EXCESSIVE SWEATING or HYPERHIDROSIS COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

• 1. Definitions and An Introduction to Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating)
• 2. Details and Explanation of the Sympathetic Nervous System
• 3. More Definitions Pertaining to Hyperhidrosis
• 4. Diagnosis: Symptoms and Manifestations
• 5. Guide to Recovery: Treatments for Excessive Sweating
• 6. The Risks of Surgery for Excessive Sweating Outweigh the Benefits - The MegaDry Position
• 7. Probability for Success and Other Details for Hyperhidrosis Surgery
• 8. Hyperhidrosis Forums and Sites with Hyperhydrosis Information

Excessive Sweating Info from MegaDry Antiperspirant

We at MegaDry Antiperspirant believe it is our duty as your antiperspirant provider, to inform you and provide as many facts as possible on the science of perspiration, whether heavy or light perspiration. We strongly feel that everyone is entitled to be informed on sweat related issues so that they can make the right choice for them, in relation to their perspiration needs and with regard to their particular sweating condition, whether it be light to excessive sweating.

1: Definitions and An Introduction to Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating)

Sweating, as we all know, is a healthy and natural process that our bodies undergo. Sweating is necessary for the control and maintenance of our body-temperature and our skin. This sweat or perspiration, is a secretion of fluids made up mostly of water. Our perspiration is regulated by a part of our body's "automatic" or vegetative nervous system which is also known as the Sympathetic Nervous System (the "automated" party of the human body). Unfortunately for approximately 1% of the Earth's people, (or sixty million individuals world wide, to be exact) the Sympathetic Nervous System is working overtime, causing hyperhidrosis, or more commonly called or known as excessive sweating. Hyperhidrosis is the excessive sweating of an individual, regardless of temperature or sometimes context, however, hyperhidrosis can be set off during high-stress or risky situations.

Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis can occur in the hands or palms ( palmar hyperhidrosis ), in the armpit area ( axillary hyperhidrosis ), or in the feet ( plantar HH or excessive sweating ). No one completely understands hyperhidrosis or can pinpoint the exact cause(s) of this often-times unnecessary, heavy perspiration in specific persons. However, it is widely known that sweating is directed by the aforementioned Sympathetic Nervous System. This particular system of nerves is running at a very high activity level for people with excessive sweating, causing stress and often times socially debilitating situations in ordinary and professional life. In this situation of excessive perspiration, the sympathetic nervous system is operating at far higher levels than is desired or required to keep a comfortable and healthy body temperature. Hyperhidrosis is the known general, medical and scientific term for this condition of excessive perspiration.

2: Sweat Central Control, The Sympathetic Nervous System: Details, Context and Explanation of the SMS

Our bodies contain two different networks or systems of nerves.

1. The somatic nervous system is the system of voluntary nerves (nerves we for the most part, have control over) that give us feeling and sensation (pain, heat, and touch), as well as the control of our many muscles that allow us to move the different parts of our body as we desire, indirectly causing us to sweat or perspire through excercise. However, this nervous system is in no way correlated to excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis.

2. The second network of nerves is the autonomic nervous system, which in contrast, is the involuntary nervous system. These are the nerves that are on 'autopilot,' meaning we do not have any real control over these actions that this nervous system controls. Many of these functions of the body happen without our conscious control, such as the rate at which we breathe, the beating of our heart, and the production of sweat, which is of course integral or important for regulating body temperature. The autonomic nervous system is itself made up of two systems of nerves: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems. It is this sympathetic nervous system (which is a part of the autonomic nervous system) that controls our perspiration throughout all of our bodies and can cause some of us to excessively sweat. It is this same nervous system (SMS) that cause 1% of the world's population to excessively sweat, a condition called hyperhidrosis.

Currently, there is still ongoing medical and scientific research which is creating more knowledge in order to cure this abnormality (excessive-sweating). However, hyperhidrosis or heavy sweating is still actually quite common, and it is not known exactly what particular defect happens that results in excessive sweating. It could be attributed to the over-activity of the sympathetic nervous chain, the sweat glands themselves, or to some other unforseen cause that is yet to be discovered or decided upon.

