Do I have hyperhidrosis…or am I just sweating?

Sweating is the body’s natural way of regulating its temperature. When a person suffers from uncontrollable sweating that exceeds what the body needs to cool itself, that’s known as hyperhidrosis. And there are two different kinds – primary and secondary. Secondary hyperhidrosis is more serious and often requires medical attention.

Much more common is primary hyperhidrosis, and just as many women as men suffer from it. The condition usually starts during adolescence or even slightly before – when kids are self-conscious enough without their sweat glands making things even harder. So even though 1% of the population is diagnosed with primary hyperhidrosis, many more are probably suffering but are too embarrassed to seek treatment. Though it’s the last thing any teen wants to talk about with their parents, the condition is thought to be hereditary.

Botox – the ultimate antiperspirant

Botox is the most revolutionary treatment out there for excessive underarm sweating (to impress your friends, you can call it ‘axillary hyperhidrosis’). Treatment consists of a small amount of Botox that’s injected just under the skin, right near the sweat glands that are causing your excessive perspiration. It temporarily blocks the chemical signals from the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands. And when the sweat glands don’t receive those signals, the severe sweating stops – for 6-9 months, and sometimes even longer!

This treatment didn’t get the best introduction to the general public – you may remember tabloid stories about Sharon Stone wanting to Botox her 8-year-old son’s feet to keep them from smelling. But people suffering from hyperhidrosis have experienced true, amazing results from Botox – a treatment that’s more economical than you might imagine.

Turning yellow into green

Think back to all the T’s and dress shirts you’ve had to throw out and replace because the underarms had turned a less-than-attractive (and permanent) shade of yellow. With the money you’ll save on constant dry cleaning and new clothing purchases, it won’t be long until your Botox treatment pays for itself. Throw in the peace of mind and confidence you’ll gain knowing that people are finally looking at you and not your pit stains – and this miraculous treatment for hyperhidrosis becomes priceless.

Hyperhidrosis treatments beyond your underarms

Excessive sweating can strike in more places than just your underarms. Your hands, feet and the groin area are some of the most active regions of perspiration since they’ve got a relatively high concentration of sweat glands. But any part of your body can be affected by hyperhidrosis. For those areas there are topical and oral medications as well as injectable therapies and surgical options. Just as with Botox treatments, it’s important to find a physician who’s experienced in treating hyperhidrosis and who can deliver just the right treatment for you.

Besides the underarms, Hyperhidrosis also takes place in different areas of the body such as the face, hands and feet.

People suffering from axillary hyperhidrosis would also have to take care they didn?t wear certain clothes, as sweat shows better on certain materials. For example, if a person wears silk, the sweat leaves very obvious wet rings which lead to low self esteem and embarrassment.

How Old Are You When You Develop This Condition?

Though axillary hyperhidrosis can occur at any age, it has been observed to generally start to show around adolescence. Needless to say, this could be very hard for children who are often subject to teasing and cruel remarks from their peers. Often such remarks and ridicule are inappropriate and can have a damaging psychological effect,

This condition can also sometimes be triggered by anxiety, and it could very well worsen with increase in age. In fact, a person suffering from axillary hyperhidrosis might start avoiding social situations altogether, staying away from their friends and keeping mostly to themselves.

There are, however, certain treatments for this condition which can help people control it. For example, Drysol can help clog up the sweat pores temporarily, so as to reduce the amount of sweat they liberate. The disadvantage, however, is that this is only temporary. Drysol may also cause a skin irritation or cause your skin to burn. In event of such an occurrence, application of Drysol must be stopped immediately.

Botox injections are another alternative, however these may be expensive, since they generally have to be injected regularly.

Are There Any Long Lasting Treatments?

A few long term treatments also exist for axillary hyperhidrosis. EndoScopic Thoracic Sympathectomy is a new technique that stops the signal from the sympathetic nervous system that causes a person to sweat. This method thus stops all forms of hyperhidrosis, including axillary hyperhidrosis.

