Suffering from excessive sweating?
Ever been embarrassed about excessive sweating, causing stains in the underarm area, or not being able to wear the clothes you want? Or does sweating affect your confidence at work and in relationships?
Sweating is a physiological (normal) function regulated by your nervous system. Most of us sweat normally to maintain our body temperature in warm/hot conditions, but sometimes it can become disordered and troublesome even in the absence of these factors.
You are not alone. Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating is common with a US study suggesting 2.8% of the population suffering a focal (limited to certain parts of the body) hyperhidrosis. This can be quite troublesome depending on the part of the body involved, and is often rated more severe for its impact on quality of life than many serious chronic medical diseases. The axillary (or underarm) region is the most common area, closely followed by the palms and feet, and then face and head regions. Occasionally, it can be due to a medical disorder so it is important that a clinician assesses for this.
Contact us to see how we can help you. Medicare rebates and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) may apply to some treatments such as injectable therapy if high dose aluminium topical antiperspirants (Rexona and Dove Clinical Protection, Mitchum, Driclor) have been used unsuccessfully on the underarms.
Call 02 82871900 for appointments
PLEASE NOTE WITH THE COVID-19 EMERGENCY, WE PREFER TO SEE ALL NEW PATIENTS WITH SWEATING ISSUES USING TELEHEALTH
We are now able to offer Telehealth (video or phone) consultations to all patients in Australia. Our Telehealth (video or phone) consultations employ very easy to use high-speed platforms, compatible with computers, hand-held devices (Apple and Android). This means you can have your consultation from virtually anywhere. Please note these consultations with a neurologist may attract a private fee and be partly rebatable; please call 02 82871900 for details. Private payment is usually taken prior to the consultation.
You may also wish to know that if you qualify for and embark on injection therapy at our clinic, any gap cost of the initial Telehealth consultation may be discounted from our usual fee for treatment; this effectively means that this initial consultation would be free.
**COVID-19 precautions**
These are challenging times, and at SNNN, we want to reassure our patients that we are doing all we can to ensure our practice is a safe environment.
This includes:
– All our staff are fully vaccinated, and undergo regular Covid testing
– Preferential and affordable Telehealth (video or phone) consultations using very easy to use high-speed platforms, compatible with computers, hand-held devices (Apple and Android). This means you can have your consultation from virtually anywhere
– Regular disinfection and cleaning of all areas
– Appropriate social distancing measures in the waiting area with restricted accompanying members
– Messaging system alert for appointments to minimise waiting area use
– Negative pressure consulting room, with on-site Telehealth to the doctor to minimise the face-to-face interaction phase
We understand your concerns, so please call the practice if you are uncertain if you should attend for any reason.
For more information about excessive sweating: living with hyperhidrosis | severity scale | focal hyperhidrosis | generalised hyperhidrosis
Solutions for:
Underarms
- Topical agents
- Injectable therapy (muscle relaxant)
- Oral medication
- Surgery
Hands
- Topical agents
- Iontopheresis
- Injectable therapy (muscle relaxant)
- Oral medication
- Surgery
Feet
- Topical agents
- Injectable therapy (muscle relaxant)
- Oral medication
Face/head
- Topical agents
- Oral medication
- Injectable therapy (muscle relaxant)
- Surgery
For more information please see Focal Hyperhidrosis or Generalised Hyperhidrosis
What will happen?
You will be assessed by the neurologist who will take your medical history, perform an examination, and discuss / tailor your treatment program to suit your kind and severity of sweating.
What we treat
These are the following areas that are most involved:
- Axillary (underarm) hyperhidrosis
- Palmar (hand) and plantar (foot) hyperhidrosis
- Craniofacial (head and face) hyperhidrosis.
For more information on treatment strategies, please see Focal Hyperhidrosis or Generalised Hyperhidrosis
Case studies:
Amy, underarm sweating
University student, 23, with excessive underarm sweating.