3: Short Definitions Pertaining to Hyperhidrosis or Excessive Sweating

* EXCESSIVE SWEATING CAUSES

1. First, Primary or the Essential Originating Cause: Also Called the Idiopathic (Unknown Cause of Hyperhidrosis)

2. Secondary (Known Cause of Excessive Sweating)

HYPHIDROSIS AREAS ON THE BODY

A. Axillary Hyperhidrosis (armpits)

B. Facial Hyperhidrosis (face)

C. General Hyperhidrosis (throughout the surface of the body)

D. Palmar Hyperhidrosis (hands)

E. Plantar Hyperhidrosis (feet)

F. Truncal Hyperhidrosis (the body without the head or limbs)

G. Other related occurences

Primary / Essential Cause of Hyperhidrosis

1. Hyperhidrosis without proven origin (primary or essential hyperhidrosis) is a far more often occurring condition than secondary hyperhidrosis. Primary hyperhidrosis appears, for most circumstances, to be localized in one or a few locations on the body (most often hands, feet, armpits or a combination of thereof). This form of hyperhidrosis usually begins during childhood or early adolescence and continues through the rest of their lives. Nervousness, stress and anxiety all can elicit or aggravate sweating, however psychological or psychiatric situations / conditions are only very rarely the cause of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating.

Secondary Cause of Hyperhidrosis

2. Secondary causes of hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating or abundant perspiration as a part of a latent condition (to be redundant: secondary hyperhidrosis) is not yet fully comprehended or completely known. However, other situations or conditions in our bodies can often times, increase and facilitate excessive sweating. As a rule mostly involving the entire body:

* Hyperthyroidism and / or like endocrine diseases
* Endocrine therapy in relation to prostatic cancer or similar forms of malignant disease
* Acute psychiatric conditions or disorders
* Corpulance or Obesity
* Menopause and the Symptoms Related to Menopause

In secondary hyperhidrosis, the underlying condition should be treated first as a rule. Women who use hormonal therapy for prostatic cancer (castration, LHRH-analoges) can be struck with disturbing and deeply uncomfortable sweat attacks. However, these patients can get relief by the application or treatment using anti-estrogens (ciproterone acetate) for their hyperhidrosis.

Excessive Sweating Locations

A. Underarm, Armpit or Axillary Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the armpits and the underarm region can be quite embarrassing. This area of sweating, the underarm region of the body, can also be annoying because it often causes large wet marks that sometimes result in a white halo or circular form of salt from sweating on the shirts or blouses of the individual.

B. Facial Hyperhidrosis

Heavy sweat pouring down from the top of head or forehead in cicumstance of stress can often times be very worrying and awkward. This excessively sweating patient might think that others may consider him/her nervous and insecure, or unable to perform securely.

C. Other locations or General

Less frequently, it is located only at the trunk and/or the thighs. Sometimes people suffer from large amounts and unnecessary sweating on the most of the face itself.

D. Sweaty Palms or Palmar Hyperhidrosis

Heavy sweating of the hands or "sweaty palms" is often times reported by people to be the most annoying and the most stressful and socially awkward sweating condition. In most societies, hands are the most exposed limb or body part, and is used most in societal, private, and work activities than all the other parts or areas of our bodies, especially in terms of physical contact. Many individuals with sweaty palms are limited in choices for work. This often times can be career-killing or at the very least, career-limiting. This excessive-sweating handicap makes them not able to use materials sensitive to moisture such as paper. People with palmar hyperhidrosis also think twice about shaking hands, and in some extreme cases, individuals may where they shy away from all social contact because of their excessive perspiration. The level or amount of sweating varies, and may range from moderate wetness to dripping ( heavy, excessive sweating ). A good portion of individuals with palmar hyperhidrosis realize that their hands not only feel wet, but also cold and clammy from the perspiration.

