Treatments for Hyperhidrosis Provides Welcome Relief to Many

Perhaps it is good to know that this condition has a name. After years of being a young gymnast who struggled to keep her perspiring hands and feet dry enough to compete, it is somewhat comforting to know that there is actually a name for the condition you have dealt with most of your life: hyperhidrosis.
While your parents and coaches initially thought it was your nerves, the excessive perspiration persisted even when you were comfortable with your routines and were competing in a gym where everyone else was freezing. While some days the perspiration did not seem to be as extreme, on other days, it was so excessive you really thought that you might slip off the balance beam or slide dangerously across the vault.
As a young adult, when a physician finally gave you a diagnosis and suggested treatments for hyperhidrosis, you were relieved to think that you would find some way to avoid the often embarrassing problem.
Are You Looking for Ways to Control Excessive Sweating?
Treatments for hyperhidrosis can provide the eight million Americans with some relief from the fact that they sweat four to five times as much as the average individual. In addition to sometimes being socially awkward, excessive perspiration can make it difficult to do fine motor tasks. More than a physical concern, The overwhelming majority of hyperhidrosis patients report that their condition affects their emotional state as well. In fact, in one survey more than 90% of these most reported feeling less confident about themselves and their skills as a result of their condition.
Affecting as many as 1% to 3% of the population, treatments for hyperhidrosis are often recommended through dermatologists. One of the most common treatment options is called iontophoresis, a technique that was first introduced over 50 years ago as a treatment for excessive sweating. The most current iontophoresis machines provide a therapy that lasts about 20 to 30 minutes.
Patients suffering from the most severe hyperhidrosis conditions may need two to three iontophoresis treatments a week when this therapy first starts. Sometimes called the “no-sweat machine,” research indicates that after about six to 10 treatments, the treated sweat glands can often be shut down.
Used as an at home therapy treatment, the small iontophoresis machine sends a gentle current into warm trays of water where the patients hands or feet are soaking. Patients begin by using the machine that is prescribed by a dermatologist as often as recommended. Once the patient sees how well the treatment works, that patient can them decide how often they want to continue treatment. In some cases, patients also receive a prescription for a medicine that they can add to the tap water they put in the trays.