Treatment of hyperhidrosis: an overview of the most effective and modern methods

Hyperhidrosis is a disease or an individual feature of the body that brings a lot of discomfort and worries. Constantly sweaty palms, wet spots on clothes, drops running down the face – all this does not add confidence at all.

Where to start

Treatment of hyperhidrosis should begin with a visit to the therapist. First you need to figure out whether it is an independent disease or a symptom of another pathology. You may have to go through many specialists. The therapist may refer the patient to:

• to a dermatologist to check for dermatosis and inflammation of the sweat glands;
• an endocrinologist to assess the condition of the thyroid gland, check the hormonal background and exclude diabetes mellitus;
• a neurologist to check for nervous disorders;
• a cardiologist to rule out angina pectoris;
• orthopedist (often sweating of the legs is associated with flat feet);
• psychotherapist, because sometimes a person needs to learn how to resist stress, control their emotions and maintain a calm mood.

Therefore, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to pass all the necessary tests and undergo examinations prescribed by narrow specialists.

Types of pathology

There are several classifications of the disease. The first – depending on the cause of development:

• Primary – no known cause.
• Secondary – a consequence of another disease.

The second – depending on the prevalence:

• local;
• plantar;
• facial;
• distal hyperhidrosis (palms and legs);
• axillary;
• inguinal-perineal;
• palmar hyperhidrosis;
• general (generalized).

Third – in terms of severity:

• light;
• moderate severity of the course;
• heavy.

Fourth – downstream:

• intermittent – aggravated by periods, from time to time;
• seasonal – develops most often in the hot season due to increased air temperature;
• constant.

There is also nocturnal and emotional hyperhidrosis. In the first case, a person suffers from increased sweating during sleep, in the second – with strong emotions, stress and worries.

If this is an independent disease, then it is quite possible to get rid of it. They say that the observance of a special diet, which excludes the use of fatty, spicy foods, carbonated drinks, and caffeine, is positively reflected on a person's condition. It is important to follow all the rules of hygiene, take a shower regularly, try to dress according to the weather, choose clothes and shoes made from natural materials.

Existing treatments

Correction of hyperhidrosis with drugs and compliance with the rules of hygiene do not always work, so you have to look for more radical methods. This is especially true when a patient is diagnosed with generalized hyperhidrosis. But this form is quite rare.

Possible ways:

• electrophoresis;
• taking certain medications;
• sweat injections with Botox;
• sympathectomy – intersection or clamping of nerves;
• curettage – scraping the skin from the inside in the problem area. 

The latter method is rarely used.

Armpit botulinum therapy

This method is considered one of the most famous and effective. It is used to treat localized hyperhidrosis. In this case, botulinum toxin is most often injected into the armpits.

The agent blocks impulses from the sweating fibers to the glands, while not disturbing the normal heat and water exchange of the skin. As a result, sweat is not released, and the person enjoys the result for six months or more.

It must be said that injections into the armpits from sweat help with the second and even third stages of the disease. 

The advantages of this method:

• minimum recovery period;
• safety (but always subject to the correct insertion technique);
• long-term effect;
• no need for prior preparation.

After the procedure, there may be slight swelling. Nodules and redness may also appear, which will disappear in a few days. At this time, you can not use antiperspirants, do massage, go to the bathhouse, swimming pool, exercise.

Approximately on the 4th day, the drug will begin to act. After 14 days, the final result will be visible. When armpit hyperhidrosis begins to manifest itself again, you will have to repeat the treatment. But there is one nice bonus: each time the duration of exposure will increase, and the amount of the drug will decrease.

Laser treatment of hyperhidrosis

The laser is most effective if the patient is diagnosed with primary local hyperhidrosis in the armpit.

After the procedure, the cells are not restored, so the increased sweating of the armpits disappears forever. But in exceptional cases, with a high intensity of sweating, the session has to be repeated.

The whole procedure for armpit sweating, together with the preparatory stage, takes no more than one and a half hours. The patient is given local anesthesia and a small puncture with a medical needle to insert the light guide. The puncture heals without a trace on the second or third day.

The advantages of this method of treating armpit hyperhidrosis:

• Exclusion of the formation of hematomas and overheating of tissues.
• Destruction of more than 70% of the sweat glands.
• Short recovery. The patient can immediately return to his usual rhythm of life.
• Hair growth slowdown. Many are pleased with the additional bonus: since the laser also acts on the hair follicles, the hair in the treated areas begins to grow more slowly.
• Complete painlessness and low trauma.

Among the contraindications are hypersensitivity to the painkillers used, impaired functioning of the kidneys and liver, pregnancy and the period of HB, acute inflammatory processes in problem areas.

Surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis

Surgery can be done in several ways. They differ in the degree of trauma and effectiveness. 

• Operational. This is the complete removal of the sweat glands through an incision in the armpits.
• Liposuction. It is the pumping out of fatty tissues along with the sweat glands through the tubules.
• Traditional. This is a dissection of the cervical or thoracic region and blockage or destruction of the sympathetic nerve. For this, chemicals, current or clips can be used.
• Endoscopic. Pretty good technique. The doctor makes 2 small incisions where he inserts microscopic instruments and cuts the nerve branches or blocks them with a clip. 

In this way, you can remove excessive sweating of the armpits or other parts of the body forever. But due to the high traumatization, there is a risk of many side effects, among the most unpleasant of which is compensatory hyperhidrosis. As a result, in the operated area, sweating really decreases, but increases in other areas. 

After the operation, the patient should be under the supervision of a doctor for at least 2-3 days. Within 1.5 months you can not swim in the reservoirs, visit the pool, bath, sauna. 

Hyperhidrosis in children

Separately, you need to understand how to treat hyperhidrosis in children. Children's sweating is rarely a sign of serious illness, but more often it is due to natural factors – overheating, too warm clothes, rare ventilation in the room, too active games, overexcitation. Increased sweating in children and adolescents occurs for reasons such as:

• hormonal changes during puberty;
• malfunctions of the nervous system and thyroid gland;
• excess weight;
• helminthic invasions;
• lack of vitamin D;
• viral or bacterial infections;
• enlarged lymph nodes.

In any case, only conservative external therapy is used for children. It includes:

• physiotherapy;
• proper nutrition;
• the fight against excess weight, if any;
• baths containing tannins, for example, from a decoction of oak bark;
• lifestyle changes;
• taking certain medications, depending on which disease causes increased sweating.

With hyperhidrosis of the legs and palms, iontophoresis is often used. The hands and feet are immersed in pleasantly warm water through which a weak current is passed. No pain or discomfort is felt. To see the effect, several procedures lasting at least half an hour are enough.

When treating children, doctors use only safe and proven methods.