Sweating Cures, Cures for Sweating

Sweating is controlled by our nervous system, and is a function that helps our bodies to regulate internal temperature. Some people can suffer from overactive nervous stimulation to their sweat glands, causing them to sweat excessively, and this condition is known as hyperhydrosis.

Commonly hyperhydrosis begins during adolescence, and continues throughout adult life. It usually occurs in focal points in the body such as the hands, feet, armpits and face, and when it does occur throughout the whole body it is usually linked to an underlying medical condition, such as endocrine diseases (cancers) or thyroid disorders.

Excessive sweating can be an uncomfortable and embarrassing condition and as well as the physical symptoms (dampness, sore skin, body odour etc) it can have significant psychological symptoms also, such as anxiety, withdrawal from social situations and depression. These psychological symptoms can be long lasting and have a severe impact on quality of life and so they should be treated alongside the physical aspects of the condition.

There are many treatments available for hyperhydrosis. Mild symptoms can be combated with antiperspirants, which work to block sweat glands and prevent odours. If regular antiperspirants are ineffective you can get stronger products from pharmacists, which contain aluminum chloride and anhydrous ethyl alcohol. These products are usually applied at night, and in some cases can cause significant irritation, especially to the mucous membranes in the eyes, nose and mouth.

If you suffer from more severe forms of hyperhydrosis, then you may need to look at more permanent treatments. Ionotophoresis is a method which uses a small electrical charge to interfere with the nerve signals that over stimulate sweat glands. The affected area is submersed in a small water bath, through which the charge is passed. This is a long term treatment, and initially will need to be repeated up to 3 times a week until improvements begin to show. Ionotophoresis can be an uncomfortable procedure, as the electrical current creates a strong buzzing, tingling sensation, and it can cause treated skin to become prone to severe dryness and cracking.

Botulinum toxin injections can also be used to treat hyperhydrosis. This can be an expensive procedure, as it can involve up to 30 injections into affected areas and will need to be repeated every 4-6 months. It is quite successful on axillary (armpit) and palmer (hand) hyperhydrosis, and works by numbing the injection area and temporarily blocking the nerve signal which triggers excessive sweating. Botulinum toxin injections can cause slight weaknesses and paralysis in the small muscles surrounding treated areas, and some people can also suffer from an allergic reaction, which manifests as mild flu-like symptoms that last for a few days following the procedure.

Some anticholinergic medicines such as ‘Robinul’ have shown some success at reducing excessive sweating, but there can be some significant side effects such as blurry vision, mouth dryness and urinary retention. Some patients also report slight memory impairment whilst using these drugs. Other medications such as beta blockers can also be used for hyperhydrosis as they can reduce sympathetic nerve activity, but these too have some risk of side effects including lethargy, low heart rate and dizziness.

Acupuncture can also be successful at treating hyperhydrosis. This procedure involves inserting needles into key points along the body, and works by blocking signals that trigger over stimulation of the sweat glands. The benefit of this treatment is that there are very few known side effects, but the disadvantage is that it is a long term, time consuming treatment, and can take some weeks to show any significant improvements.

There are also some surgical procedures that offer a more permanent solution to excessive sweating. An endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) involves a small incision into the chest cavity, through which the surgeon using tiny instruments to sever or clamp the sympathetic nerves responsible for over stimulating sweating. This surgery involves very little disruption to surrounding tissue and muscle, and patients can usually return home that day, and be back to work within a week. There are some possible side effects to ETS, such as compensatory sweating, which can occur on the abdomen, back and thighs. Also as the sympathetic nerves overlap, there is a slight risk of additional nerve damage, which can result in conditions like Horner’s syndrome. This condition is rare though, and occurs when the nerves to the face have been damaged, resulting in drooping eyelids, dry eyes or pupil constriction problems. Also some patients have reported excessive dryness to the skin in treated areas following ETS procedures, and an inability to regulate internal temperature in very warm conditions.

Another surgical procedure is ‘curettage’. This involves scarping away sweat glands from areas affected by excessive sweating, and is normally recommended for axillary hyperhydrosis. As only 90-95% of sweat glands are removed during this procedure, compensatory sweating and severe skin dryness is much less likely to occur, as the area is still able to sweat – although of course in a much reduced capacity. Curettage can cause some slight scarring or discoloration to the treated skin, and some people may need additional post- operative treatment to ensure no infections set in during the healing stages.