Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that isn’t due to exercise, heat, or stress and occurs abnormally. Although it can be an embarrassing and frustrating health issue, there are hyperhidrosis treatments available that are effective and safe to prevent the overproduction of sweat glands.
What is hyperhidrosis?
Sweating is a normal body function, and it is essential to regulate the body’s temperature. However, some people suffer from excessive sweating that interferes with everyday life.
Hyperhidrosis can affect one particular area, which can be under the arms or feet, or it can be more generalized with excessive sweating around multiple areas of the body. While there is no hyperhidrosis cure, there are ways to effectively treat this condition.
There are home remedies to help manage hyperhidrosis such as washing the area frequently, changing clothing often, or eating certain foods, but these are not effective or practical methods to stop excessive sweating.
Hyperhidrosis Causes
Hyperhidrosis has not been linked to a specific medical disorder, but it can be triggered by underlying issues such as diabetes, menopause, heart or nervous system ailments, cancer, certain medications, genetics, or drug withdrawal.
The human body has eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. Eccrine sweat glands are found all over the body and produce an odorless sweat whereas apocrine sweat glands are concentrated in the scalp area, under the arms, and groin and usually have a distinct odor.
People with hyperhidrosis are also susceptible skin infections and they suffer from the social anxiety and the emotional effects from randomly breaking out into an excessive sweat that leaves clothing soaked with perspiration.
Hyperhidrosis can occur at any time and in any situation, even when the weather is cool, or triggered for no reason. A lot of people just try to cope with the condition without realizing there are effective ways to treat it.
Two Effective Treatments for Excessive Sweating
Hyperhidrosis surgery and Botox injections are two of the main ways to treat the condition. However, before choosing which treatment to go for, your doctor will advise going for blood or urine tests to establish if there is an underlying medical condition that needs to be treated first.
Alternative tests might also be carried out such as a starch-iodine test where iodine is applied to the area where excessive sweating occurs. Starch is then put on the area once the iodine dries to monitor if it turns dark blue, which indicates excess sweating. The paper test uses special paper on the sweating area, which is then weighed to determine if the amount of sweat is normal or abnormal.
With a hyperhidrosis diagnosis, your doctor can then discuss treatment. Let’s explain the two most effective ways on how to stop hyperhidrosis.
Surgery
There are different types of surgery available to treat hyperhidrosis such as microwave therapy, sweat gland removal, and nerve surgery. Depending on the severity and where the condition occurs will determine which type of surgery would be best suited to treat the hyperhidrosis. While these techniques are different, the end goal is to remove the sweat glands.
Microwave therapy is effective for treating hyperhidrosis in the underarm area. It destroys these sweat glands and because only 2% of the sweat glands are found in this area, it doesn’t affect the body’s functioning to cool down.
The options for surgery are more invasive yet effective. In most cases, surgery will help alleviate or stop the sweating altogether, but it does not come without risks. There can be major side-effects such as developing low blood pressure, heat intolerance, heart conditions, and as with any surgery, there is the risk of death in extreme cases.
Botox Injections
Botox is usually thought of as a cosmetic procedure to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. However, it has become a popular and effective treatment for hyperhidrosis as it comes with minimal risks.
If you’re searching online for Botox for hyperhidrosis near me, it is important to consider getting treatment by a qualified professional. Botox is botulinum toxin, and it is injected to block nerve signals that activate the sweat glands.
This is a simple procedure that starts with sterile cleaning of the area before applying a topical numbing substance to the skin. The specialist will then make small injections in and around the area with a tiny needle. The Botox dose for hyperhidrosis will depend on where treatment is applied and on the severity of the condition.
You might experience a bit of tenderness, bruising or swelling afterwards but these symptoms are mild and temporary. You will notice the results after a few days where excessive sweating is significantly reduced. The nerves will start to regenerate over a period of 4 to 6 months (or longer), at which time you will need to go for another treatment.
Benefits of Botox for Hyperhidrosis
Botox can reduce excessive sweating by over 80% to normalize your body’s sweat functions. Results can last anywhere from 4 months to over a year, depending on where the hyperhidrosis occurred. With repetitive treatments, the results can last even longer.
Botox injections for hyperhidrosis is worth trying because it is safe and effective and generally well-tolerated by most people. It has a fast onset of action, a high satisfaction rate in patients and very few side effects.
Treating hyperhidrosis with Botox can significantly improve your quality of life where other remedies fail such as using different prescribed antiperspirants, avoiding spicy foods, employing anti-stress techniques, and wearing specific clothing.
What to Expect?
Botox injections don’t require hospitalization and can be carried out in the trained practitioner’s office. It is very rare to experience any serious side effects but that’s why it is very important to provide detailed information on your medical history and medication to avoid unforeseen results.
Many health care insurances will cover the cost of Botox injections for hyperhidrosis as it can become costly when going for multiple treatments, so check with your insurance provider first. Once your first treatment is completed, you will be able to go about your daily activities without any downtime or recovery.
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