Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition characterized by excessive sweating in the armpits, palms, soles of the feet, face, scalp, and/or chest.
What causes hyperhidrosis?
Primary focal hyperhidrosis seems to stem from a minor malfunction in the nervous system and localized to specific body areas.
Secondary Hyperhidrosis could be due to an underlying health condition such as:-
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
- Thyroid problems
- Diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Infectious diseases like tuberculosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Stroke
- Heart failure
- Cancers like leukemia and lymphoma
How is hyperhidrosis diagnosed?
Hyperhidrosis is diagnosed through physical examination, patient’s history, laboratory tests and sweat tests.
How is hyperhidrosis treated?
- While there is no cure for primary focal hyperhidrosis, there are ways to help control the symptoms. They include: Antiperspirants, Iontophoresis, Medications, Botox.
- Surgery. One approach is to cut a nerve in the chest that triggers excessive sweating. Another is to surgically remove some of the sweat glands.