Perspiration is the body's natural way of cooling itself. You sweat during exercise or other physical exertion, or sometimes when under emotional duress when you feel stress, anxiety and embarrassment. But hyperhidrosis, a medical condition that causes the sweat glands to excrete more perspiration than needed for cooling purposes, can be problematic and even require medical treatment. The Mayo Clinic notes that hyperhidrosis can be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as hyperthyroidism, menopause or leukemia, or simply the side effect of taking certain medications. But in some cases, hyperhidrosis has no underlying cause---although Mayo Clinic notes that this type of excessive sweating may be hereditary. When it comes to antiperspiration treatments for excessive sweating, you have many options.
Topical Antiperspirant Treatments
Described by the International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHS) as the "first line of treatment" for excessive sweating, topical antiperspirants work by plugging the pores of the sweat ducts, inhibiting perspiration until they're washed off. Antiperspirants may contain metallic salts or aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which the IHS believes to be most effective. Antiperspirants are sold over the counter at drugstores and pharmacies, but doctors can also prescribe stronger aluminum chloride-based antiperspirants, such as Drysol or Xerac, for cases of hyperhidrosis that are mild to moderate in severity. The Mayo Clinic notes that prescription antiperspirant treatments can be dry and chafe the skin and should be washed off in the morning to reduce skin irritation.
Oral Medications
To treat generalized sweating, the Mayo Clinic states that a doctor may recommend use of an anticholinergic drug, which blocks the chemical reaction in the body that triggers sweating. The IHS notes that many physicians are wary of prescribing oral medications to patients with hyperhidrosis unrelated to a medical condition, as these medications can cause serious side effects, such as dry mouth, inability to taste, blurry vision, constipation and urinary retention.
Botox Injections
Botox injections are most commonly associated with cosmetic procedures, but they can also be used to temporarily paralyze the nerves to the sweat glands. The Mayo Clinic acknowledges that Botox injections are an effective way to treat severe hyperhidrosis, but stresses that treatment isn't permanent, lasting around four months before retreatment is necessary. Although Botox injections rarely cause serious complications, the IHS notes that multiple injections are required, and sometimes, patients must return for additional treatment if some of the sweat glands are missed. Injections into the palms of the hands and soles of the feet may be particularly painful.
Iontophoresis
Iontophoresis is a procedure that patients can do at home themselves to treat excess sweating on the palms and soles. The IHS notes it's an alternative treatment when topical antiperspirant treatments don't work effectively. Iontophoresis involves having a patient immerse hands or feet in shallow trays of water while a battery-operated device delivers a very mild electrical current through the water. Treatments take between 20 and 40 minutes and are conducted every other day for between five and ten days or until excessive sweating subsides. Like Botox, iontophoresis is only a temporary measure, and patients must resume home treatment after they begin to note excessive sweating again.
Surgery
When hyperhidrosis is severe and untreatable, surgery may be a last resort. According to the Mayo Clinic, this method of treatment is used very rarely. The IHS lists surgical removal of the sweat glands as one surgical option, but another surgical procedure, endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), involves clipping the nerves from the sweat glands. ETS is irreversible, and can have undesirable side-effects, namely that of compensatory sweating, in which a patient experiences excess sweating in other areas of the body rather than the body parts operated on. The IHS states that before considering surgery as a method to address hyperhidrosis, all other treatment options should be exhausted.
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