Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis)
Do you soak through your clothes with sweat, or always have sweaty palms?
Then you may have hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating.
Sweating is a natural mechanism to cool the body. In hyperhidrosis, patients may sweat even when they are not exercising or in hot weather. This excessive sweating disrupts daily life and can be a source of anxiety and embarrassment for patients.
At Virginia Square Dermatology, we offer many options for those suffering with hyperhidrosis.
What causes excessive sweating?
There are two types of hyperhidrosis, with different causes:
Primary hyperhidrosis: patients with primary hyperhidrosis have a genetic predisposition to having overactive sweat glands. This condition usually starts in adolescence and is made worse by stress.
Secondary hyperhidrosis: patients with secondary hyperhidrosis have an underlying cause to their sweating. The potential causes are numerous, and include medications, endocrine disorders, and cancer.
What is the treatment for hyperhidrosis?
If no underlying cause is found, treatments include:
Antiperspirants: both over-the-counter and prescription
QBrexa pads: topical medication that reduces sweat production
Injections of neuromodulators like Botox, Dysport, Xeomin
Oral medications: glycopyrrolate
Iontophoresis: a low-voltage electric current helps decrease sweat production
Miradry
Surgery: for palms of the hands only