Types of Hyperhidrosis
Nearly 365 million people struggle with excessive sweating, according to the International Hyperhidrosis Society. But most people don’t understand the different types, causes, or treatment options available. In order to treat your excessive sweat, the first step to is to figure out which type of hyperhidrosis you have.
There are two types of hyperhidrosis:
- Primary focal
- Secondary generalized
Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis
Primary hyperhidrosis is a medical condition. It usually begins in adolescence and occurs on very specific parts of the body, such as the underarms, hands, feet, or face. There is no known cause, although genes do play a role.
There are several types of primary hyperhidrosis:
- Axillary (underarms)
- Palmer (hands)
- Plantar (feet)
- Cranial (head/face)
- Inguinal (groin)
- Truncal (torso)
Secondary Generalized Hyperhidrosis
Secondary hyperhidrosis is caused by or is the side effect of another medical condition. This usually begins in adulthood and occurs on more general parts of the body. You may experience sweating episodes when you’re sleeping (which is not the case with primary hyperhidrosis). Luckily, this condition can be cured or treated if you treat the medical condition that is causing it.
A few of the medical conditions that can cause secondary hyperhidrosis include:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Menopause
- Overactive thyroid
- Pregnancy
What kind of hyperhidrosis do you have?
To figure out which kind of hyperhidrosis you have, ask yourself these questions:
Have you experienced excessive sweat for at least 6 months with no apparent cause?
- Is your sweat focalized in one or more areas?
- Is your sweat symmetrical?
- Does your sweat impair your daily activities?
- Do you experience sweating episodes more than once a week?
- Have you experienced this since adolescence?
- Do you stop sweating when you sleep?
If you answered yes to at least two of the questions above, you probably have primary focal hyperhidrosis. If you still experience excessive sweating, but you didn’t answer yes to at least two of the questions above, then you may have secondary generalized hyperhidrosis.
Excessive Sweating Treatment Options
There are several treatment options available, but we recommend miraDry®. miraDry® is a nonsurgical treatment that targets and destroys the sweat and odor glands in the underarms. It’s a long lasting, noninvasive treatment.
Once you get rid of your sweat glands, they will be gone for good and you’ll notice the difference immediately.
Here’s what to expect:
- Little to no healing time – You can go back to work the same day.
- Simple, safe procedure – The procedure only takes a few minutes.
- Painless – A small amount of local anesthetic is used to ensure comfort, but standard routines and exercise can be resumed in a few days.
This permanent solution has no risk and the results are impressive.
If you suffer from excessive underarm sweat, miraDry® is for you!
Nobody understands your condition, or the treatment better than Dr. Chung and his staff at the Vein & Skin Center of Hawaii.
Get rid of your underarm sweat for good. Take the first step by calling us at (808) 949-8346 to make an appointment.