Excessive sweating

Some people sweat more than others. Sweating a lot or excessively can be a nuisance in daily life. Excessive sweating is also known as hyperhidrosis. It means that you sweat more than is actually necessary to protect your body from overheating. Sweating is normal with heat, exertion, tension and emotion. In people with excessive sweating, sweating often occurs even without the aforementioned triggering moments.

Causes of excessive sweating

Usually, there is no cause for excessive sweating. Heredity may play a role in excessive sweating, but there is no real explanation.

When a medical cause for excessive sweating does exist, it is often related to:

Side effects of certain medications (such as SSRIs, TCAs, opiates, cholinesterase inhibitors, levopods and anti-estrogens, such as tamoxifen)
Drugs or alcohol, or symptoms when reducing or stopping them
Hormonal changes, such as in pregnancy or menopause
An anxiety disorder
Overweight
A neurological disease (e.g. Parkinson's disease)
An infection (e.g. HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, endocarditis)
A cardiovascular disease or severe lung disease
(Rare) cancer

Symptoms of excessive sweating

Symptoms of excessive sweating are different for each person. The most common symptoms are:

Continuous production of sweat, even with little or no exercise and low body temperature
Continuously damp hands, armpits and/or back; sometimes even wearing clean clothes several times a day
Sweat attacks
Unpleasant body odour
Damp feet that easily cause fungal infections on the feet
Irritated skin (e.g. in the groin)
Psychological burden of sweating, insecurity

Treatment

Types of sweat treatments

Initially, deodorants or special alcohol solutions are often tried to counteract hyperhidrosis. Sometimes these remedies also have sufficient effect. But in some cases, these treatments are insufficient. Then Botox injections may be chosen.

A sweat test will be done initially, to check for abnormal sweating patterns. It will be determined whether treatment is needed, and if so, which treatment will be applied.

Botulinum toxin treatment underarms

Botulinum toxin temporarily blocks the pathway between the nerves and the sweat glands, stopping sweating and sometimes unpleasant odour. The botulinum toxin is inserted into the skin of the armpits in a diluted solution with small pricks. After an average of three to six months, the treatment wears off and has to be repeated.

Drug treatment for sweating elsewhere on the body

There are medications used for excessive sweating. These are often drugs that are meant for a different disease, but have the side effect of preventing sweating. These medications are mainly prescribed when there is sweating all over the body, with no underlying cause. The doctor will determine which medication is suitable for you during an interview. Oxybutynin is one of these medications. It is prescribed by the dermatologist when a patient sweats excessively all over their body. Oxybutynin can provide a solution when excessive perspiration occurs on large areas of the body. The dermatologist will explain the pros and cons.

Reimbursement and prices

Your visit to Parkway Clinic Sommer is regularly reimbursed in the same way as a visit to the hospital. For this, check our fees page or if you have any questions, take contact with us.

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