If you have hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, you know how uncomfortable it can be to deal with sweaty palms, sweaty feet, and sweaty armpits. It may even be embarrassing, making you self-conscious whenever you’re in social situations. Hyperhidrosis treatment can help you get rid of this uncomfortable and sometimes painful condition, but before getting any type of treatment, it’s important to understand what hyperhidrosis is and what the most effective treatments are. Read on to learn about six things that everyone with hyperhidrosis needs to know about their treatment options.
6 Things You Need to Know About Hyperhidrosis Treatment
1) What is it?
Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating, which can cause a variety of health problems. It can be caused by genetics, adrenal gland disorders, or certain medications. Typically, you will experience sweating in your hands, feet, and underarms. Even with treatment, hyperhidrosis cannot be cured but it can be managed through medication and lifestyle changes.
2) Causes
Hyperhidrosis is caused by one of two main factors: genetics or over-stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The condition can affect all areas of the body. There are many different treatments for hyperhidrosis.
3) Treatments
Treatment for hyperhidrosis often starts with a topical prescription medication, which can be applied to the affected areas at least twice a day. These medications are most often used for axillary (underarm) sweating, but they may also be prescribed for other areas of the body. Other treatments include iontophoresis, oral medications, Botox injections, and surgery. The success rate of each treatment varies depending on the severity of symptoms and how long a person has been experiencing symptoms; some treatments work better than others and it is possible that several treatments will need to be tried before one is found that works well.
4) Questions to ask a doctor
1. What type of hyperhidrosis do you have?
2. How long have you had hyperhidrosis?
3. What treatments have you tried in the past?
4. Have you tried any non-invasive treatments such as antiperspirants, iontophoresis or botox injections?
5. Have you tried any invasive treatments such as surgery, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) or deep brain stimulation (DBS)?
6. What medications will I be required to take and for how long?
5) The cost of hyperhidrosis treatment
The cost of the treatment will really differ according to your location as well as the level of your hyperhidrosis. If it is still in the early stages you may only need topical and oral medication. However, if you are undergoing surgery those costs will increase.
6) When your medications stop working If you’ve been using your current medications for hyperhidrosis for six months or more and haven’t seen any improvements, it’s time to try something new. When your medications stop working, there are a few things you can do to try and keep the sweat at bay. One is using antiperspirants more liberally, as they can help reduce how much you sweat by blocking the pores that produce sweat. Another is undergoing Botox injections in areas where sweating occurs most often, such as your underarms. The injections can block the signals that tell your body it needs to sweat, but may also cause weakness in some muscles and drooping of the eyelid.