E. Too Much Sweating of the Feet or Plantar Hyperhidrosis

Too much sweating of the feet can be hidden. However, excessive foot perspiration can lead to odors and ruining of shoes, which, after a while, can be quite expensive. Individuals with combined hyperhidrosis of the palms and excessive sweating of the soles have a good chance to improve the sweating of their feet after an operation (however side effects loom over this operation) that aims to suppress sweating of both the hands and the feet. MegaDry antiperspirant would never recommend such an operation and would advise that all surgery be evaluated as only a last resort for any kind of excessive sweating. Isolated plantar hyperhidrosis can, however, only sometimes be cured by Lumbar Sympathectomy, an open abdominal procedure with many complications for the long term.

F. Truncal Hyperhidrosis

Diffuse hyperhidrosis or dispersed excess sweating of the trunk (thighs and lower waist area) or general heavy sweating of the lower portion below the abdomen and above the knees, cannot be treated by surgery because of the extensive nature of that surgery. The possible risks and the scale of the surgery outweigh any possible reduction in excessive sweating.

G. Other Related Occurrences or Areas of Hyperhidrosis

* Many hyperhidrosis sufferers are dealing with some sort of combination of the above forms of excessive sweating.
* Excessive Sweating can appear instantly and without warning, or be brought about more continuously over a certain period of time.
* Hyperhidrosis can be elicited by high, hot, outside temperatures, emotional stress, or physical activity. Excessive sweating may sometimes appear without any obvious reason, thus baffling and annoying the individual.
* Generally, hyperhidrosis worsens during the summer or warm seasons and gets better during winter, but not necessarily. Many individuals have reported the same level of excessive sweating all year, through all temperatures.

4: Symptoms and Manifestations for Hyperhidrosis or Excessive Sweating

Persons with hyperhidrosis have overly abundant sweating or perspiration that generally negatively affects their activities of daily life. This excessive sweating is sometimes started by stress, emotions, and/or physical strain or exercise. However, this excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis can also occur out of the blue without warning. Persons with palmar (hands and palms) hyperhidrosis have wet, overly moist hands that often interfere with holding items and disrupt activities like work and play. A lot of people with palmar hyperhidrosis feel that it is a difficult social problem, because every time they shake hands or hug, they leave the other person's palm or back very moist, which of course is a sensation most people find unpleasant. Individuals who are afflicted with axillary hyperhidrosis sweat unnecessarily often, losing quite a bit of fluid from their underarms causing them to stain their clothes shortly after they dress. This can be considered unnatractive and can often times prove to be very unsightly and a social disadvantage. Plantar hyperhidrosis is the excessive perspiration of the feet. Plantar hyperhidrosis of course leads to moist or "flooded" socks and shoes, which then leads to increased foot odor and most importantly, smelly shoes that can never quite be aired out.

5: Hyperhidrosis or Excessive Sweating Treatments

Individuals with primary hyperhidrosis, or for symptomatic treatment of heavy sweating in persons with secondary hyperhidrosis not treatable in other ways, the following treatments have been applied and used in many cases. For psychiatric patients with excessive sweating, successful treatments for this symptom often attempts to reduce the causal circumstance or situation that leads to a tendency towards emotional distress.

The first treatment for excessive sweating is usually medical in nature and does not necessarily include hospital operations. There are ointments and salves ( MegaDry Antiperspirant) available that are astringents which have an inclination to dry up the sweat glands. Another treatment is iontopheresis (electrical shock therapy). This usually consists of a light treatment of electrical stimulation, and is commonly applied to the hands. Patients place their hands in a shallow bath which has an electrical current. This treatment tends to "stun" the sweat glands and can decrease the secretion of sweat for periods of 6 hours to one week. One of the most recent treatments proposed, is the injection of botulinum toxin (Botox) into the area of excessive sweating. This is a toxin that affects nerve endings and decreases the transmission of the nerve impulses to the sweat glands thus resulting in decreased sweating. It generally requires several injections in the palms or underarms and it remains effective for one to six months. Repeat injections are nearly always required to maintain an adequate level of dryness.

Supplementing the recently mentioned treatments for hyperhidrosis, many medicines have been studied and tried with varying degrees of success with heavy sweating. These include both sedatives (in those patients with stress-induced hyperhidrosis) and medications that affect the nervous system. General doctors, nurses, or interns often start the first phase of the hyperhidrosis treatment. Patients not affected by simple treatment regimens are quite often then pointed to a specialist. This specialist is more then not, a dermatologist or neurologist. For all cases, surgery is only an option when the less invasive medical treatments have had no real or significant effect in stemming hyperhidrosis.

