Definition

Hyperhidrosis, also known as excessive sweating, polyhidrosis or seborrhea, is one of the most common types of disorder found in humans causing severe unhappiness. As per research reports, there are around 2%-3% of the population globally suffering from axillary hyperhidrosis or profuse sweating in palms and feet soles. The underarm sweating problem starts generally in the late adolescence period. On the other hand, palm as well as sole sweating starts in and around the age of 13 years and above. Timely treatment can cure it or else the problems will continue for the whole life.

Causes 

Cause of primary Hyperhidrosis is inherited in gene and in maximum cases patients have either a sibling or a parent with the same problem. Earlier it was believed that people with anxiety and huge stress in life suffer from this problem but later it was researched, and gene came as the major culprit for the same. The list is quite big in case of causes for secondary Hyperhidrosis:

• Spinal cord injury
• Anxiety
• Diabetes
• Alcohol abuse
• Gout
• Hyperthyroidism
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Parkinson’s disease
• Respiratory failure
• Pregnancy
• Shingles
• Hodgkin’s disease
• Malaria, HIV, TB (tuberculosis)
• Typical medications
• Substance abuse

Types

Hyperhidrosis is mainly of 2 types-

• Primary hyperhidrosis: It is also known as focal hyperhidrosis and it causes severe sweating in the areas like underarms, hands, face, as well as feet without showing any apparent reason for the same.
• Secondary hyperhidrosis: It is popular in the name of generalized hyperhidrosis which leads to excessive sweating all over the body and majorly on the larger areas. It is caused because of excessive heat or for certain health condition or even for the intake of medicines.

Complications

There are few complications which can be noticed in the patients suffering from Hyperhidrosis:

• Emotional or social complications which becomes unbearable for the patients and they refuse to face crowd because of embarrassments
• Maceration is a condition which makes the skin look wet all the time
• Jock Itch develops in the folds of the groin due to excessive moist
• Too much sweating causes body odor which is unbearable and causes embarrassment again in front of others
• Bacterial infections are common in cases of Hyperhidrosis and may lead to skin infections like warts
• Nail infections are also visible in patients with Hyperhidrosis

Treatment

Hyperhidrosis can be treated either medically or by adjuvant treatment.

Medical: Depending on the case type, the medical expert may recommend any of the below treatments to the patients.

• Iontophoresis
• Botulinum toxin
• Anticholinergic drugs
• Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy

Adjuvant treatment: Autogenic exercise, psychotherapy, hypnosis, as well as intake of sedatives and tranquilizers will act as adjuvant measures to keep a check on the problem of Hyperhidrosis.

There are several other remedies which can treat the problem of Hyperhidrosis. It is advisable to follow the instructions of the dermatologist or the skin specialist before taking any OTC medicine or home treatment.