Excessive sweating
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is a very common and extremely embarrassing problem affecting between 1-2% of the population, although there is a slightly higher frequency in men. It most commonly affects the armpits, but palms of hands, soles of feet and foreheads are also affected.
Sweating is a normal physiological process which the body uses to keep itself cool and at times of stress. Hyperhidrosis occurs when the body produces excessive sweat during these times or continues to produce sweat when it is not required.
People with excessive sweating often find themselves limited to what clothes they wear, often wearing a jacket or a t-shirt under their clothes to try and disguise their problem, it often leads to low self-esteem and fear of being in the public eye.
It is commonly an inherited condition but can be related to certain medical conditions or medications taken. The good news though is that there are treatments for this condition, including medical anti-persperant deodorants (often containing high concentrations of aluminium which can be irritant), injectable treatments and surgery.