A More Detailed Guide To Treatment Options for HH (Hyperhidrosis)

* Antiperspirants ( Such as Megadry)

* Light Electric Shocks or Iontophoresis

* Pharmaceuticals or Drugs

* Botox or Botulinum Toxin

* Operations or Surgery

* Alternative Treatment Options or the "Long Tail" Treatments

ANTIPERSPIRANTS (SUCH AS MEGADRY)

Antiperspirants are most of the time, the first line of defense against excessive perspiration or hyperhidrosis. Antiperspirants are also recommended by doctors as the first therapeutic measure for sweating, whether normal or excessive sweating. An effective and often used ingredient is alluminum chloride (20-25%), which is often immersed in 70-90% alcohol, applied in the later evening 2 or 3 times a week, to affect sweating during the day and evening. Often times, surface medicine for sweating is sufficient in cases with very little to medium excessive sweating. Unfortunately, the application must be repeated regularly and can often times cause irritation (except in the case of MegaDry antiperspirant).

The active ingredient in MegaDry antiperspirant is aluminum chlorohydrate, an ingredient approved by the FDA for safe and effective use, both in antiperspirants and in the treatment of perspiration and excessive sweating, also known as hyperhidrosis. The antiperspirant industry often times uses the above alluminum chloride, a derivative of hydrochloric acid, which often times irritates the skin, thereby causing discomfort, and can frequently and easily stain clothing. MegaDry antiperspirant is specially formulated to be gentle and non-irritating, yet effective. In fact, an FDA-approved laboratory tested MegaDry on real people (not animals) and not a single person experienced any irritation or discomfort. Dr. Stoll has been prescribing MegaDry antiperspirant for sweating during the past few years for his patients, and no one has come back with any problems regarding irritation, stained clothes or reports of any side affects at all thus far!

SLIGHT ELECTRIC SHOCK OR IONTOPHORESIS FOR EXCESSIVE SWEATING

Iontophoresis ( electric treatment for excessive sweating ) is available to be pursued as a treatment if topical solutions such as antiperspirants have not lead to effective outcomes. This procedure involves inducing slight electric shocks or low voltage current (fifteen to eighteen mA), created through a D/C generator. The treatment for hyperhidrosis is administered to the palms and/or soles dipped in a particular type of electrolyte fluid. This treatment has to be conducted often, at certain intervals. In the beginning, the excessive sweating treatment is performed during twenty instances a few times a week. The treatment gradually increases the time between treatments to one to two weeks.

Effects or outcomes are different for many patients suffering from light or moderate hyperhiderosis. Some are satisfied with the method, while other individuals complain that it takes up too much of their schedule, or that it's inconvenient or inefficient, and / or cost too much. It is often times a challenge to treat axillary hyperhidrosis with iontophoresis. Similarly, iontophoresis is not available or effective to use in diffuse hyperhidrosis on the facial area or the thigh area or trunk.

Devices constructed and designed for the treatment of hyperhidrosis at the patient's house or in the doctor's office, are bought from pharmacies and online.

PHARMACEUTICALS FOR EXCESSIVE SWEATING

As far as we know, there are currently no pharmaceuticals prescribed nor any over-the-counter options for the treatment of heavy sweating. However, psychotropic (mostly sedative) and/or anticholinergic drugs often times are researched but more often then not, cause too many side-effects precipitating any positive and noticeable effects of the treatment. Therefore, these treatments are rarely prescribed or recommended as a solution to hyperhidrosis. In the very limited cases which have to deal with the heavy sweating of the thigh and/or trunk area (but not the extremities), a small dose of an anticholinergic agent can take away some of the symptoms without causing discomfort and annoyance from side-effects such as dry mouth, accomodation difficulties of the eyes, etc. However the dosage of an anticholinergic agent necessary to decrease the amount of sweating will rarely ever be tolerated by an individual with hyperhidrosis.

