SWEATING.ie
Excessive Sweating – Hyperhidrosis
As with all human conditions, there is a wide range of “normal”, with some people hardly sweating at all, whilst others sweat to a much larger extent. When the amount of sweating is excessive it is termed “Hyperhidrosis”. There are two main types of Hyperhidrosis.
Generalised Hyperhidrosis
Affecting the whole body. This may have an underlying cause, e.g. thyroid disease. It is sometimes caused by medication, especially some anti-depressants. It is best to get medical advice.
Localised Hyperhidrosis
This is far more common and involves excessive sweating of the hands, feet, armpits or face. The cause is unknown, but it can run in families and affects 4% of people.
Excessive sweating usually occurs in specific areas of the body, however it can occur anywhere on the body. Some of the more common areas include:
Armpit Sweating
Hand Sweating
Feet Sweating
Facial Sweating
Excessive Sweating
01.
Armpit Sweating – Axillary Hyperhidrosis
02.
Hand Sweating – Palmar Hyperhidrosis
03.
Botulinum
The most effective way to treat armpit sweating – Axillary hyperhidrosis – is by injecting a dilute solution of Botulinum into the skin of the armpit. A very fine needle is used so that the procedure almost painless.
- Approximately 12 to 16 injections are made in each armpit
- No anaesthetic is needed
- the whole process takes only 20 minute
- Both armpits are injected in the same session
- Botulinum takes a few days to work
- Because there are no muscles in the armpit, there is no real risk of loss of muscle power, a possible problem with Botulinum elsewhere
- Botulinum binds to the nerves that control sweating
- Sweating can be reduced by 90% times
- A first course usually lasts 4 – 9 months, with subsequent courses being more effective and lasting 6 – 12 months per time
Botulinum Toxin is a very specific natural poison that causes Botulinism. Advances in the pharmaceutical industry have allowed very pure Botulinum Toxin to be manufactured and minute doses to be accurately measured and distributed for medical use. These doses are large enough to have a local effect where injected, but are far too small to have any effect on our breathing or movement.
When a nerve meets whatever it is that it needs to communicate with, the junction between the two is called a “synapse”. The synapse where the sympathetic nerves meet the sweat glands can be blocked by Botulinum. As the sweat glands are in the skin itself, injection of a solution of Botulinum into the skin causes a blocking of the impulses from the sympathetic nervous system and so sweating will stop.
Does Botulinum hurt when injected? Only minimally. Because the skin of the armpit is thin, injections there are barely felt. The needles used are extremely fine, and they themselves are not felt. The Botulinum itself stings a little.
Does Botulinum stop all the armpit sweating? No, not all of it, usually about 90%. This more than four-fold decrease means that hyperhidrosis sufferers, after Botulinum, sweat far less than the average person.In the armpit, yes. There are no muscles there that it could affect. In other areas, for example the hands or face, it could temporarily weaken the muscles if injected into the wrong place.
Is Botulinum expensive? No, not when you consider the cost of frequent changes of clothing, deodorants etc. The cost of embarrassment and social phobia is also high. For therapeutic use, the cost is claimable against tax with the government MED1 scheme.
Who should not have Botulinum?
There are few contraindications, the main ones being pregnancy and some very rare neurological illnesses. These will be discussed at your appointment.
