Have you been wondering why you have been sweating so
much recently?
Have you been sweating even when you don't feel hot
or not physically active?
Well that may be because you have hyperhidrosis - a disorder that
describes individual who sweat excessively and more than what the
body needs to maintain optimal temperature.
Though it is commonly underreported and
under-diagnosed, we know that if 3% of the Canadian population -
that's 950000 Canadians. Before we get into the
condition,
how does sweating even work?
Well, we have two different sweat glands in our body
called that eccrine and apocrine glands. Eccrine glands, which make up
about 90% of our total sweat
glands, are found all over the body and help regulate
our body temperature,
They release fluid and electrolytes, which are small chemicals that
conduct electricity, to help achieve this.
On the other hand, apocrine
glands are found in specific areas of the body such
as armpit, pubic area, and ear canal.
They release fluid and electrolytes, but they're also release steroids
which are proteins created in your body that can lead
to the strong odor
present in sweat.
So how do the glands
know when to sweat?
Well the decision-maker is our central nervous system - which consists
of the brain and spinal cord and our autonomic nervous
system - which is a system responsible for coordinating involuntary
Physiologic processes like controlling
our heart rate,
blood pressure,
and in this case, our sweating
Now going back to hyperhidrosis,
there's two main types.
The first is focal or primary hyperhidrosis and describes
when the individual's sweating is localized to one
or more of the following areas:
these include the underarms, the hands, the feet and
the face.
This primarily affects younger adults,
aged 18 to 39.
and has a genetic component,
Though the cause is largely unknown,
it is speculated that the excessive sweating occurs due to the
over-activity by our central nervous system signalling to our sweat
glass to produce too much
sweat.
The second type is generalized or secondary.
hyperhidrosis. This is caused by another underlying condition that causes
excessive sweating, such as other hormonal or endocrine disorders, menopause -
which is a time where women face hormonal changes, obesity,
and nerve damage to name a few. It generally causes
sweating over the whole body and is primarily treated by
addressing the underlying conditions themselves. And that's basically a quick
overview of what hyperhidrosis is. Talk to your family physician
to learn more
Hi.
I'm the receptionist at the doctor's office.
Returning your call.
How can I help you?
Hi.
I was hoping to book an appointment with my doctor.
Sure, let me check her schedule.
Can I ask the reason for your appointment?
Yeah.
I think I might have hyperhidrosis and I wanted to
get her opinion.
Alright,
I think I have an availability.
I will send you a confirmation.
Okay.
Is there anything I need to do to prepare for
the appointment?
I read online that there's a starch iodine test that
helps diagnose this and I wanted to know if I
can do anything beforehand.
No,
I don't think so.
Those tests are typically used in a laboratory setting. For clinical
diagnosis,
your doctor will likely ask you about your symptoms,
ask some questions about family history, and assess the
social impact
your sweat is causing.
you. Sounds good.
I'm looking forward to meeting with my doctor.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
Deodorants primarily rid odor by using alcohol,
to create an acidic environment
that is uninhabitable for the bacteria that produces odor in
areas such as your armpit.
Antiperspirants, on the other hand are a subgroup of deodorants, that actively block sweat glands
using aluminum chlorohydrate,
and aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex gly as their active ingredient.
Any aluminum based compound words by reacting with the salt
particles in sweat to form
a gel-like plug in the ducts of sweat glands,
which stops the secretion of sweat.
These gel-like plugs are then slowly remove naturally
over a period
of time through natural skin shedding. Antiperspirants are great solution
to sweating because they're inexpensive, non-invasive, and usually do not
cause skin irritation.
But current over-the-counter antiperspirants are ineffective as they have
weak formulas,
that contain little to no aluminum chloride.
In fact,
the few antiperspirants that do have aluminum chloride are legally restricted
to less than 15% concentration,
which is insufficient at combating hyperhidrosis. As a result,
aluminum chloride antiperspirants with concentrations of twenty
to thirty percent are the first line of treatment doctors
will often prescribe
Botox for hyperhidrosis.
Are you tired of trying products that
don't stop the constant sweating?
What if I told you that the number one treatment
for hyperhidrosis is Botox and it could potentially change your life? Let's jump into what Botox does for excessive sweating.
Botox is the brand name for Botulinum
toxin which is an injectable medication most well known for its wrinkle smoothing power, but it is also great at stopping consistent sweating. How does it work?
With regards to normal setting our sympathetic nervous system,
best known for its role of responding to fight or
fight situations,
Activates the eccrine sweat glands,
which regulate our body temperature through the release of a
chemical messenger named acetylcholine,
which is a brain chemical that makes you sweat a lot.
Botox works by interfering with neural transmissions to therefore block the release of acetylcholine, which in turn blocks the release of sweat from the eccrine glands.
As you can see,
it is a chain reaction.
And Botox stop sweating at the root of the cause.
If you are dealing with hyperhidrosis it is important to
talk to your doctor about Botox and any other medical
conditions you currently have,
in addition to the medications you are taking. A dermatologist
or doctor is certified to use Botox and can perform
the injections in their office in 15 minutes or less.
Are you scared of needles?
Well, don't worry. The medical professionals will numb the area with ice or a local anesthetic to help ease any discomfort
Any side effects? Injections with botulinum toxin are generally
well tolerated,
and side effects are few. Aside from the pain of the injection and resulting
bruising and swelling,
most people do not have any serious side effects, but
the few that they do experience include headaches and flu-like
symptoms, muscle weakness in the affected area and other parts
of the body, breathing difficulties, and trouble with vision. However, there is
proven success in using botox for hyperhidrosis.
Several randomized studies have shown that botulinum toxin is a safe, effective, and durable method of treating patients.
Patients who are unresponsive to topical antiperspirant can experience a 75% reduction in sweating with botox. Results can be seen after only two weeks of treatment. Fast, isn't it?
Are you worried about the cost?
Well,
besides the injection fee, the assessment of hyperhidrosis is covered by
the Ontario health insurance plan as well as the BOTOX
medication is typically covered by majority of private insurances as well.
Hyperhidrosis all boils down to neurochemistry,
not poor hygiene or some evil curse. With botox,
You can keep your acetylcholine levels balanced and the excessive sweating will lessen or even diminish.
Hyperhidrosis just requires some patience and understanding
to overcome it - it is not a hopeless ordeal.