BOTOX OR BOTULINUM TOXIN FOR HYPERHIDROSIS

Botulinum toxins are a category of toxins created from a bacteria named Clostridium Botulinum, which is a poison that is one of the most deadly poisons to exist to man. Clostridium Botulinum interferes with nerves by effecting the transmitter chemical acethylcholine at the synapses. Synapses are the communicating point of a nerve ending with another nerve cell or a muscle. This effectively leads to progressive retardation of all muscle tissue in the body, which includes the lungs and other respiratory muscles. For very slight amounts, botulinus toxin or botox has been adopted in instances with localized muscle hyperactivity (lid spasms, torticollis, etc.), which results in a lessening of transmitting signals going to the muscle.

Initial reports have been published regarding the use of botulinum toxin for excessive sweating, commonly called botox . It seems to work sufficiently in axillary hyperhidrosis, lasting for six to twelve months, depending on the dosage (0.5-1.0 Units/cm2;). There are certain drawbacks, including the heavy costs of this treatment, which has to be repeated at regular intervals. The upside is that side-effects seem to be somewhat negligible if dosages are kept low.

SURGERY (DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED) FOR HYPERHIDROSIS

* Cutting or Splitting of the axillary sweat glands (the underarm sweat glands)

Those of us who suffer from excessive underarm sweating or axillary hyperhidrosis who are unphased or uneffected by other medical therapy can sometimes, as a last resort, be somwhat effectively treated by the cutting or excision of the axillary sweat glands (the underarm sweat glands). However, if sweating continues or reaches beyond the hairy portion of the axilla (the underarm region), a few skin incisions may be required, often times, unfortunately, resulting in creation of unattractive hypertrophic and/or constrictive scars to the underarm region.

This risky surgical treatment of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating involves destroying or removing a particular portion of the main sympathetic nerve, which of course, is quite problematic and can lead to many complications. As noted above, the sympathetic nerves are part of a separate and parallel nervous system. Their anatomic location is separate from the somatic (voluntary) nerves that control sensation and motor function. The sympathetic nerve network is formed by a plexus of nerves located next to the ribs in the chest, above the abdomen. The spine is made up of vertebra, which are blocks of bone stacked one on top of another like building blocks. The branches that form this sympathetic network come from between these specific building blocks and end in a bundle of cells called a ganglion. There is a ganglion at each vertebral level (at each building block) of the spine and all these ganglions are attached to one another longitudinally to form the sympathetic network of nerves. A sympathetic nerve branch then comes off each of these ganglions and travels out to enervate blood vessels and sweat glands in the body. The surgical therapy for hyperhidrosis entails removing or destroying the specific ganglion that cause sweating in the arm and the axillae.

There are a variety of ways of dealing with the sympathetic ganglions for excessive sweating, including removing them, cauterizing them, cutting the branches, and clipping them. Different surgeons have been trained in different techniques, and all appear to be somewhat effective in a high percentage of hyperhidrosis cases. No specific technique has proven definitively to be superior to the other excessive sweating treatments.

Treating sweaty palms or palmar hyperhidrosis requires what is known as the T2 ganglion to be removed or some how incapacitated. Many hyperhidrosis specialists will also then incapacitate or remove the third ganglion to thoroughly increase the chance of completely preventing excessive sweating of the hands. To treat the armpit however, both the second and third ganglia are taken away or destroyed. Similarly, hyperhidrosis specialists will also incapacitate the fourth ganglion, to once again increase the chances of complete relief from underarm perspiration.

Historically, this procedure for hyperhidrosis often times required a medium to large sized cut into the chest, which also requires slicing muscles and pushing apart ribs to get at the sympathetic chain. Fortunately, current medical advances in hyperhidrosis treatment have made it possible for less invasive procedures. This is where so-called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), also known as thoracoscopic sympathectomy comes into the picture. This procedure involves general anesthesia for the patient. Once put under, a few small (5-10 mm) incisions are made below the armpit. Through these holes, a telescope is passed which is attached to a miniature video camera. Thus, the sympathetic chain can be identified. Through the remaining one or two incisions, instruments are placed to allow the surgeon to remove or destroy the specific ganglions as dictated by the patient's symptoms. To perform this operation, the patient's lung must be collapsed to allow adequate space for the surgeon to maneuver. Following completion of the operation, the lung is re-expanded and the incisions are closed. Occasionally a small tube is left inside the chest to allow evacuation of air, however, this is usually removed within hours of the surgery. With the completion of one side, the specialist then focuses his/her attention to the other, opposite side and performs an identical procedure, mirroring the other side.

