What is Hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition characterised by excessive sweating. The word ‘hyperhidrosis’ means too much (hyper) sweating (hidrosis). 

Excessive sweating happens when a person sweats more than is necessary. Yes, it’s necessary to sweat. Sweating cools the body, which prevents us from overheating. People who have hyperhidrosis, however, sweat when the body does not need cooling.

Many people who have hyperhidrosis sweat from one or two areas of the body. Most often, they sweat from their palms, feet, underarms, groin, chest or face, and/or head. While the rest of the body remains dry, one or two areas may drip with sweat.

This excessive sweating can interfere with everyday activities. Hands can be so sweaty that it becomes difficult to turn a doorknob or use a computer. Sweat from the underarms often soaks through clothes, causing obvious sweat marks. Because the skin is often wet, skin infections can develop.

Causes and triggers of excessive sweating include anxiety, alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, gout, heart disease, pheochromocytoma and many other metabolic triggers, infections, vascular or neurological diseases.

How hyperhidrosis is treated

Excessive sweating can be challenging to treat! 

Doctors usually recommend starting with the least invasive treatment first, such as powerful antiperspirants. Lifestyle changes may also help, including:

• wearing loose and light clothes;
• avoiding triggers, such as alcohol and spicy foods, that could make your sweating worse; and
• wearing black or white clothes to help minimise the signs of sweating.

If this doesn’t help, you may be advised to try treatments such as iontophoresis (the affected area is treated with a weak electric current passed through water or a wet pad), botulinum toxin injections, and even surgery in a few cases.

Hyperhidrosis is usually a long-term condition, but some people experience an improvement with time and the treatments available can often keep the problem under control.

Prof Mahlatse Kgokolo is the Head of the Department of Dermatology in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria.