A question that quite often gets asked about sweating related disorders is “what is hyperhidrosis?”. This article will answer that question and give some related information about the condition and it’s symptoms. It will also give some advice on how to treat the condition (or where treatment is not an option it will give advice on how to make allowances for living with the condition).
Hyperhidrosis, also commonly known as excessive sweating, is a medical condition that causes people to perspire in uncharacteristically profuse amounts even in cool temperatures. While this affliction can affect any part of the human body, the most common areas are the hands, armpit, and feet due to the increased amounts of sweat glands in those areas. Hyperhidrosis is most often caused by an overactive sympathetic nervous system in the body. This system is part of the body’s autonomous control of blood pressure, heart rate, reactions to external conditions and many other functions.
The severity of this condition can be categorized by the amount of skin that is affected. With this method of categorization, excessive sweating in an area more than 100 cm2 in any part of the body is categorized differently from excessive sweating in a localized area. The second method is by determining if the condition was inherited or acquired. Inherited conditions are characterized as primary Hyperhidrosis and can be found to show symptoms during adolescence. Conditions that are acquired through pituitary gland disorders, such as hyperthyroidism, or caused by biological changes such as menopause are categorized as secondary hyperhidrosis. Symptoms can appear at any point in life.
There are a few methods of combating hyperhidrosis, among which are medication and surgery. Botox