Most of the time and generally, the patient dealing with hyperhidrosis remains in the hospital for a period of 12-24 hours following the operation. The post-operative pain following the operation requires that most patients ingest some form of oral pain medication (pills) for a variable period of a week to a week and a half following the hyperhidrosis surgery.

OTHER TREATMENT FOR HEAVY PERSPIRATION OR THE "LONG TAIL" OPTIONS

* Natural Therapies or "Alternative Medicine"

A lot of patients get disillusioned with their hyperhidrosis treatment in the established medical industry, thus they turn to methods that are out of the mainstream. These methods include homeopathy, massage, acupuncture and phytotherapeutic drugs, all of which the consensus leads us to believe with no measurable improvement.

* Hypnotism

Rigorous studies on the effects of Hypnotism are nonexistent. There are very few patients who are actually trying hypnotism for excessive sweating, however those patients that have, come back with poor results combating palmar hyperhidrosis.

* "Talking Therapy" or Psychotherapy

Sociological and Psychological difficulties are often times more of a consequence of excessive sweating, not the source of hyperhidrosis. There is limited results in most of the people tested us psychotherapy. Therefore, "talking cures" or psychiatric or psychopharmacologic therapy does not improve conditions for those who suffer from uncomfortable sweating. While it may not cure this disorder, it may help some patients to accept the everyday difficulties living in the world with hyperhidrosis.

6: The Risks of Surgical Operations for Excessive Sweating Outweigh the Benefits - The MegaDry Position

With every form of surgery, and especially for excessive sweating, there are many levels of risk in varying amount (plus side effects, see below). The following are some of the risks: an allergic reaction to anesthetic agents or drugs, possible infection(s) at the site of operation and unforeseen risks over time. Because the telescope and instruments are passed between the ribs, it is possible to damage the artery, vein or nerve which run beneath each rib. This could potentially lead to bleeding or inflammation of the nerve, with chronic irritation or pain. Finally, although the majority of these operations are performed on young adults, occasionally older patients will undergo the procedure. These patients are subject to the risks of cardiac problems (heart attack, abnormal rhythm), stroke, pneumonia, blood clots, and urinary tract infections. The incidence of any of the above potential complications is very low (1% or less) but such problems can arise with any form of surgery, and patients must be aware of all the risks no matter how small.

There are some potential side effects of the surgery for hyperhidrosis. The most common of these is compensatory sweating which occurs in up to 50-60% of patients. One must remember that sweating is one form of regulating the body's heat. If the operation prevents sweating in the upper chest, back and arms, it is possible that patients will notice a greater amount of sweating elsewhere in their body in order to compensate for the lack of sweating in the upper extremities. This is called "compensatory sweating," and can occur on the face, abdomen, back, buttocks, thighs, or feet. While this appears to be merely a nuisance for most patients, occasionally (5-10% of the time) it can be severe and interfere with the patient's lifestyle.

A second potential side effect is gustatory sweating. Patients who develop this problem note increased sweating when they are eating. This occurs in approximately 5-10% of patients, but is rarely severe.

Finally, there is a small but real incidence of Horner's syndrome (1%). This occurs when the highest sympathetic ganglion (the first ganglion or "stellate" ganglion) is damaged during the operation. When this occurs, the patient notes three findings on the side of the face where the stellate ganglion was injured. These include a slight droop in the eyelid, a small or narrow pupil, and the lack of sweating on that side of the face. This excessive sweating syndrome is sometimes reversible over a period of weeks to months, but may also prove to be a permanent perspiration problem. Although the incidence of this is quite low (1%), it is a potential complication of which all patients should be aware. Overall, with the exception of compensatory sweating, the incidence of complications or side effects remains gratifyingly low.

