Posts Tagged ‘hyper-hidrosis’
Although it’s normal for us to sweat even more so in hot, countries, or when exercising, excess sweating is a genuine medical complaint called hyperhidrosis. People who have hyper-hidrosis usually have abnormal sweating of their feet, hands and armpits, although it isn’t unusual to also suffer from excessive perspiration of the scalp, back, groin and pretty much any other areas that sweat glands are found. There’s even one kind of excess sweating that only occurs at night, called sleep hyper-hidrosis. All the different types of this medical complaint cause different problems, from the unsociable aspect of armpit stains, sweaty feet leaving marks on the floor or sweaty hands resulting in embarrassing handshakes, and every type will result in body odour if the sweat isn’t often washed away.
Before seeking treatment of hyper-hidrosis, it’s necessary to know how sweat glands are controlled normally. In people with normal sweat mechanisms, the eccrine glands are regulated by the autonomic nervous system… specifically the sympathetic nervous system. People have hardly any control of this part of the nervous system . It’s the part that regulates our heart-beat, our breathing, our gut movement and many other body functions we’re unaware of.. unless something stops working properly.
Control of sweating goes wrong in those people who suffer from uncontrollable sweating. Scientists know the cause is hyper-activity of the nerves leading to the sweat glands, because anti-cholinergic drugs, injections of botox, or surgery to sever the nerve leading to the sweat glands will stop the sweating. Those three methods to stop hyperhidrosis are quite drastic. Simpler solutions for excessive sweating are strong antiperspirants (such as the prescription ones anhydrol forte, driclor, or other powerful aluminium-chloride-based anti-perspirant), avoiding stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system by avoiding caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods, and employing relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, visualization, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Some people believe that sage tea and zinc may reduce sweat production.
Usually most people who have excessive perspiration will try the less aggressive, natural treatments that they can do at home, and if they still sweat too much will, think about the more expensive treatments. It’s important to note that the most dramatic treatments (surgery and drugs) can have side-effects, so check with a doctor before taking any action regarding abnormal sweating.