If you've tried every medication out there to stop sweating and none have worked for you, there are a few surgical options you can think about.
Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is a surgery where the nerves that control sweating are made non-functional through cutting, burning or clamping. Clamping allows for the decision to reverse the procedure in the future, if so desired. Why would you consider reversing the procedure? Because of the side effects! Sometimes the side effects of ETS are worse than the problem in the first place. ETS is a generally safe surgical procedure with an 80% success rate. In the case of excessive hand or palm sweating, the success rate can be higher at 90-95%. With facial perspiration, this surgical procedure is not as successful.
The side effect alluded to above that may be worse than the initial excessive perspiration problem is compensatory sweating. As many as 80% of people who has this procedure will suffer from this side effect. Compensatory sweating is when excessive perspiration occurs at body sites other than those that ETS was initially used for. Although excessive sweating may stop at the hands and palms, compensatory sweating may occur at the underarms or feet. The lower back and trunk are areas where compensatory sweating most commonly occur. This is something to seriously consider before undergoing endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy.
Lumbar Sympathectomy
Lumbar sympathectomy is used for excessive foot sweating, when endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy did not work. Instead of operating on a nerve in the thorax body region, a similar nerve that controls sweating in the feet is cut or clamped in the lumbar (foot) region. This surgery is successful in 90% of cases, but there are more serious side effects than with ETS.
Patients who have a lumbar sympathectomy may end up with hypotension, or low blood pressure. Low blood pressure causes a host of symptoms, including extreme fatigue, dizziness or headaches, shortness of breath, blurred vision and, in serious cases, seizures and fainting. Males may encounter male infertility and erectile dysfunction after undergoing this procedure. Personally, I'd live with the excessive sweat rather than risk these serious side effects.
Sweat Gland Suction
Similar in concept to liposuction, about 30% of sweat glands are removed. This should result in a 30% decrease in sweat activity.
Percutaneous Sympathectomy
Percutaneous sympathectomy is a temporary relief procedure where nerves controlling sweat production are blocked by a phenol injection. The procedure needs to be repeated every 6 months to have the perspiration reduction effect prolonged.
These surgical options to stop sweating should only be considered when conventional methods have been attempted and found ineffective.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Ways to Stop Sweating from your Palms
Are you afraid to shake hands with other people because your palms will not stop sweating all the time? Nervous to meet new people because you might have to shake their hands? Do you sweat all the time, even if you're not hot or even when you're sleeping?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a condition called palmar hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating of the hands. You are not alone. It is estimated that as many as 1 out of every 600 people suffer from this condition. This is rarely a serious medical condition, but does cost a lot in terms of social and psychological tolls. Social activities are often curtailed for fear of embarassing situations. This dearth of social contact starts a downward spiral in social connections that can lead to psychological problems.
Fortunately, there are a few solutions you can try to use to eliminate sweaty palms.
1) Apply talcum power to your hands. This may help absorb the sweat and prevent any wetness from being felt. You can also try to apply deodorant to your palms. The aluminum chloride in deodorants can help prevent excessive sweating.
2) Ask your doctor for a prescription to Drysol. Drysol is a prescription medication prescribed for excessive sweating. When typical over-the-counter deodorants and antiperspirants cannot solve the problem, doctors often prescribe Drysol. 80% of people who use this medication reports success.
3) If topical solutions do not work, using iontophoresis with tap water may help. This is the transdermal delivery of a substance via application of a mild electric current to the skin. The substance in this case is tap water applied to the palms. No one knows why this works, but many have report success with iontophoresis.
4) Finally, a surgical procedure is available for severe sweat problems. ETS or Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy is a surgical procedure where the sweat glands are burned away through a small incision in the armpit area. This procedure is almost 100% effective, but 80% of patients will develop compensatory sweating on other areas of the body. This is a risk to be taken into consideration before undergoing ETS.
Excessive sweating is problem rout with social consequences. While not usually serious, excessive sweating is an embarassing problem to overcome. The solutions outlined above will hopefully contain one that helps you stop sweating so much and gain a more comfortable life in return.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a condition called palmar hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating of the hands. You are not alone. It is estimated that as many as 1 out of every 600 people suffer from this condition. This is rarely a serious medical condition, but does cost a lot in terms of social and psychological tolls. Social activities are often curtailed for fear of embarassing situations. This dearth of social contact starts a downward spiral in social connections that can lead to psychological problems.
