EXCESSIVE SWEATING OR HYPERHIDROSIS
Several million people suffer
from hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. It is estimated that 2-3% of population has
hyperhidrosis. People with hyperhidrosis often sweat even when it’s
cool outside. It runs in families and many people choose
to live with it since, no permanent effective treatment existed until
now. There are several conditions that can cause excessive sweating
such as menopause, hyperthyroidism. This is termed secondary
hyperhidrosis.
Symptoms
The main symptoms are excessive
underarm perspiration. It can effect the palms and soles of the feet.
Most people with excessive sweating have had to alter their lifestyles, and their clothing because it causes many embarrassing
moments not to mention permanent stains to blouses, shirts and other
articles of clothing.
Available Treatments:
Antiperspirants
This is the
front line of therapy for most people. Usually the deodorant consists
of 10-20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate. This can be irritating to your
skin and expensive. It can also cause damage
to your clothing.
Medication-
Some people have tried
anti-cholinergics such as robinul but these are not very popular due
to side effects such as dry mouth, dizziness and difficulty urinating.
Iontophoresis-
This is an FDA
approved procedure that utilizes electric current to temporarily shut
down sweat glands. This is effective for hands and feet. It takes
10-20 minutes per session and several sessions are
needed.
Botox-
The FDA has approved Botox
for underarm sweating. About 70-100 units are divided equally between
the patient’s armpits and injected. At a cost of $10-$12.00 per unit
the expense is considerable. The Botox may
last 3-6, months but again is only temporary.
Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS)-
This transects the nerve that is responsible for stimulating your sweat
glands. This is usually not too effective for excessive armpit
sweating. It’s good if someone has excessive
palms, sole or facial sweating.
Other surgical rx’s-
Sometimes one
can use special suction cannula to remove the sweat glands or use a
special surgical shaver which will “shave” away the glands. These are
surgical procedures; often require anesthesia
and a more prolonged recovery.
This can be a very disabling and devastating
condition. It causes extreme embarrassment. Many people alter their
types of clothing- the colors they wear. They limit their arms or
shoulder movement so as to not reveal their wet armpits.
It can affect careers where people need to manipulate equipment with
their hands, like a surgeon. Then there is a risk of dehydration. I had
one patient who would drive to work with her armpit hanging out the
car window to “keep them dry.”
THE NEW, FDA APPROVED, REVOLUTIONARY MIRA-DRY
Late last year, miraDry was approved by
the FDA to correct permanently excessive axillary or armpit sweating.
It is NOT used to treat excessive hand or foot sweating.
The procedure is done under local anesthesia as an
out-patient. In Fort Myers, FL, this will be either in the licensed surgery center of
Dr. Robert J. Brueck MD, who is the only Southwest Florida surgeon licensed to perform the procedure, or at Fort Myers' All-Inclusive Medi-Spa, by staff trained to perform the procedure. The area of skin with excessive
sweating is determined and infiltrated with local anesthetic, similar to the way Novacaine is administered when having a tooth filled. The miraDry
procedure is then performed. The treatment of both armpits
takes around 40 to 45 minutes. The miraDry machine delivers
electro-magnetic energy to the armpit area to eliminate the eccrine or
sweat glands. Once eliminated, these glands DO NOT regenerate.
What will it feel like? There are no incisions. Once the local is injected, we wait 5-10 minutes for it to
take effect. This totally eliminates any pain or discomfort.
What do I do after the treatment?
It’s simple, we usually put some ice packs under the patient’s arms and
they are discharged home. The most important thing the first day or two
is ice to minimize the swelling. Usually
a simple Motrin or Advil is all that is needed for controlling minimal
pain. You can shower the next day and go to work.
What are the results? Most
patients will experience an immediate reduction in their underarm
sweating. In one clinical trial patients experienced an 86% reduction.
How many treatments do I need? You will need 2 treatments separated by about 3 months to maximize your results. On rare occasions a person may need a 3rd treatment.
How long does it last? The
decrease in sweating is permanent. Once the eccrine sweat glands are
destroyed by the electromagnetic waves, they do NOT regenerate.
Is it harmful to de-activate under arm sweat glands?
The sweat glands in the under arm area represent only 2% of the total number so there are NO more bad side effects.
Who can have mira-dry? Patients should be 18 years or older. If you have excessive sweating, this is made to order.
