Nearly everyone at some point has been embarrassed because of excessive sweating. Whether you felt mortified after displaying arm pit stains at a job interview, were made fun of because of sweaty palms during a hand shake, or had to change your socks constantly because your feet kept sweating, don’t worry, we’ve all been there at least once in our lifetime. Sweating is the body’s natural way to stay cool and regulated. People sweat more in warm temperatures, while exercising or during nervous or uncomfortable situations. It’s perfectly normal and we’ve all gone through it.
But although everyone naturally sweats, there are some individuals who sweat excessively, even when normal triggers are absent. This causes the individual to feel embarrassed, ashamed and even fearful to enter into social situations. Not only can uncontrollable sweating lead to emotional suffering, but it can also result in significant physical discomfort. If this has happened to you, you may be suffering from hyperhidrosis, a condition that causes sweat glands to become overactive in uncontrollable by the body manner.
When excessive sweating affects the armpits, hands and feet, the condition is called primary focal hyperhidrosis. There is little known about what actually causes the sweat glands in these areas to overact, but science has attributed most cases to heredity. If you suffer from this condition, it’s important that you understand that you are not alone. Roughly 2-3% of the population in the U.S. is struggling with primary hyperhidrosis, yet less than 40 percent of patients seek medical help. There are ways to correct this problem, one being plastic surgery, but it is important to first rule out any other underlying issues.
If you suffer from excessive sweating in other areas aside from the armpits, hands and feet, whether in one specific area or all over the body, this is known as secondary hyperhidrosis. Unlike primary hyperhidrosis, this form of excessive sweating is usually the result of an underlying medical condition that could prove life-threatening. Symptoms may include sudden uncontrollable sweating, sweating accompanied by fatigue or headache, heavy sweating while eating, and heavy sweating while sleeping (night sweats). Seek medical attention right away if you or a loved one have suddenly developed symptoms of secondary hyperhidrosis.
Some conditions that can cause secondary hyperhidrosis include:
- Acromegaly (a condition in which the body produces excessive growth hormone (GH))
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pheochromocytoma (tumor of adrenal gland tissue)
- Negative reaction to a medication
- Tuberculosis and other infections
However, if there is no underlying medical concern and the excessive sweating is attributed to primary hyperhidrosis, there is a simple and effective non-surgical treatment available right now to put an end to the embarrassment associated with uncontrollable sweat – Botox.
Believe it or not, the world’s most popular wrinkle-relaxing treatment does more than just help patients look and feel younger; it can actually stop excessive sweating in patients with just one small dose. Here in New York, Brooklyn plastic surgeon Dr. Leonard Grossman has been successfully treating patients who suffer from problematic sweat in arm pit area, hands and feet with Botox injections for years and can help put an end to the embarrassment your hyperhidrosis has caused.
More formally known as botulinum toxin type A, Botox is FDA approved for the treatment of primary hyperhidrosis. The procedure is quick and with minimal and short lived discomfort. Dr. Grossman will first consult with you to determine if you suffer from the condition and if so, will inject a small dose of purified Botox into the area where the excessive sweating occurs. The Botox will then temporarily block sweating in the area, preventing future embarrassment and allowing you to regain control of your life.
The treatment lasts only a few minutes and just one single Brooklyn Botox injection for hyperhidrosis can for quite a few months. For optimal results, the treatment should be repeated every six months, but some patients can go longer between injections.
If you are tired of suffering with embarrassing sweat in your arm pits, hands and feet, turn to Dr. Leonard Grossman today to discuss how you can benefit from Botox hyperhidrosis treatments.
