What is Hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis refers to the phenomenon of abnormally increased sweating of the skin locally or throughout the body. Real systemic hyperhidrosis is rare, and even hyperhidrosis caused by systemic diseases mainly occurs in some parts. Systemic hyperhidrosis is mainly widespread hyperhidrosis caused by other diseases, such as infectious fever. Local hyperhidrosis usually occurs in children or adolescents, often has a family history, and tends to ease naturally in adulthood.

Basic Information

Also known as

Sweating

English name

hyperhidrosis

Visiting department

dermatology

Multiple groups

Children, adolescents

Common causes

Endocrine disorders, hormonal disorders, mental factors

Causes of Hyperhidrosis

The causes of hyperhidrosis are divided into diseased and functional disorders:

Disease

It is more common in endocrine disorders and hormonal disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, hyperpituitarism, pregnancy, diabetes, neurological diseases, febrile diseases, and some hereditary syndromes.

2. Functionality

Most of them are related to mental factors, such as nervousness, emotional excitement, anger, terror and anxiety, which are caused by sympathetic disorders.

Clinical manifestations of hyperhidrosis

Systemic hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating mainly caused by other diseases, such as infectious hyperthermia; endocrine disorders and hormonal disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, hyperhypophysis, acromegaly, diabetes, hypoglycemia, pregnancy and menopause; central nervous system Lesions (including damage to the cerebral cortex, basal ganglia, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves), Parkinson's disease, pheochromocytoma, salicylic acidosis, and collapse can also cause systemic hyperhidrosis.

2. Local hyperhidrosis

It usually occurs in children or adolescents, often has a family history, and tends to ease naturally in adulthood. Sweating areas are mainly palmar plantar, axillary, perineal, followed by nose tip, forehead and chest, of which palmar plantar and axillary are the most common, and the skin can be soaked and pale. Hyperhidrosis is transient or persistent, and is more pronounced during mood swings, with no significant seasonality. Sweating on the palms and feet is often accompanied by chills or cyanosis in the hands and feet. The crotch can produce a special odor due to the decomposition of sweat. Axillary sweating is usually odorless, unlike underarm odor. Sweating on the tip of the nose, forehead, and chest is often associated with irritating food. It often occurs when eating spicy food, hot coffee, hot tea, and drinking alcohol. It is also called taste hyperhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis Treatment

Systemic hyperhidrosis is difficult to control, and the focus is on treating underlying diseases associated with it. Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis is mainly treated locally. Treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis is often not as effective as palmar plantar hyperhidrosis.

Drug treatment

(1) External use Commonly used antiperspirants include 20% to 25% aluminum chloride solution, 0.5% aluminum acetate solution, 3% to 5% formaldehyde solution, 5% alum solution, and 5% tannic acid solution. Excessive use of external medicines can cause local dryness, mild chapped or severe irritation.

(2) Internal use systemic hyperhidrosis is mainly related to the treatment of primary diseases. Sedatives (phenobarbital, isoprenebarbital, secobarbital, clomezadone, etc.) and low-dose anxiolytics (diazepam, hydroxyzine, docepine) for emotional hyperhidrosis effective. A larger dose of anticholinergic drugs has the effect of inhibiting sweat secretion, which can cause intolerable dry mouth, so it tends to be eliminated.

(3) Physical therapy Tap water electrophoresis is suitable for patients who have failed local (palm-palm, armpit) external treatment. Pacemakers are disabled. Shallow X-ray irradiation can suppress sweat gland secretion and is only suitable for patients with severe palmar plantar hyperhidrosis who have failed other treatments.

(4) Local injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is mostly used to treat palmar plantar and axillary hyperhidrosis. Generally, antiperspirant is obvious 5-7 days after injection, and it can last for 9-12 months on average.

2. Surgical treatment

Selective resection of the second to fourth pairs of thoracic sympathetic nerves has significant effects on palmar, armpit, chest, and facial hyperhidrosis, but it is not suitable for patients with plantar hyperhidrosis. And surgery can cause permanent anhidrosis and other areas of compensatory hyperhidrosis, so it should be used with caution. Those who only sweat axillary can selectively remove the sweat glands that are most active under the armpit. This method has a positive effect.

Hyperhidrosis prevention

1. For pure taste hyperhidrosis, avoid spicy and irritating foods and drinks.

2. Hyperhidrosis caused by mental factors should actively self-adjust mentality to avoid mental tension, emotional excitement, anger, horror and anxiety.