SWEATING.ie
Treatment of Excessive Sweating
General measures
Including antiperspirants, lifestyle changes and hypnosis.
Iontophoresis
To control hand/foot sweating.
Botulinum injections
To stop armpit sweating
Surgery
ETS (Endoscopic Transthoracic Sympathectomy).
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 – also described as sweaty armpits,
- Hand Sweating – also described as sweaty hands, clammy hands, moist hand
- Feet Sweating – also described as sweaty feet, clammy feet, moist fee
- Facial Sweating – also described as sweaty face, blushing, facial blushing
Excessive Sweating
General measures can be taken to treat excessive sweating in some cases.
Changing behaviour
- Wearing lighter clothes
- Drinking less alcohol (but only if over drinking)
- Minimise rushing about
- Identifying when excess sweating occurs and – if only at certain times – minimise these situations/activities
Antiperspirants
Using the correct antiperspirant can make a significant difference for sweating. These can range from simple talcum powders that soak up mild sweat, through some of the spray-on antiperspirants to the very strongest Aluminium solutions that dry out the skin.
Aluminium Solutions are available without prescription from pharmacies. It is important that you read the instructions carefully before use. Aluminium antiperspirant solutions are called Anhydrol Forte and Driclor, and are identical.
Glycopyrralate
This is a drug that has what are termed ‘anti-cholinergic’ properties. It is available in impregnated tissue wipes that can be used to cleanse the skin.
Drug treatments
Unfortunately, there are no drugs that can be taken on a daily basis that will effectively stop sweating. A Beta Blocker such as Atenolol can sometimes be used for stressful events.
Counselling/Hypnotherapy
Sweating can become a viscious circle if it comes on due to stressful situations and you then worry about these situations occurring. Counselling or hypnotherapy can be very useful for some people in overcoming this as they can be taught to control a stressful situation
How can I arrange ETS?
ETS is performed by consultant vascular surgeons. You can discuss referral with your own GP. As with all surgical procedures there are side effects and complications that patients and their relatives must be aware of before going through with this operation.
Risks of Endoscopic Transthoracic Sympathectomy
1 – Compensatory Hyperhidrosis
The body needs to cool itself so, if the arms and head are treated by ETS, the sweat that should have come from these areas is re-distributed elsewhere. This re-distribution of sweating is called Compensatory Hyperhidrosis. It can be especially noticeable in the small of the back – and some people find this unbearable.
2 – Damage to the Lung needing a chest drain
Rarely, in approximately 1 in 100 patients, the lung can be damaged during the surgery, leading to a tube called a “chest drain” having to be put in place for a couple of days to make sure that the lung re-inflates. Even more rarely, the lung needs to be repaired after such an injury.
3 – Horner’s Syndrome
If too much of the chain is damaged, the face can become dry on the same side, the eye lid can droop a little and the eye itself can have a dilated pupil (Horner’s syndrome).
4 – Winging of the Scapula
There have been reports that the nerve to the muscle of the shoulder blade can be damaged leading to “winging” of the shoulder blade. This means that the shoulder blade moves out to the side and needs intensive physiotherapy to see if it can be brought back again.
5 – Injury to a major structure in the Chest
The chest houses some of the largest and most important structures in the body – particularly the Heart, the Great Blood Vessels and the Lungs. Knowing this, surgeons are always exceptionally careful when doing an ETS. However, there is always a very small chance that one of these structures can be damaged. One final thing of importance – ETS is a permanent procedure – it cannot be reversed if the patient changes their mind.
