HYPERHIDROSIS FAQs

There are two types of hyperhidrosis:

• Ideopathic hyperhidrosis. This is a disease not caused by any clinical picture or medication but when the excessive perspiration itself is the medication condition. It is usually focused on specific parts of the body, e.g. hands, feet, underarms, etc. It normally appears during adolescence, although it can appear earlier. People have it until around 60-65 years of age, when hormonal activity decreases. There is no cure, although it can be controlled and minimised.

• Secondary Generalised hyperhidrosis. Caused by a clinical picture or medication. Patients diagnosed with it present excessive perspiration across widespread parts of the body, thus its name. Those affected usually perspire excessively at night. This type of hyperhidrosis has a solution which involves finding the cause of the disease, i.e. the clinical picture or medication causing it.

Hyperhidrosis can have a major impact on the quality of life. You can live with it but it often causes emotional stress, sometimes hampering the patient’s work or social life and triggering a vicious circle as the need to feel ‘dry’ (especially among men) or concern about body odour (especially among women) causes more stress in a social situation and therefore more perspiration.

In the most severe cases, excessive sweating leads people to withdraw into themselves and avoid social activity and situations where they must come into contact with others, and can result in a social phobia. It also makes it hard to handle paper, pencils, buttons, tools, electronic equipment or musical instruments. The need to avoid shaking hands forces many people to seek treatment.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for hyperhidrosis but there are different proven treatments to control it and minimise its effects.

As mentioned above, there are currently different treatments to minimise the effects of hyperhidrosis. Driosec has the iontodry iontophoresis machine, which can reduce and control palmoplantar hyperhidrosis. The patient must undergo a 30-minute treatment once or twice a week.

There are also other treatments, such as Botox injections, surgery, etc. For more information, see www.sweathelp.org.