Clarification of Answer by
blinkwilliams-ga
on
15 Sep 2003 10:57 PDT
Hi again Pablo6767,
Let me do my best to address your clarification request. From what
your doctor said it sounds like your father has primary hyperhidrosis
rather than secondary hyperhidrosis. Secondary hyperhidrosis results
from some underlying cause (such as those mentioned in the first
portion of my answer). Primary hyperhidrosis, on the other hand, is a
general condition that results from an overactive sympathetic nervous
system. As I state in my answer, the sympathetic nervous system is the
part of the nervous system that controls sweating. Primary
hyperhidrosis results not because of some underlying cause, but rather
because of a genetic disposition for the sympathetic nervous system to
over-react. If your doctor has ruled out any of the underlying
conditions that lead to hyperhydrosis, then it probably is the result
of an overactive sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous
system "works too hard" (to state it simply) and causes
overstimulation of the sweat glands. Normally, when we get nervous or
excited the sympathic nervous system stimulates the sweat glands and
as a result they produce sweat. In the case of primary hyperhidrosis,
the sympathetic nervous system is stimulating sweat glands at times
when it shouldn't be. This is what leads to excessive sweating.
There are a number of treatments for treating an overactive
sympathetic nervous system, however there doesn’t seem to be a single
obvious way of treating it. Rather the treatment involves trying a
number of different methods and seeing which one works best. One
option that you might wish to discuss with your doctor involves taking
certain medications that I mention in my original answer; such as
Drysol, Drionics, Robinul, Propantheline, Ditropan or Maxim. These
drugs have had a certain amount of success in treating primary
hyperhidrosis by affecting and blocking the signals of an overactive
nervous system. You should consult your doctor about these forms of
medication and whether they would be appropriate in your father’s
case.
A second option for treating an overactive sympathetic nervous system
is through Botox (or Botulinum toxin) treatments. A botox treatment
inhibits the release of certain chemicals generated by an overactive
nervous system that cause sweating. As I mentioned in my answer
however, Botox treatments are not a permanent fix: they usually
relieve sweating for 4-6 months.
More info on this specific treatment method may be found at:
http://www.columbiasurgery.org/divisions/cardiothoracic/dd_hydrosis_botox.html
Finally the third treatment for an overactive sympathetic nervous
system is the procedure known as endoscopic thoracoscopic
sympathectomy (ETS). This treats an overactive sympathetic nervous
system by actually removing part of it. This procedure has brought
success in cases where medications have failed. Removing part of the
sympathetic nervous system used to not be a reasonable option for
sufferers of primary hyperhidrosis since the procedure was very
invasive. Nowadays however, it can be done using a much less invasive
surgical procedure. In my answer I provide some links to sites that
discuss the procedure in more detail. Another such site can be found
at:
http://www.sympathectomy.info/
Unfortunately, there isn’t a single method for curing an overactive
sympathetic nervous system. For some people the medication might
work, others might require the surgery to solve the problem. All the
methods that I list, however, are meant to address the problem of an
overactive sympathetic nervous system. I would suggest discussing the
treatment options with your doctor in order to determine which ones
are best suited for your father. If the hyperhidrosis were caused by
some underlying condition (such as sleep apnea) then you could simply
treat the underlying cause. Primary hyperhidrosis, in which the
sympathetic nervous system over-reacts, is a little more tricky to
treat since there is no treatable underlying problem that is the cause
of it. Rather you must find a way to keep the sympathetic nervous
system from over-reacting and the current ways for doing that are the
treatment options that I listed above: medication (such as Robinul),
Botox treatment or ETS.
An additional resource for the treatments of primary hyperhidrosis
that covers much of what I state above may be found at the following
sites:
http://www.sympathectomy.info/
http://www.endoscopic-surgery.com/treatment.html
http://www.hyperhidrosis.org/causes_sweating.htm
Hope I’ve been able to clarify my answer. Please do not hesitate to
ask for clarification again if anything has been unclear or I didn’t
respond to the particular questions you had in mind.
Best wishes,
-blinkwilliams-ga
