Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis) - WebMD

Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, is a common disorder which produces a lot of unhappiness. An estimated 2%-3% of Americans suffer from ... MenuAcneBedbugsColdSoresEczemaFungalInfectionsHairLossHealthyBeautyLicePsoriasisPsoriaticArthritisPoisonIvyRosaceaShinglesSkinCancerMoreRelatedTopicsSkinDiscolorationsChronicSkinConditionsAcuteSkinProblemsSkinInfectionsWhatisHyperhidrosis?CausesTreatmentsWhentoCallaDoctorHowToTalkToYourDoctorProblemsHyperhidrosisCanCauseNewsMedicalReferenceSlideshowsQuizzesVideosFindaDermatologistSkinProblemsandTreatmentsReferenceMenuMedicallyReviewedbyJenniferRobinson, MDonJune17,2020ArticlesOnExcessiveSweatingWhatisHyperhidrosis?CausesTreatmentsWhentoCallaDoctorHowToTalkToYourDoctorProblemsHyperhidrosisCanCauseWhatIsHyperhidrosis?Hyperhidrosis,orexcessivesweating,isacommondisorderwhichproducesalotofunhappiness.Anestimated2%-3%ofAmericanssufferfromexcessivesweatingoftheunderarms(axillaryhyperhidrosis)orofthepalmsandsolesofthefeet(palmoplantarhyperhidrosis).Underarmproblemstendtostartinlateadolescence,whilepalmandsolesweatingoftenbeginsearlier,aroundage13(ontheaverage).Untreated,theseproblemsmaycontinuethroughoutlife.Sweatingisembarrassing,itstainsclothes,ruinsromance,andcomplicatesbusinessandsocialinteractions.Severecasescanhaveseriouspracticalconsequencesaswell,makingithardforpeoplewhosufferfromittoholdapen,gripacarsteeringwheel,orshakehands.WhatCausesHyperhidrosis?Althoughneurologic,endocrine,infectious,andothersystemicdiseasescansometimescausehyperhidrosis,mostcasesoccurinpeoplewhoareotherwisehealthy.Heatandemotionsmaytriggerhyperhidrosisinsome,butmanywhosufferfromhyperhidrosissweatnearlyalltheirwakinghours,regardlessoftheirmoodortheweather.WhatistheTreatmentforHyperhidrosis?Throughasystematicevaluationofcausesandtriggersofhyperhidrosis,followedbyajudicious,stepwiseapproachtotreatment,manypeoplewiththisannoyingdisordercansometimesachievegoodresultsandimprovedqualityoflife.Theapproachtotreatingexcessivesweatinggenerallyproceedsasfollows:Over-the-counterantiperspirantscontainingalowdoseofmetalsalt(usuallyaluminum)areusuallytriedfirstbecausetheyarereadilyavailable.Antiperspirantscontainingaluminumchloride(forexampleCertainDri)maybemoreeffectivewhenotherantiperspirantshavefailed.Prescriptionstrengthantiperspirants,whichcontainaluminumchloridehexahydrate.Iontophoresis,adevicewhichpassesionizedtapwaterthroughtheskinusingdirectelectricity.Oralmedications,Anticholinergicsreducesweating.Botox(botulinumtoxin)-A,hasbeenapprovedintheU.S.bytheFDAfortreatingexcessiveaxillary(underarm)sweating.miraDry.Thistechniqueusesmicrowaveenergytopermanentlykillsweatglands.Lasers.Laserscantargetandkilltheunderarmsweatglands.Surgery.Aprocedurecalledthoracicsympathectomymaybeconsideredasalastresort.AluminumChlorideHexahydrateandExcessiveSweatingWhenregularantiperspirantsfailtotreatexcessivesweating,mostdoctorsstartbyrecommendingaluminumchloridehexahydrate(Drysol),aprescription-strengthversionofaluminumchloride.Itisappliedjustbeforebedtime2to3nightsinarow,thenroughlyonceaweekthereaftertomaintainimprovement.Useasdirectedbyyourdoctor.Thistreatmentworksreasonablywellformanypatientswhoseproblemisexcessiveunderarmsweating,butitisnotsatisfactoryformostofthosewithpalmandsolesweating.ThemainsideeffectofDrysolisirritation,whichcansometimes,butnotalways,beovercomebymakingsuretheskinisdrybeforeapplicationandlettingthemedicinedrycompletelyafterwards.Also,reducingthefrequencyofuseorapplyinganti-inflammatorydrugs,suchaslotionscontainingacorticosteroidmayhelp.IontophoresisforExcessiveSweatingIontophoresiswasintroducedover50yearsagoasatreatmentforexcessivesweating.Itsexactmechanismofactionisstillunclear,althoughitprobablyworksbytemporarilyblockingthesweatduct.Theprocedureuseswatertoconductanelectriccurrenttotheskinafewtimeseachweek,forabout10-20minutespersession,followedbyamaintenanceprogramoftreatmentsat1-to3-weekintervals,dependingonthepatient'sresponse.Iontophoresistreatmentsarenotpainful.Patientsmaypurchasedevicesforthistreatmentthroughadoctor’sprescription.Medicalinsurerssometimescoverthecost.OralDrugsforExcessiveSweatingOralanticholinergicdrugssuchasglycopyrrolate(Robinul)arenotcommonlyusedforexcessivesweating,becauseinordertoworktheyoftenproducesideeffectslikedrymouth,blurredvision,andurinaryretention.Oralmedicationistypicallyreservedforpeoplewhohavetriedfirst-linetreatmentswithoutsuccess.BotoxandExcessiveSweatingBotulinumtoxinA(Botox),anervetoxinthatcantemporarilyparalyzemuscle,isofteninthenewsasacosmetictreatmentforwrinkles.Butithasactuallybeenusedinmanyareasofmedicineforsometime,suchasinthetreatmentofmusclespasmsandcertaintypesofheadaches.Itslatestmedicalnicheisthetreatmentofexcessiveunderarmsweating.AsmallamountofBotoxisinjectedwithaveryfineneedleintoroughly25to20spotsineacharmpit.Thismayproduceupto14monthsofrelieffromsweating.Theinjectionsareuncomfortable,butuseofaverysmallinjectionneedlemakesthemtolerable.NowthatthistreatmenthasreceivedFDAapprovalforhyperhidrosis,manyhealthinsurersareprovidingcoveragefortheinjectionsandtheBotoxitselfafterothertreatmentshavefailed.Currently,theFDAhasnotapprovedBotoxforsweatingofthepalmsandsolesofthefeet,thoughsomephysiciansareadministeringitasanoff-labeluse,reportedlywithsuccess.Palminjectionscausemorepain,requiringnerveblockstonumbthehandsinordertomaketheinjectionscomfortable.SkilledpractitionershaveusedBotoxfortheheadandface,aswell.miraDryandLasersMicrowaveenergymiraDryisatreatmentthatwasFDAapprovedin2011forthetreatmentofexcessiveunderarmsweating.Itisanoninvasivetreatmentusingelectromagneticenergythattargetsheatonsweatglands,destroyingthem.Localanesthesiaisusedandtheskiniscooledduringthishour-longprocedure.Itcanberepeated2-3timesforoptimaleffect.LasersLaserscanfocusheatanarrowbeamofheattodestroyunderarmsweatglandsandcanbedonefasterwithafasterrecovery.SurgeryforExcessiveSweatingThoracicsympathectomyissurgicalinterruptionofthesympatheticnervesresponsibleforsweating.Sympathectomyisanoperationintendedtodestroypartofthenervesupplytothesweatglandsintheskin.Thesurgeoninsertsaspecialendoscopicinstrumentintothechestbetweentworibsjustbelowthearmpit.Sympathectomyisbotheffectiveandrisky.Evenwithnewerendoscopictechniques,thecomplicationscanincludeexcessivesweatinginotherpartsofthebodyandlungandnerveproblems.Asmanyofthesecomplicationsareseriousandnotreversible,thisoptionisrarelyused,andthenonlyasalastresort.NextInExcessiveSweatingCausesWhyDoIHaveSoresonMyHead?8RemediesforOilySkinIsSalicylicAcidGoodForYourSkin?WhatCausesHives?WhatIsDyshidroticEczema?IsItAcneorEczema?TheScienceBehindWeirdBodyQuirksFascinatingFactsAboutYourBodyWhatDoknowAboutOurWeirdBodyParts?ExcessiveSweating:AStickySubjectHowtoHandleEmbarrassingBodyProblemsHowMuchSweatingIsTooMuch?AnOverviewofHyperhidrosis,orExcessiveSweatingBodyQuirksTopicsWhatIsPsoriasis?Picturesandsymptomsofthered,scalyrash.SkinInfectionsWhatyoushouldknow.HowTicksMakeYouSick8diseasesyoucancatchfromticks.TheFactsAboutBunionsWhatcausesthem,andwhatyoucandoaboutthem.SlideshowSpiderBites:WhatYouNeedtoKnowQuizSkinTags:WhatAreThey?SlideshowWhatYourFaceSaysAboutYourHealthSlideshowWarts:AVisualGuideVideoAreYouaMosquitoMagnet?SlideshowHowtoUseEssentialOilsSlideshow9ReasonsYourFeetAreSwollenSlideshowFootProblemsFromBunionstoWartsEczema:HowToControlItWhatIsSweetSyndrome?ThingsThatLookScaryButAren'tDoIHaveaSkinInfection?WhyYouSmellWhyIsMySkinScaly?HealthSolutionsPenisCurvedWhenErect?CouldIhaveCAD?TreatBentFingersTreatHR+,HER2-MBCTiredofDandruff?BenefitsofCBDRethinkMSTreatmentAFib-RelatedStrokesRiskofaFutureDVT/PEIsMyPenisNormal?RelapsingMSOptionsLiverTransplantsSaveLivesFinancePlasticSurgeryBentFingerCausesLivingWithPsoriasis?MissingTeeth?MorefromWebMD5TipstoHelpWithRelapsingMSHowtoThriveWithNarcolepsyReliefforBlockedHairFolliclesPsoriaticArthritisandYourSleepWhatPsoriasisFeelsLikeFirstPsoriaticArthritisFlareTalkingtoYourDoctorAboutRACrohn's:A'Full-Body'DiseaseAvoidingCrohn’sFlaresHealthBenefitsofHempSeedOilLiveBetterWithPsoriaticDiseaseTypesofB-CellTherapyforMS5HealthBenefitsofHempWhyProstateCancerSpreadsLivingwithAdvancedBreastCancerWhereBreastCancerSpreads