Excessive Sweating

Did you know that about 1% some say even 2% of the worlds population suffers from excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). With this site there is thorough, comprehensive, and up to date information for excessive sweating, its causes, best treatments, commonly asked questions and much more. Excessive sweating, or as its known in medical literature as hyperhidrosis, is a clinical condition where parts of the body are sweating beyond the bodies physiological needs.

Symptoms of hyperhidrosis:
The typical presentation of excessive hand sweating or foot sweating is the uncontrolled appearance of sweat. It can happen at any time without any identified reason. Usually patients do not have these problems while sleeping but during their normal daily hours it can happen. It can affect people negatively in functional and social settings. Obviously the sweating levels are different from one patient to another but none the less the affects can be significant to those affected. There is no connection between being anxious or active because this condition can happen at times when the person is not active or anxious. This represents the autonomous nature of the sympathetic nervous system which is an involuntary one compared to the motoric or sensory nervous systems which are voluntary systems.

Causes of Excessive Sweating (Hyperhidrosis):
It is commonly an inherited condition and can affect those who suffer from it on a social, functional, and emotional level. The good news is, there are several different ways to combat excessive sweating with varying levels of effectiveness depending on the severity of the excessive sweating problem. Use the list of links on the left to cover all relevant topics ranging from hand sweating to armpit sweating.

The very basic explanation for excessive sweating is that a segment of the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for this presentation. What is the sympathetic chain you may ask? This is an autonomous part of the nervous system on which we have no control. The autonomous nervous system has two parts to it, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. Those systems affect blood pressure, heart rate, anxiety level and many other functions.

Commonly affected areas of the body are the hands (sweaty hands - palmar), feet (sweaty feet - plantar), and armpits (axillary). The armpits and face represent a smaller groups of patients. Different methods have been used to treat excessive sweating such as herbal medications, different oral medications, lotions, and injections of botox. All of the above had limited success and if successful only for a limited periods of time. The surgical method known as ETS is the only known permanent solution. Dr. Reisfeld based in Los Angeles at The Center for Hyperhidrosis offers the most in depth site on the surgery procedure itself (ETS) and hyperhidrosis.

Throughout this site we go into great detail to describe the issues surrounding excessive sweating, its history, the various treatments, and what the future holds for this condition. Medical advances are being made all the time by the conditions leading surgeons. Please let us know if there is anything further you would like added to this site. Be sure to consult with your doctor before making any medical decisions.

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