs taken by mouth, such as phenoxybenzamine Some Trade Names
   DIBENZYLINE
   and propantheline Some Trade Names
   PRO-BANTHINE
   , sometimes control sweating, and injections of botulinum toxin Some Trade Names
   BOTOX
   A into the affected area diminish sweating. If drugs are not effective, a more drastic measure to control severe sweating involves surgically cutting the nerves leading to the sweat glands. Excessive sweating limited to the armpits is sometimes treated by liposuction to remove the sweat glands.

   For people in whom odor is a problem, cleansing twice daily with soap and water usually removes the bacteria and yeast that cause odor. In some people, a few days of washing with an antiseptic soap, which may be combined with use of antibacterial creams containing clindamycin Some Trade Names
   CLEOCIN
   or erythromycin Some Trade Names
   E-MYCIN
   ERYTHROCIN
   ILOSONE
   , may be necessary. Shaving the hair in the armpits may also help control odor. Clothing should be washed often as well.

   Last full review/revision October 2007 by Daniel W. Collison, MD
2. Emyli M says:

   November 10, 2009 at 8:41 am

   They do botox on spots that are excessively sweaty.
3. PumpkinPieHole says:

   November 10, 2009 at 8:41 am

   Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a common disorder which produces a lot of unhappiness. An estimated 2-3% of Americans suffer from excessive sweating of the underarms (axillary hyperhidrosis) or of the palms and soles of the feet (palmoplantar hyperhidrosis). Underarm problems tend to start in late adolescence, while palm and sole sweating often begins earlier, around the age 13 (on the average). Untreated, these problems may continue throughout life.

   Sweating is embarrassing, it stains clothes, ruins romance, and complicates business and social interactions. Severe cases can have serious practical consequences as well, making it hard for people who suffer from it to hold a pen, grip a car steering wheel, or shake hands.

   What is the cause of hyperhidrosis?

   Although neurologic, metabolic, and other systemic diseases can sometimes cause excessive sweating, most cases occur in people who are otherwise healthy. Heat and emotions may trigger hyperhidrosis in some, but many who suffer from hyperhidrosis sweat nearly all the time, regardless of their mood or the weather.

   Treatments for hyperhidrosis include over-the-counter antiperspirants, prescription antiperspirants like Drysol (20% aluminum chloride), iontophoresis, pills like glycopyrrolate (Robinul), and surgery. Robinul may be reserved for special occasions like school dances, job interviews, weddings, proms, anniversaries, first dates, and other really important events.

   Drenched in Sweat?
   Treatment starts with oral medicine and prescription-strength antiperspirants.
   If that doesn’t work well, the next level of treatment is a botox injection.
   Lastly, for serious sweating on hands and feet, laparoscopic surgery may help.