Fortunately, there are a few solutions you can try to use to eliminate sweaty palms.
1) Apply talcum power to your hands. This may help absorb the sweat and prevent any wetness from being felt. You can also try to apply deodorant to your palms. The aluminum chloride in deodorants can help prevent excessive sweating.
2) Ask your doctor for a prescription to Drysol. Drysol is a prescription medication prescribed for excessive sweating. When typical over-the-counter deodorants and antiperspirants cannot solve the problem, doctors often prescribe Drysol. 80% of people who use this medication reports success.
3) If topical solutions do not work, using iontophoresis with tap water may help. This is the transdermal delivery of a substance via application of a mild electric current to the skin. The substance in this case is tap water applied to the palms. No one knows why this works, but many have report success with iontophoresis.
4) Finally, a surgical procedure is available for severe sweat problems. ETS or Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy is a surgical procedure where the sweat glands are burned away through a small incision in the armpit area. This procedure is almost 100% effective, but 80% of patients will develop compensatory sweating on other areas of the body. This is a risk to be taken into consideration before undergoing ETS.
Excessive sweating is problem rout with social consequences. While not usually serious, excessive sweating is an embarassing problem to overcome. The solutions outlined above will hopefully contain one that helps you stop sweating so much and gain a more comfortable life in return.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Treatments to Stop Sweating
Hyperhidrosis, or excessive perspiration, can often be effectively treated so that you can stop sweating so much.
Medications
Aluminum chloride is used in deodorants and antiperspirants you buy from the store. However, people with hyperhidrosis needs stronger doses of aluminum chloride to control their excessive sweating. There are side effects with stronger doses, however. Stronger doses can cause skin irritation, and the increased dosage is not particularly useful in the hand or foot area. For the hand or foot area, the usual dosage of alumimium chloride found in deodornats and antiperspirants are usually enough to control perspiration in those areas.
Botox injections can also be applied to disable your sweat glands. The injections are a temporary solution that can last anywhere from 5-10 months depending on where the injection is applied.
There are also several drugs can curb excessive sweating. Oxybutynin (brand name Ditropan) is one that has shown promise. But it has its own set of important side effects, which can include visual symptoms, drowsiness and dryness in the mouth and other mucus membranes. Ditropan XL is a time release version of the drug that you can also try, although with somewhat reduced effects. Glycopyrrolate (brand name Robinul) is another drug that you can try. The drug is almost as effective as Ditropan and has similar side effects. Other alternative drugs to trye include propantheline bromide (brand name Probanthine) and benzatropine (brand name Cogentin).
Surgical Procedures
If medications don't work for you, there are surgical options. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is a type of surgery where nerves that control perspiration are cut, burned or clamped. Clamping allows for the option of reversing the procedure. ETS is considered to be a generally safe procedure with an 80% success rate, with 90-95% success rate in the case of excessave hand or palm sweating. It is not so successful with facial perspiration.
There are some side effects to think about when considering ETS though. First and foremost is compensatory sweating. Up to 80% of people who undergo this procedure has this side effect. ETS may correct excessive perspiration at the hands and/or underarms, but if someone is affected by compensatory sweating after surgery, they may start to perspire more in other areas, the lower back and trunk being the most common. Additionally, the original perspiration problem may come back due to regeneration of the nerve, sometimes as soon as 3 months after the surgery.
Prescription drugs are the first options to consider when you suffer from excessive perspiration. Only if the drugs don't work should you consider invasive surgical options in order to stop sweating.
Medications
Aluminum chloride is used in deodorants and antiperspirants you buy from the store. However, people with hyperhidrosis needs stronger doses of aluminum chloride to control their excessive sweating. There are side effects with stronger doses, however. Stronger doses can cause skin irritation, and the increased dosage is not particularly useful in the hand or foot area. For the hand or foot area, the usual dosage of alumimium chloride found in deodornats and antiperspirants are usually enough to control perspiration in those areas.
Botox injections can also be applied to disable your sweat glands. The injections are a temporary solution that can last anywhere from 5-10 months depending on where the injection is applied.
