Treating Hyperhidrosis
October 16, 2009 by anthony
Filed under Hyperhidrosis
Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis is caused by a dysfunction in the sympathetic nerve chain. A patient suffering from hyperhidrosis will find himself sweating beyond the physiological need of the body to maintain a regulated temperature. The Body parts most commonly affected are the hands (Palmer Hyperhidrosis), feet (Planter Hyperhidrosis), face (erthrophobia), and armpits (axillary sweating). Experts have found that there is in fact a genetic component in this condition. In about 40% of the cases there is a family history of hyperhidrosis although not everyone knows of a family member who suffers from this ailment. In cases here there is no family history, the patient may be the first to carry these genes. Regrettably, hyperhidrosis is a life long condition and does not go away without treatment.
Surgical Options
There have been significant advancements in the treatments available to overcome hyperhidrosis. Earlier, surgery to treat this condition was complicated and considered risky. Today, a procedure called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) is available to patients, which claims to offer a life-long solution. This is a minimally invasive procedure done, as the name suggests, endoscopically, on the spinal sympathetic nerves. It is performed on an outpatient basis, which means that the patient returns home the same day. It is extremely precise and the complication rate is very low. There are two methods –cutting and clamping. In the former the nerve is cut, either by electric cautery, or a harmonic scalpel (ultrasound device). In the latter the segment of the nerve that is causing the problem is clamped with titanium clips. The clamping method is reversible while the cutting method is not.
Although it considerably reduces sweating in the armpits and palms, the effect may not be permanent. The reason for recurrence is not known. It could be due to re-growth of the nerve that has been clamped. Also, the patient may develop compensatory hyperhidrosis in other parts of the body. Post procedure, the patient may also develop dryness and an unfavorable skin warmness. It is not recommended for patients suffering from Planter Hyperhidrosis as it may impede sexual functions of the body.
Non –Surgical Options
There are also non-surgical treatments for hyperhidrosis. These include BOTOX® lotions, pills, electronic devices, acupuncture, anti-anxiety medications, beta blockers, biofeedback, and herbal medicines.
Oral Medication: Similar to those used to treat peptic ulcer, these anticholinergic medications such as Robinul, Ditropan® and Pro-banthine®, have limited success. Side-effects include blurry vision and dryness in the mouth.
Beta Blockers: are helpful, but not suitable for people with asthma or vascular diseases.
Electronic devices: Drionic is an electric machine that uses iontophoresis to reduce the production of sweat. A weak electrical current is passed across the hands which are soaked in water. This treatment needs to be done on a regular basis, although success rate is limited.
BOTOX®: This is a short-term treatment for hyperhidrosis, its effects lasting for only three to six months. It is becoming increasingly popular for treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis. However, its use for treating sweaty palms and soles has not been approved by the FDA. You may need local or general anesthesia, as these injections can be quite painful.
Excessive Sweating – Part 1
October 9, 2009 by anthony
Filed under Excessive Sweating
The numbers of people that have to put up with hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is huge, and most of them would be the first to tell you what a drag it its to have to go through every day of their lives dealing with it or its effects. There are always inherent problems when diagnosticians try to come up with a cure for an existing ailment, and excessive sweating is one of those ailments because there as yet is not an individual treatment that can hit both the symptoms and the cause together.
Surgery as an alternative measure to try and alleviate excessive sweating certainly is considered a drastic means to take, but those that have to put up with the sweating on a daily basis find that sometimes it is the only choice. The overbearing weight that the mental stress and emotional wear and tear puts on these people, makes them make such a choice.
The people who are deciding to go with surgery are those who feel they have come to the end of the road and nothing but surgery is going to do them any good. It is a sad state of affairs these days when out of all those myriad products that line the supermarket shelves puffing their chests up and declaring a state of war on excessive sweating, very few of them can even get the job done.
Surgery is not the alpha and omega of treatments for excessive sweating, there do exist others. Alternative routes of trying to stop sweat production in individuals do exist, but they quite often have very powerful side effects and don’t always do the trick in stopping sweating, they just hinder it and lessen its effects on the person. Doctors should be the ones calling the shots and doing the administering of these very powerful medications, because it is a known fact that a great many people who were given the drugs to relieve symptoms of excessive sweating, instead had a violent reaction to the drug itself.
