According to research, the most common cause of excessive sweating is primary focal hyperhidrosis. This condition is known to impact between 1% and 3% of the population, which amounts to nearly 8 million people in the United States. Hyperhidrosis occurs most often with individuals between the ages of 25 to 65, and will equally affect men and women.
An average person has 2 to 4 million sweat glands. The purpose of these is to function as the body’s coolant system, which prevents it from overheating. When someone has hyperhidrosis, however, they will sweat up to 4 to 5 times more than the average person.
Some individuals with hyperhidrosis may be genetically predisposed to this condition. In these instances, around 30% to 50% of the individuals with hyperhidrosis will have a family member that is similarly afflicted. It is also possible that several of their family members will experience this issue, which can further indicate that the cause for that individual’s hyperhidrosis is probably genetic.
Fortunately, there are treatment options available for this condition. In addition to hyperhidrosis products, there are other forms of treatment, such as iontophoresis, or “no-sweat” machines. While Iontophoresis machines were initially used to treat excessive sweating more than 50 years ago, the technology is still being used today for this purpose.
In general, a person will require 6 to 10 iontophoresis treatments to shut down their sweat glands. Each therapy session will usually last between 10 to 20 minutes. When an individual has severe hyperhidrosis, however, they may require 2 to 3 sessions every week at the onset of treatment.
Most, or 90%, of hyperhidrosis patients have reported that this condition has an emotional effect on them. A survey showed that hyperhidrosis also affected their confidence levels. If you are experiencing excessive body sweating, it’s likely that you may also be emotionally affected by this.
Since there are treatment options available, such as hyperhidrosis products and iontophoresis treatments, it’s important to discuss your excessive sweating with your primary care physician. At this time, your physician will be able to determine whether or not you have hyperhidrosis or if there is another reason for your excessive sweating.
