The medical condition known as hyperhidrosis usually targets the palms or the soles of the feet. It can also occur in the underarms and other areas of the body, however this will most often become noticeable later on in adolescence, whereas the excessive sweating regarding the palms and the feet will occur around the age of 13.

If hyperhidrosis is left untreated, you may find yourself dealing with the condition for the rest of your life, which can make a variety of situations uncomfortable. For example, individuals who are severely affected have trouble even gripping the steering wheel of a car. As you can likely imagine, this could prove to be fatal. Others may run into embarrassment issues when they go to shake hands after a business meeting. Regardless of your situation in life, however, excessive sweating is uncomfortable and will wreak havoc with your self-esteem.

Usually, most men won't have a problem recognizing that there may be an issue at hand, as they will find they are sweating much more frequently than normal. Add that to the fact that those who have this condition will begin perspiring regardless of body temperature.

If a direct visualisation test is desired, you can use the iodine starch test, which involves spraying a suspected area with a mixture of 1 gram of iodine crystals and 500 mg of soluble starch. When applied to the area (palms for instance), the skin will turn dark blue or black. This would then be a clear indication that you are indeed sweating more than usual from this area.

This condition can be divided into primary and secondary hyperhidrosis, with primary usually starting at the onset of puberty or earlier, and secondary developing later in life.

In the primary condition, some cases are brought about because of an inherited autosomal dominant genetic trait or because of neurological, metabolic or systemic conditions.

The second version of hyperhidrosis, which often starts later in life, can develop because of a disorder with the thyroid or pituitary gland, from having diabetes, tumors and gout, or from taking certain types of prescription drugs. For this reason, if you think you are developing secondary hyperhidrosis, it's important to get yourself checked out by a doctor because you may have one of the above mentioned conditions and not even be aware of it (diabetes for example).

Lastly, in others, hyperhidrosis can stem from factors such as anxiety, certain foods and drinks, nicotine, caffeine or even smells that exacerbate the condition and cause sweating to increase.

How to treat profuse sweating

There are a variety of different methods that you can use in order to effectively manage and treat hyperhidrosis. Luckily, most people can have great success with getting the problem under control and can get back to living a normal lifestyle again without worry about excessive sweating. Here are some of the methods that prove to be successful:

Over-the-counter antiperspirants

These are usually given to a patient before any other treatment, since they will be the least invasive and are most readily available. What you'll be looking for is an antiperspirant that contains aluminum chloride. Be sure to apply these at a time when you haven't recently shaved, as they can be slightly irritating to the skin.

Prescription-strength antiperspirants

If the over-the-counter antiperspirant isn't enough to combat the problem, then a prescription-strength one may be used. These will most often contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which is stronger than the aluminum chloride you will find in the aforementioned products. Usually it will take about a week's worth of nightly applications to notice the effects, a result that can be maintained with one to two applications per week thereafter.

Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is a device that will pass a small electrical current through the skin using tap water as a medium. Be warned that some individuals may find this process painful, so it should not be used when there is a small wound on the skin of the area affected. It is a more pricey option, however, with the machine costing around R8 000.

Oral medications

In addition to topical antiperspirants, there are some oral medications that will work towards treating hyperhidrosis. Common names of these medications include Ditropan, Robinul and Cogentin. For those who find that anxiety is the root of the problem, antidepressants may also help to alleviate the symptoms.

Botox

Botox is another solution that more and more individuals are turning too, particularly for the underarm area. Usually one treatment will provide relief for approximately six months. However it is very expensive, costing around R4 000 to have both feet done, for instance.

Surgery

There are two types of surgery that can be used to treat hyperhidrosis, the first being endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, and the second being a sweat-gland-removal procedure. With the first option, select sympathetic nerves are cut or burned so that they are destroyed and can no longer transmit the signals that are related to the production of sweat. The big problem with this surgery is that some patients may find that when these nerves are destroyed, other areas of the body will then overcompensate, so the problem really does not get solved. Furthermore, side effects of the procedure can include reduced fear and alertness, and a lowered heart beat.

In the second option, the sweat gland is simply removed in a relatively gentle manner while under local anesthesia. This operation usually takes around 60-90 minutes and patients are able to return home right after it's finished. For most individuals considering surgery, this is usually the better choice of the two. As this is a last resort treatment option, it is usually the most expensive unless you have very good medical aid coverage.

Sage herb

Finally, for those who are looking for more of a natural approach to treat the condition, sage herb can be used. It comes in both capsule and tea form and should be taken daily to be effective. This is the cheapest way of not being smelley and sweaty all summer.