A holistic approach to taking care of excessive sweating problems can be a panacea for many people, because they are very afraid of having a reaction to the very powerful drugs. There is a lot to be said for holistic methodology because there are many facets to it, some of which are acupuncture, homeopathy, and ayurveda.
For the individual looking for help for his excessive sweating problem, and is wanting to utilize a methodology under the holistic umbrella; he should enlist the guidance of a practitioner who is trained in that particular field before starting.
The existence of another health based condition or syndrome can be a potential problem when you are searching for medicine for eradicating your excessive sweating, so be sure to mention it before starting the sweating regimen. You should always be honest about disclosing what your physical health is, especially when the treatments you are going with to get rid of your excessive sweating troubles have been decided upon and picked from the number available like surgery, or holistic, or conventional medicines; that way, you will always be sure of reaping the most beneficial effects from the treatment you finally decide on.
Society frowns upon the visible effects of excessive sweating and for those souls who are suffering with it, they quite often also are subjected to mental and emotional troubles as well because of this. Finding support to ease the stress and finding the strength to handle all the predicaments that come along can be best handled by talking to a therapist.
Why let something like excessive sweating and all its negative connotations wear away your reserve, when just by taking a little extra time and effort to make yourself be more secure and able to take on society, you will make a large impact on your life. This could be considered the nitty gritty, and all it was that you ever wanted.
For more information on excessive sweating or how to control your sweating naturally visit http://controlyourexcessivesweating.info/Excessive-Sweating.php
How to Stop Excessive Sweating
August 26, 2009 by anthony
Filed under Excessive Sweating
It’s natural for us to sweat. We perspire to regulate our body temperature. It also provides lubrication when there’s rubbing between moving parts of the body and discharges wastes and substances to maintain the fluid balance in our system. It is hence necessary to sweat, but only under the right conditions.
We can over-sweat or under-sweat. The medical terms for them are Hyperhidrosis and Anhidrosis respectively. The former, better known as excessive sweat, is by far the more common of the two although the latter is usually much more serious and require certified medical attention. Millions of Americans have excessive sweat problem in varying degrees. Some are not even aware of their abnormality. The specific types of Hyperhidrosis are Axillary (armpit), Palmar (hands), Plantar (feet) and Facial (face).
There are 2 main categories of Hyperhidrosis. The first category is Primary Hyperhidrosis. It is usually characterized by one or more of the specific types of excessive sweat (underarms, hands, feet, face and so forth) and not related or caused by any other disorder. The second category is Secondary Hyperhidrosis. It is caused by a separate underlying medical condition and is typically not restricted to any particular type of Hyperhidrosis. Excessive sweat then occurs all over the body in the case of Secondary Excessive Sweat and the most common culprits include diabetes, thyroid and malignancy.
Although Primary Excessive Sweating is essentially a medical problem, it is rarely ever life-threatening. That being said, it can be a torment on those afflicted especially if it is accompanied by odor. Besides the physical bother of wet clothes and discomfort, it can also become an emotional burden. Some sufferers develop complicated psychological problem as a result of this ailment. Before it gets to that point, and it will if left untreated, the problem of excessive sweat needs to be stopped.
There are various proven ways on how to stop excessive sweating. It ranges from over the counter antiperspirants to surgery. Other ways to combat excessive sweating in between these two extreme measures include prescription topical creams, injections and oral medication. The choice of treatment to curb excessive sweat depends largely on the severity of the problem, along with consideration of costs, side-effects, risk and permanency of relief or cure. As far as possible, it should be conservative as over-treatment can be as damaging as lack of it.
As a matter of fact, there is a home treatment to stop excessive sweating that is really worth a second look. Mike Ramsey of Stop Sweating And Start Living has developed a very practical and low-cost home regimen which has helped many sufferers within days of adopting it. Even for those without any problem with excessive sweat, it is a perfectly safe and natural hygiene habit, and that’s from those who have really tried it.