7: Probability for Success with Surgery for Hyperhidrosis

The chances of achieving a patient's goals for treating his or her sweating varies with the particular kind of excessive sweating that that particualr patient is suffering from. In other words, the anatomic location of the excessive sweating is a determining factor in the success of the treatment. Endoscopic Thoracic Surgery (ETS) will stop about 95-98% of excessive hand (palmar) hyperhidrosis and approximately 75-80% of underarm (axillary) hyperhidrosis. Approximately a quarter of those patients that undergo surgery for their hyperhidrosis of the feet (plantar) will note some release from their sweating problems, however,the operation is really not meant to treat this particulor form of the sweating disorder and should not be used primarily, but only as a last resort, especially if this is the only complaint.

Although ETS is overall a safe and a somewhat highly effective method of treatment for the hyperhidrosis syndrome or excessive sweating, it also must be realized that it remains a surgical procedure with the inherent risks described above. As with most disorders, non-invasive medical forms of therapy or safe antiperspirants should be tried prior to surgery, which should be the last option and is rarely applied. It is only when these prove to be unsuccessful or impractical for long-term use in treating excessive sweating that a surgical procedure should be contemplated. Once the decision to pursue surgery is made, patients would best be served looking for a board certified thoracic surgeon experienced in performing video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), otherwise known as thoracoscopy to alter their heavy perspiration.

* Sympathectomy ( Another Surgery for Excessive-Sweating )

The purpose of having a sympathectomy is to interrupt, stem or cut off the nerve tracks and nodes (ganglia) which communicate or send the signals that cause sweating to the sweat glands. By disrupting this signal from the nerves, it prevents the glands from excessively sweating. Simply, this can be achieved for all locations and parts in your body, however, it is not recommended for certain parts due to the surgery's effectiveness, side effects and the fact that only the nerve nodes responsible for the sweat glands of the palms and the face are easily accessible. The rest of the nerve nodes associated with other forms of hypherhidrosis are not easily reached without the requirement of a complex, major surgical procedure.

Recently, the treatment of choice seemingly for many of us who suffer from moderate to severe palmar hyperhidrosis ( sweaty hands ), excessive facial sweating and also axillary (excessive underarm sweating), or a combination of any of the above, includes a surgical procedure defined in the health care field as Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy or ETS. This slightly-invasive endoscopic technique was developed recently in a few health care centers in Europe, superceding Conventional Thoracic Sympathectomy, which is a very traumatic operation that was performed before ETS was developed. The endoscopic technique is somewhat safe, if performed by a very experienced surgeon with expertise in this particular type of procedure (ETS) for excessive sweating. ETS leads to a definitive cure in close to 99% of patients who suffer from heavy perspiration, leaving only a minimal scar in the armpit. However, let us stress again that all of the above solutions, even ETS (Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy) are still surgical in nature and can leave long lasting side affects that may be worse then the original excessive sweating, and that these side affects could worsen over time.

8. Hyperhidrosis Forums or Excessive Sweating Boards and Sites with Hyperhydrosis Information

MSN Excessive Sweat HH group website of sorts

MSN Excessive Sweat HH group
Pretty extensive forum on hyperhidrosis with a lot of HH members.

ESFB Channel Forum
Excessive sweating forum with a pleasant design and a lot of members.

Social Phobia World - Great Forum for Hyperhidrosis or HH

ETS & Reversals Discussion Forum

Old ESFB channel Forum Nonparticipatory

CTSNet forums; Hyperhidrosis

Hyperhidrosis Forum. Very Good Forum

No ETS - Fully Informative Forum on Sweating Issues

HH or Hyperhidrosis Support Forum

Teen Hyperhidrosis Forum, Oh My God Becky!
A good excessive sweating forum for adolescents.

Dutch Sweating Forum

Arabian Hyperhidrosis Group

Excessive Sweating Health Group

Sweaty Friends Group

ETS and Reversals forum and discussion board for hyperhidrosis

ETS and Reversals forum and discussion board
This forum specifically for excessive sweating discussion.

Geocities site on hyperhidrosis medications
Other medications that are available and some brief information on those medications for those hyperhidrosis medications.

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