What is Hyperhidrosis?
none Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition characterized by abnormal and chronic perspiration, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature.

When it’s hot outside, everybody sweats. Sweating is an essential function that helps the body stay cool. When a person’s body temperature rises due to hot weather or exercise, for example, the body triggers the secretion of sweat in order to maintain a safe core temperature. In some people, however, the body’s mechanism for cooling itself is overactive – so overactive that the person may sweat four or five times more than what is necessary or normal. This kind of excessive sweating affects millions of people around the world, but because of lack of awareness, more than half of these people are never diagnosed or treated for their symptoms.

One of the most difficult aspects of Hyperhidrosis is that it is not merely a physical ailment, but a condition that affects all aspects of a person’s life, from career choices and recreational activities to relationships, emotional well-being, and self-image. Imagine sweating profusely in the dead of winter when you’re not even exerting yourself or having your hands literally drip with wetness. Those who suffer from Hyperhidrosis would agree that coping with the embarrassment of excessive sweating is frequently the most difficult issue to live with. In a day and age where social interactions hinge on first impressions, a cold clammy handshake or excessive sweating can make a person appear overly nervous or even slightly suspicious. Unfortunately, the reality is that in order to cope with social stigmas, those who suffer from Hyperhidrosis will often go to great lengths to avoid social situations in which they may risk humiliation.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

In the past, there was little that could be done to alleviate the symptoms of Hyperhidrosis, other than prescribing an assortment of talcum powders to mask the problem. However, in recent years, doctors have developed a relatively simple and low-risk out-patient procedure that cures problem and offers immediate relief.

Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hyperhidrosis Center is dedicated to helping sufferers get relief. If you or someone you care about is struggling with Hyperhidrosis, we’ve got information to help you understand the problem and the resources to provide you with the treatment you need to live the life you deserve.
Primary vs. Secondary Hyperhidrosis

There are two main classifications of Hyperhidrosis: primary and secondary. Primary Hyperhidrosis is found to start during adolescence with the onset of puberty and seems to be inherited as a dominant genetic trait. Primary Hyperhidrosis usually affects a focal area such as the hands (Palmar Hyperhidrosis), feet (Pedal Hyperhidrosis), armpits (Axillary Hyperhidrosis), or face (Facial Hyperhidrosis).

The other main type of Hyperhidrosis is Secondary Hyperhidrosis. Unlike with primary focal Hyperhidrosis, people with Secondary Hyperhidrosis experience sweating on larger areas over the entire body, rather than in one specific area. Furthermore, this type of excessive sweating is caused by another medical condition or is a side effect of a medication. That�s why it�s called secondary � the condition is secondary to something else. Hyperthyroidism and similar endocrine diseases, cancer, sever psychiatric disorders, use of certain drugs, obesity, and menopause have all been linked to Secondary Hyperhidrosis.
Causes of Hyperhidrosis

By definition Hyperhidrosis is a condition in which the body produces more sweat than it needs to keep a constant temperature. This excessive sweating occurs when a system of nerves in the body known as the Sympathetic Chain becomes overactive.

When an increase in body temperature is detected, the Sympathetic Nervous System is responsible for sending signals to the two to four million sweat glands on the body’s surface to begin producing and secreting sweat to cool the body down. In people with Hyperhidrosis, the Sympathetic Nervous System does not function properly. Instead of initiating perspiration in order to regulate a change in body temperature, the nerves comprising the Sympathetic Chain are overactive, sending unnecessary signals to the glands to begin producing sweat when it is not physically necessary. Accordingly, the excessive sweating that results is an involuntary response to a defect in the Sympathetic Nervous System.
Pure sweat is essentially odorless. Only when sweat combines with bacteria does body odor result.
The majority of the body’s two to four million sweat glands are concentrated in the palms of the hands, making excessive sweating of the hands the most frequently encountered form of Hyperhidrosis.
A woman sweats more in her underarms than anywhere else on her body; a man sweats more on his chest, forehead and back.