There are also several drugs can curb excessive sweating. Oxybutynin (brand name Ditropan) is one that has shown promise. But it has its own set of important side effects, which can include visual symptoms, drowsiness and dryness in the mouth and other mucus membranes. Ditropan XL is a time release version of the drug that you can also try, although with somewhat reduced effects. Glycopyrrolate (brand name Robinul) is another drug that you can try. The drug is almost as effective as Ditropan and has similar side effects. Other alternative drugs to trye include propantheline bromide (brand name Probanthine) and benzatropine (brand name Cogentin).
Surgical Procedures
If medications don't work for you, there are surgical options. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is a type of surgery where nerves that control perspiration are cut, burned or clamped. Clamping allows for the option of reversing the procedure. ETS is considered to be a generally safe procedure with an 80% success rate, with 90-95% success rate in the case of excessave hand or palm sweating. It is not so successful with facial perspiration.
There are some side effects to think about when considering ETS though. First and foremost is compensatory sweating. Up to 80% of people who undergo this procedure has this side effect. ETS may correct excessive perspiration at the hands and/or underarms, but if someone is affected by compensatory sweating after surgery, they may start to perspire more in other areas, the lower back and trunk being the most common. Additionally, the original perspiration problem may come back due to regeneration of the nerve, sometimes as soon as 3 months after the surgery.
Prescription drugs are the first options to consider when you suffer from excessive perspiration. Only if the drugs don't work should you consider invasive surgical options in order to stop sweating.
Stop Sweating - What is Sweat?
You can't stop sweating. Why? What is sweat anyway? How is sweating controlled by your body?
Water is the main ingredient in sweat. Sweat also contains some minerals, such as lactate and urea. The concentration of these minerals vary with each person and with the environment and physical activity. Other minerals in sweat include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, nickel, iron, copper and chromium.
Sweat is your body's way of controlling body temperature. Temperature receptors in the skin sends signals to the hypothalamus which turns on or off your sweat glands. Your hypothalamus works like a thermostat; when skin temperature is too high, your sweating mechanism is turned on. When your skin temperature reaches an internal setpoint, you stop sweating.
This internal setpoint can change over the course of a person's life. When you move to a hot climate and adapt to it. This setpoint moves higher, so you won't start sweating until your body reaches a higher temperature. Likewise, if you move to a cold climate like Alaska, your internal setpoint decreases and you'll start sweating at colder temperatures than before. This adjustment of your internal sweating setpoint is called acclimatisation.
Physical activity is one factor that will raise your body temperature such that sweating occurs. But emotional stress is another factor than can also stimulate your sweat glands. Emotional sweating is usually, but not always, restricted to your palms, soles and underarms. Again, it can depend on the individual.
Aside from regulating body temperature, sweat may also serve as a pheromone that attracts the opposite sex. Modern culture look upon sweating as unattractive, but the primal part of the brain may sense sweat as an indicator of how attractive a potential mate is. So if you want to snag that lady, don't stop sweating?
Water is the main ingredient in sweat. Sweat also contains some minerals, such as lactate and urea. The concentration of these minerals vary with each person and with the environment and physical activity. Other minerals in sweat include sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, nickel, iron, copper and chromium.
Sweat is your body's way of controlling body temperature. Temperature receptors in the skin sends signals to the hypothalamus which turns on or off your sweat glands. Your hypothalamus works like a thermostat; when skin temperature is too high, your sweating mechanism is turned on. When your skin temperature reaches an internal setpoint, you stop sweating.
This internal setpoint can change over the course of a person's life. When you move to a hot climate and adapt to it. This setpoint moves higher, so you won't start sweating until your body reaches a higher temperature. Likewise, if you move to a cold climate like Alaska, your internal setpoint decreases and you'll start sweating at colder temperatures than before. This adjustment of your internal sweating setpoint is called acclimatisation.
Physical activity is one factor that will raise your body temperature such that sweating occurs. But emotional stress is another factor than can also stimulate your sweat glands. Emotional sweating is usually, but not always, restricted to your palms, soles and underarms. Again, it can depend on the individual.
Aside from regulating body temperature, sweat may also serve as a pheromone that attracts the opposite sex. Modern culture look upon sweating as unattractive, but the primal part of the brain may sense sweat as an indicator of how attractive a potential mate is. So if you want to snag that lady, don't stop sweating?
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