Excess sweating may make certain forms of exercise difficult. Yoga and pilates, weight-lifting, and even running are a few examples. Most often, hyperhidrosis affects hands, feet, and underarms. The goal of treatment is to reduce sweat and return you to a healthy, normal lifestyle.
Hyperhidrosis often occurs in people with no other medical conditions. In these cases, it is genetic. If you sweat excessively, chances are someone else in your immediate family sweats as well.
Excessive sweat can be a side effect of a more chronic condition, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetic hypoglycemia, general anxiety disorder, or menopause. It may also accompany harmless conditions such as Raynaud’s phenomenon and excessive blushing.
Botox®, an FDA approved cosmetic treatment for wrinkles, is one of the most effective medical procedures for excess sweat. BOTOX works by preventing the release of chemicals that signal the body’s sweat glands to start producing perspiration. When the sweat glands don’t receive this signal, they stop producing an excessive amount of sweat. It’s important to understand that the excess sweat doesn’t go anywhere or get backed up inside the body because the BOTOX treatment means the extra sweat is simply not produced. Your body will still produce sweat, which is essential and keeps the body from overheating.
Botox is a cosmetic treatment for excess sweating and as such is not covered by insurance benefits. Payment at the time of treatment is required.
Other treatments include prescription antiperspirants and topical creams and oral medications known as anticholinergics, which help reduce sweating.
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