Excessive Sweating Problems? Diagnosis?

Hyperhidrosis Interview and Examination

When it comes to your excessive sweating, it is important to thoroughly list your symptoms and examine other variables that may lead to the over sweating. Patient's who have hyperhidrosis tend to have histories that include many of the same conditions such as the following:

* Excessive sweating starts sometime before the patient is 20 years old
* The Excessive Sweating primarily affects palms of hands and soles of feet
* Sometimes other family members have hyperhidrosis, sometimes not
* Sweating Problems: Social embarrassment and isolation can occur

Hyperhidrosis diagnosis can include the following exams and procedures.

Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis exams if there is usually a clamminess and even dripping of sweat droplets affecting the palms/soles that stops just above the wrists/ankles. Hyperhidrosis patients are usually not excessively anxious and the rest of their physical examination (including vital signs and neurology exam) is normal.

Blood and Urine Tests

With the medical history and exam, the next step is selected blood tests to rule out hyperthyroidism, diabetes, acromegaly and pheochromocytoma.
Thermoregulatory Sweat Test

Some clinics may document the distribution of the excessive sweating via the Thermoregulatory Sweat Test. During the Thermoregulatory Sweat Test, a moisture-sensitive indicator powder is applied on all skin areas and a color change from yellow-green to dark purple occurs in areas that are sweating excessively at room temperature. Digital photos document the process and then the patient is exposed to sufficient heat and humidity in a sweat cabinet that causes sweating over the entire body. Subjecting the entire body to sweat-inducing environment is crucial as somtimes a patient will have excessive sweating on other regions of the body. Excessive sweating in other areason of the body (besides the palms and the feet) can be sometimes caused by another condition that needs to be diagnosed and treated.

People who have essential hyperhidrosis (palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis) tend to sweat even more in the palms and feet in a warm environment whereas normal individuals tend not to sweat excessively from the palms and feet.  The above exams help physicians accurately diagnose the patient for hyperhidrosis and define the severity of the sweating problem to determine the most appropriate excessive sweating treatment.