Hyperhidrosis

What is it

Hyperhidrosis is an alteration of the mechanisms of sweating that leads to intense sweating and loss of a lot of fluids regardless of the external ambient temperature and the level of physical activity.

Excessive sweating can occur in the most disparate situations, often in association with states of emotional tension (an interrogation at school, a stressful moment at work, a sudden emotion, a bit of haste to remedy a delay).

A distinctive feature of hyperhidrosis is that massive sweating mainly affects armpits, feet and hands. Less frequently the phenomenon may affect the back, chest and forehead.

Causes

The exact origin of hyperhidrosis is unknown. The emotional component is considered fundamental in triggering excessive sweating, but the complex of mechanisms that link the increased level of tension or psychological discomfort to the abnormal stress of the sweat glands remains to be clarified.

Also for this reason, for hyperhidrosis there is no definitive treatment, but only symptomatic approaches. On the other hand, it is known that some factors can favor and / or worsen excessive sweating, even in the absence of hyperhidrosis. Among them: certain medications, hyperthyroidism, menopause, hormone therapies, hypoglycemia, some tumors (lymphomas), heart disease, infections.

Most common symptoms

Hyperhidrosis is essentially manifested by a massive spontaneous production of sweat, not linked to external environmental factors or physical exercise. The loss of fluids is generally very abundant, to the point of having dripping hands and / or forehead and socks and / or clothes soaked.

The phenomenon occurs at least once a week (not infrequently, daily) and is often accompanied by psychoemotional distress and embarrassment.

Complications

Hyperhidrosis is an organically harmless condition and, as a rule, does not entail significant complications.

However, if the phenomenon of hypersweating is frequent, the strong loss of fluids and mineral salts can cause states of dehydration and deficiency in electrolytes important for the functioning of the body, such as potassium and magnesium, which must be replenished by drinking in abundance, eating fruit and vegetables and, if necessary, resorting to specific saline supplements.

The table shows some of the foods with the highest magnesium and potassium content.

The repeated presence of abundant sweat on the skin can also facilitate the development of dermatitis and mycosis, to be prevented through careful care of the epidermis (daily washing with delicate detergents and subsequent application of good quality rehydrating and emollient creams).

Treatments

The treatment of hyperhidrosis is aimed at limiting the production of spontaneous sweat. Typically, the first approach involves applying antiperspirant products, available in the form of powder, lotion or cream, to the affected areas daily.

The milder antiperspirant formulations can be purchased in pharmacies without a prescription, while for the more aggressive ones a medical prescription and some periodic checks will be necessary.

In cases of severe hyperhidrosis not controlled by topical antiperspirants, oral drugs can be used that reduce sweat production by acting on the nerve endings that stimulate the sweat glands present in the skin.

Alternatively, it is possible to make injections of botulinum toxin in correspondence of the areas that sweat the most or, in the case of excessive sweating of hands and feet, you can try with iontophoresis.

The extreme ratio is surgery aimed at removing sweat glands or severing the nerves that control sweating of the hands.

When to consult your doctor

Excessive sweating is not in itself a cause for concern, but when it begins to manifest itself for the first time and persist for more than a couple of weeks or to recur often, apparently for no reason, it is good to consult your doctor to try to identify the cause.

At the origin of the event, in addition to hyperhidrosis, there may in fact be different diseases, to be treated specifically. If you already know that you suffer from hyperhidrosis or simply profuse sweating, the doctor should still be consulted to obtain adequate advice on how to mitigate the discomfort, especially if the discomfort is such as to compromise social and working life.