Tuesday, May 14, 2013

How Do I Stop My Sweating - Health

Hyperhidrosis is a very common problem, perhaps explaining the amount of TV adverts dedicated to antiperspirants and deodorants. For some, however, it is more than just a passing thought after showering each morning. It can take over people lives. This degree of excess sweating, where it becomes a medical problem, is called hyperhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis can either be generalized or localized to specific parts of the body. The usual sites are hands, feet, armpits and groin area. A sweaty upper lip have been a specific concern of several patients I have seen with hyperhidrosis.

Primary hyperhidrosis is found to start during adolescence or even before, and interestingly, seems to be strongly genetic - ie inherited.

Primary hyperhidrosis must be distinguished from secondary hyperhidrosis, which can start at any point in life. It is not known what causes primary hyperhidrosis but, If starting later in life, hyperhidrosis may be due to a disorder of the thyroid or pituitary gland, diabetes or other problems, thus medical advice is sometimes useful.

Some people afflicted with excess sweating experience a major reduction in their quality of life. Sufferers feel at a loss of control because perspiration takes place independent of temperature and emotional state. Worrying about the problem can lead to vicious cycle as anxiety causes further sweating.

Treatment

Hyperhidrosis can usually be very effectively controlled and efforts are being made to find a permanent cure. The difficulty is little is known about the cause behind excessive sweating.

Medications

Aluminium chloride solution: A 15% aluminium 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. However, some people cannot tolerate the irritation that it can cause. Also, the solution is usually not effective for palmar (hand) and plantar (foot) hyperhidrosis.

Botulinum toxin type A (including 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.

Oral medication

There are several oral drugs available to treat the condition with varying degrees of success.A class of anticholinergic drugs are available that have shown to reduce hyperhidrosis. Ditropan (generic name: oxybutynin) is one of these. For most people, however, the drowsiness, visual symptoms and dry-mouth (as well as all other mucus membranes) associated with the drug cannot be tolerated.

A different class of drugs known as beta-blockers has also been tried, but does not seem to be nearly as effective.

Surgical procedures

Surgery (Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS): Select sympathetic nerves or nerve ganglia in the chest are either excised (cut out) cut or burned, or clamped. Howeverm surgery is not without major drawbacks.

Surgery (Sweat gland suction): A new and novel technique adapted and modified from liposuction. Approximately 30% of the sweat glands are removed with a proportionate reduction in sweat.

Relaxation and meditation: Relaxation techniques have been tried with limited success.

Hypnosis: Hypnosis has been used with some success in improving the process of administering injections for the treatment of hyperhidrosis.

Talc/Baby Powder: One temporary treatment is talc or baby powder because the powder will absorb the sweat; however, after a while the powder may become a messy white coating on the place of application.

Medical treatments do not always work and this is a difficult area for doctors. Some self help advice from fellow sufferers is available on the net. Have a look here -





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