‘My mother had the same problem but it doesn’t affect her so much now. My main issue is that it is uncomfortable, and that it is embarrassing. Quite often, there are sweat patches in my underarms, and it is getting to the stage that I am reluctant to present my work at Uni…. I certainly can’t wear light-coloured clothing. In fact, my friends would have to say that I have a black clothing fetish!
The problem is even present in winter.
More recently, Amy has just started seeing someone who understands her issue. ‘It would be true to say that it has affected my past relationships. I hesitate to say it was all them… It was probably also a lack of confidence on my part too.’
This problem has been present since her teens. ‘I have had this going for a long time. I once saw my GP for this problem but after trying some stronger antiperspirants, he said that I had to live with it. I didn’t know that there were effective treatments available. It has certainly changed my life, and is quite possibly the best thing I have ever done…perhaps even better than laser eye surgery for me.’
Comment by A/Prof Ng:
Sweating is a normal physiological function that sometimes can go wrong. Excessive underarm sweating is very common affecting some 1 in 70 people, but to Amy’s extent, perhaps only a sixth of these. That is still about 1 in 400 people in the community. Most sufferers are either too embarrassed to seek help, or have never been given the appropriate treatment options. Amy has been receiving injections in the underarm regions with local anaesthetic cream roughly every 9-12 months, and for most of that time, she is completely dry.Paul, sweaty palms & feet
Electronics engineer, 45, with sweaty palms and feet.
‘This problem I have has been around for a long time. I have learnt to adapt to it, but I can still remember the issues it caused. I remember not being given jobs that I could do because I couldn’t even attend the interview for fear that I had to shake hands. A wet palm is not a very good first impression!’
‘Quite aside from this, there are technical difficulties I have had in my line of work. I have a job that requires soldering of electronic circuits. I permanently have to have a cloth nearby so I can dry my hands. A lawyer friend of mine with a similar problem found it hard to handle documents without destroying them.’
Comment by A/Prof Ng:
Although not as common as underarm sweating, palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis is the next most common form of focal hyperhidrosis (or excessive sweating). It is particularly prevalent in the Asian population. Paul also had a problem with his footwear and had had a few infections with athlete’s foot (tinea). He had tried tap water iontophoresis with only mild improvement, so opted for injectable therapy. This we were able to give him with local anaesthetic block of the nerves in the wrists, which made this a much more comfortable procedure. He now only requires this treatment every 6 months and is very happy with the result. This therapy is recommended before more invasive strategies, such as sympathectomy which carries many risks.Sharon, all-over body sweating
Housewife, 55, who has noted an increase in sweating all over her body for the last 12 months.
‘I couldn’t understand it. I was nervy and edgy, and I was even starting to sweat heavily at night. My doctor had tried to find out if I had an infection, and couldn’t locate anything.’
Comment by A/Prof Ng:
Sharon was extensively investigated here and finally found to have thyroid gland overactivity. This case serves to illustrate that not all sweating is innocent. Some conditions that can cause excessive sweating include hormonal, neurological disorders, and even cancer. This is why all cases should be assessed by a doctor or specialist, so as not to miss an underlying cause.(note names and stories are representative only, and not real life cases)
For more information see the following:
Focal hyperhidrosis | Generalised hyperhidrosis | [break][/break]Living with hyperhidrosis | Hyperhidrosis severity scale
Associations:
University of Sydney | The Royal Australasian College of Physicians | Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists | Royal College of Physicians | International Hyperhidrosis Society | NSW Government Health
Based in Crows Nest, North Sydney, we offer specialist consultations, treatment for chronic migraine, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis),nerve conduction tests / EEG and injectable therapy for movement disorders. Sydney North Neurology & Neurophysiology (SNNN) is an expert neurology medical practice.
Patients
Call 02 8287 1900 for appointments and information or email us at info@snnn.com.au
GPs
For referrals see here, and call 02 8287 1900 for further information or email us at info@snnn.com.au
Find us
Sydney North Neurology & Neurophysiology:
Suite C1, 210 Willoughby Rd, Naremburn, NSW 2065, Australia