The surgery

Another method that is permanent is surgery. In this process, the nerves of the sympathetic system are cut out after they are located, so that the body stops producing sweat in a particular region. Some surgeons also use a method called clamping, by which they attach metal clamps to the nerves to stop it from influencing sweating. However, this technique results in a very low rate of success.

The patient will have to wait for many days before he or she is allowed to return to school to work. The treatment, however, is considered quite safe and has a 98% success rate. Thus, it is also extremely effective. If one suffers from axillary hyperhidrosis, it is best not to suffer silently: start working against it and consult your doctor.

Facial blushing generally appears during the teenage years. The sudden burst of facial redness is triggered by the unexpected announcement of exciting information or sometimes by the presence of others, which can also tie in with facial blushing. The affliction may have a serious social as well as functional impact on the victim’s life.

In some people (about 1% of the population), this system is working at a very high activity level which is much higher than needed to keep a constant temperature. This condition is referred to as hyperhidrosis. Facial sweating and facial blushing often happen in conjunction, as they are both caused by over activity of the sympathetic nervous system. This is part of what is called the involuntary central nervous system. Therefore it is not possible to control or stop it voluntarily, and this makes facial blushing unpredictable and unforeseeable in most circumstances. A common misconception about this condition is that it typically affects only those people who are overweight, but this is not true as it can affect anybody.

Experiencing sweat pouring down from the forehead in conditions of over stressing situations can be very distressful and induce the patient to think that others may consider them nervous or insecure. This in turn can cause the person to avoid social interactions such as work, or sporting activities, and other situations that would stimulate blushing. Unfortunately, others can misinterpret facial sweating and blushing as a sign of embarrassment or sickness.

Antiperspirant is usually recommended as the first therapeutic measure. The most effective agent over the latest years seems to be aluminium chloride appearing in quantities of 20-25% and in 70-90% alcohol, applied in the evening two to three times per week. Generally, this treatment has been seen as effective in cases with light to moderate hyperhidrosis but has to repeat on a recurring basis. Another option that physicians are exploring today are Botox injections which are currently used in the treatment of excessive underarm sweating. However you must be aware that Botox has not yet been approved for the treatment of any other form of hyperhidrosis and can often be very painful and costly, not to mention dangerous. Botox can be effective in treating facial hyperhidrosis but the treatment lasts only six to twelve months and can cause a stiffness of facial expression and. Surgery can be effective for the control of facial sweating and blushing problems but careful consideration of the side effects are essential with your doctor. Compensatory sweating may occur and apparently there is a risk of Horner’s syndrome (which is a drooping eye-lid).

Sympathectomy is often known as a final resort to help cure facial sweating. In fact sympathectomy was once regarded as exclusive treatment to cure facial sweating, but not without its problems. Thus, Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy was prescribed as an most effective cure. Having said this, in recent times surgical solutions have declined as surgical treatment to cure sweating are prone to show lower success rates.

Most people who have hyperhidrosis tend to put off the problem, without realizing that something is actually wrong. They brush it off as their body being “too hot”, but it is actually caused by a number of things, such as bacteria from the soaps and shampoos that you use on a daily basis to clean yourself to the nervous system in your body acting up when you get nervous or have any “fear” so to speak.

While many people try treating this condition with deodorants and antiperspirants, they find that these “solutions” only work temporarily. They only mask the symptoms, causing the problem to delay it’s reaction time. Once these treatments wear off, hyperhidrosis kicks back in and underarms become soaked, which in social situations can be awfully embarrassing. It’s not something people should have to worry about constantly.

So, what other alternatives are there out there? Plenty of them. In fact, a lot of people out there don’t realize how many alternative, natural treatments there are. Hundreds of people have actually had their problems eliminated by using natural methods of treatment. They’re great, because they work well, are accessible, and cost far less than any other treatments on the market.

If you suffer from hyperhidrosis and want to eliminate the embarrassment, you need to visit

Stop Underarm Sweating

, where you will find out how you can get rid of your excessive underarm sweating problem right away!