Excessive Sweating

Excessive sweating is the condition characterized by abnormally increased perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. Some patients afflicted with the condition experience a distinct reduction in the quality of life. Sufferers feel at a loss of control because perspiration takes place independent of temperature and emotional state. However, anxiety can exacerbate the situation for many sufferers. A common complaint of patients is that they get nervous because they sweat, then sweat because they are nervous. Other factors can play a role; certain foods & drinks, nicotine, caffeine, and smells can trigger a response (see also diaphoresis).

Excessive sweating can either be generalized or localized to specific parts of the body. Hands, feet, axillae, and the groin area are among the most active regions of perspiration due to the relatively high concentration of sweat glands; however, any part of body may be affected. Primary excessive sweating is found to start during adolescence or even before, and interestingly, seems to be inherited as an autosomal dominant genetic trait.

Cause

Excessive sweating is caused by the sympathetic nerve, which governs the nervous system’s “fight or flight” response. The sympathetic nerve causes blood vessel contraction in the hands and/or feet, leaving the extremities cold and sweaty. In people with excessive sweating, the perspiration is often excessive and continuous. A new study shows that sweaty palms syndrome is genetic. It may be caused by a dominant gene -- indicating that family members of those who have the disorder may suffer from it more than has been previously reported.

Social Effects

Excessive sweating impedes the performance of many routine activities. Things like driving, taking tests and simply grasping objects are severely hampered by sweaty hands. In addition, many careers present challenges for excessive sweating sufferers, such as for cook/chefs, doctors, and people working with computers. However, it is the social embarassment that most excessive sweating sufferers find most troubling.

Some excessive sweating sufferers feel they have to avoid situations where they will come into physical contact with others. Interviews, a common source of anxiety for many people, are particularly harrowing for excessive sweating patients. Sadly, it is the handshake before and after the interview that they will be stressing most about.

The very social interaction that could help lift the spirits of an individual suffering with excessive sweating is reduced. Interaction with others is extremely important. The simple experience of touch by another is proving to be extremely important to the psychological well-being of a person.

Manifestations Of Excessive Sweating

Facial Excessive Sweating
Sweat pouring down from the forehead in conditions of stress can be very distressful, inducing the patient to think that others may consider him/her nervous and insecure.

Palmar Excessive Sweating
Excessive sweating of the hands is, generally, by far the most distressing condition. The hands are much more exposed in social and professional activities than any other part of our body. Many individuals with this condition are limited in their choice of profession, because unable to manipulate materials sensitive to humidity (paper etc) or reluctant to shake hands; some patients arrive to the point to avoid social contact. The degree of sweating varies and may range from moderate moisture to dripping. Most patients notice that their hands not only feel moist, but also cold.

Plantar Excessive Sweating
One of the biggest problems of people suffering from excessive foot sweating is the odor that results from this condition. This can be very problematic in many social occasions and it makes pedal excessive sweating an important obstacle in making new friends and living an active social life. This may seem a bit of an overstatement, but ask anyone suffering from excessive foot sweating and they will tell you that this is a fact. Foot sweating usually appears combined with palmar excessive sweating.

Axillary Excessive Sweating
Also Excessive Sweating of the armpits can be embarrassing causing large wet marks and sometimes a white halo of salt from sweating on the cloths.

Other locations
Less frequently, it is located only to the trunk and/or the thighs. Other patient are suffering from copious sweating in the face.

Treatment

• Surgery (Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS): Select sympathetic nerves or nerve ganglia in the chest are either cut or burned (completely destroying their ability to transmit impulses), or clamped (allowing for the reversal of the procedure). The procedure often causes anhidrosis from the mid-chest upwards. The major drawback to the procedure is the overwhelming incidence of compensatory excessive sweating experienced in possibly other areas of the body.
• Aluminum chloride (hexahydrate) solution: The most common brands are Drysol, Maxim and Odaban. Aluminum chloride is used in regular antiperspirants, but excessive sweating sufferers need a much higher concentration. A 15% aluminum chloride solution or higher usually takes about a week of nightly use to stop the sweating, with one or two nightly applications per week to maintain the results. An aluminum chloride solution can be very effective; some people, however, cannot tolerate the irritation that it can cause. Also, the solution is usually not effective for palmar (hand) and plantar (foot) excessive sweating.
• Botulinum toxin type A (trademarked as Botox): Injections of the botulinum toxin are used to disable the sweat glands. The effects can last from 4-9 months depending on the site of injections. With proper anesthesia the hand and foot injections are almost painless. The procedure when used for underarm sweating has been approved by the US FDA, and now some insurance companies pay partially for the treatments.
• Ontophoresis: The affected area is placed in a device that has two pails of water with a conductor in each one. The hand or foot acts like a conductor between the positively- and negatively-charged pails. As the low current passes through the area, the minerals in the water clog the sweat glands, limiting the amount of sweat released. A common brand of tap water iontophoresis device is the Drionic, Idrostar or MD1 Fischer. Some people have seen great results while others see no effect. However, since the device can be painful to some and a great deal of time is required, no cessation of sweating in some people may be the result of not using the device as required. The device is usually used for the hands and feet, but there has been a device created for the axillae (armpit) area as well.
• Oral medication: There are several drugs available with varying degrees of success. A class of anticholinergic drugs are available that have shown to reduce excessive sweating. Ditropan (generic name: oxybutynin) is one that has been the most promising. For some people, however, the drowsiness and dry-mouth associated with the drug cannot be tolerated. A time release version of the drug is also available, called Ditropan XL, with purportedly reduced effectiveness. Robinul (generic name: glycopyrrolate) is another drug used on an off-label basis. The drug seems to be almost as effective as oxybutynin, with similar side-effects. Other less effective anticholinergic agents that have been tried include propantheline bromide (Probanthine) and benztropine (Cogentin). A different class of drugs known as beta-blockers has also been tried, but don't seem to be nearly as effective.
• Weight-Loss: Excessive sweating can be aggravated by obesity, so weight-loss can help. However, most people with excessive sweating do not sweat excessively due to obesity.
• Relaxation and meditation: Relaxation techniques have been tried with limited success.
• Hypnosis: Hypnosis has been used with limited success.

Specializing in the control of Facial Sweating and Blushing in addition to Underarm Sweating, Sweaty Feet, and Sweaty Hands.

info@ControlExcessiveSweating.com