Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis or uncontrollable excessive sweating is a medical condition causing the body to sweat much more than necessary to control your body temperature. As well as having medical implications, excessive sweating can be mentally debilitating.
Causes
There are two primary types of sweat glands, eccrine (hands, feet, face and armpits) and apocrine (armpits and genitals) with the eccrine glands being principally affected by hyperhidrosis. Affecting 2-3% of the population hyperhidrosis can impact otherwise healthy adults or may be connected to an underlying condition. Usually presenting in childhood or adolescence, it is triggered by the usual causes of sweating, hot weather, exercise, anxiety or spicy food.
Treatments
While there is no cure for hyperhidrosis, there is a variety of treatment options. A consultation with a dermatologist at the Queensland Institute of Dermatology will be the first step, where you can be assessed, and an appropriate course of treatment can be determined.
Initially, avoiding triggers such as spicy food and caffeine, regularly washing yourself and your clothing and wearing breathable clothing can help control sweating. If still troubling some further treatment is recommended.
Treatment options at the Queensland Institute of Dermatology include:
*Topical Antiperspirants
*Iontophoresis (While we currently don't have the equipment for this treatment, if this is the best course as determined by a consultation with our dermatologists, a recommendation of where to access/purchase this treatment option can be given.)
*Oral Medications
*Botulinum Toxin Injections