What is hyperhidrosis?

In hyperhidrosis, your body’s sweat glands overact. This overactivity causes you to sweat tons , sometimes and places where people wouldn’t.

Sometimes, a medical condition or emotion (like anxiety) triggers excessive sweating. for several people with hyperhidrosis, controlling symptoms are often a continuing challenge.

What is focal hyperhidrosis?

Focal hyperhidrosis may be a chronic skin disease that you simply can inherit from your family. It results from a mutation (change) in your genes. it’s also called primary hyperhidrosis. most of the people who sweat excessively have focal hyperhidrosis.

Focal hyperhidrosis usually affects only the armpits, hands and feet, and head. It tends to start out early in life, before age 25.

What is generalized hyperhidrosis?

Generalized hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating that happens thanks to another medical problem. Many medical conditions (like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease) can cause your body to sweat quite usual. Some medications, like naproxen (Aleve®) and zinc supplements (Cold-Eeze®), cause extra sweating as a side effect.

Generalized hyperhidrosis, also called secondary hyperhidrosis, tends to occur in adults.

How common is hyperhidrosis?

Estimates suggest between 2% and 5% of individuals within the U.S. have hyperhidrosis. However, that number could also be higher. many of us who sweat excessively don’t mention their symptoms and never tell their healthcare provider. that creates it hard to measure what percentage people hyperhidrosis affects.

Who has hyperhidrosis surgery?

When other treatments don’t work and your symptoms persist, your provider may consider surgery.

Surgeons treat some cases of excessive armpit sweating by removing sweat glands within the underarm. Carefully disconnecting the nerves liable for symptoms (called a sympathectomy) can also provide relief for a few people with hyperhidrosis.

Surgery has the potential to supply lasting benefits for persistent sweating that doesn’t answer other therapies. But every procedure has risks. many of us have postsurgical side effects like sweating in other areas that surgery didn’t treat (compensatory hyperhidrosis). Discuss a procedure’s advantages and potential drawbacks with a provider you trust.