6 Ways to manage excessive sweating
Sweat production is a normal physiological process by which our body maintains thermoregulation (body temperature control). Sweat is produced by more than 2.5 million glands distributed unevenly all over the skin surface. It helps dissipate heat by evaporation from the skin. Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for sweating in excess of that required for normal thermoregulation. Hyperhidrosis usually begins in childhood or adolescence and can affect the palms, soles of the feet or armpits. Excessive sweating can be an embarrassing problem that causes people to withdraw from sporting and social activities. The good news is that there are treatments for hyperhidrosis. Here are six ways to treat excessive sweating:
Wear light cotton clothes, avoid saunas, use air-conditioner and keep well hydrated.
Use an antiperspirant.
Speak to your GP or surgeon about medications that may help. Side effects include dry eyes and mouth.
The use of botulinum toxin to treat hyperhidrosis is very effective. The effect can last on average 8 to 15 months. A plastic surgeon can help with this.
Surgical options are more invasive and include procedures like sweat gland excision or endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. These should only be considered if medication and less invasive options have failed.
Subcutaneous liposuction or Slim Liposuction can be considered. In this procedure, the plastic surgeon works very superficially to the skin sucking away some of the fat under the skin and at the same time removing some sweat glands. The Slim Liposuction machine can be very effective as the area is pre-treated with a laser tip that vaporises (destroys) some sweat glands. The vaporised sweat glands are then sucked out with a liposuction cannula.
You can break the vicious cycle of feeling anxious about your sweat patches and then sweating even more. Speak to your doctor about this problem and together you will be able to find a solution to this embarrassing problem.