a person with hyperhidrosis he is capable of sweating the equivalent amount of a can of soda in five minutes. 330 ml in five minutes! This should not be assumed as normal. However, when episodes like this occur, the person usually feels fear, shame, frustration… or all at once! Over time this can condition people’s personal and professional lives, having a psychological impact.
Theoretically only 3% of the population suffers from hyperhidrosis. And I say “theoretically” because a recent study published in January 2023 showed that 40% of people showed symptoms of hyperhidrosis. Is it possible that the taboo and stigma around hyperhidrosis have led us to underdiagnose?
In order to establish the diagnosis of primary hyperhidrosis, the patient must have experienced a state of excessive sweating with a duration of at least 6 monthswithout obvious cause and with at least two of the following characteristics:
There is also a so-called “secondary” hyperhidrosis which may be due to drug use or disease with high “sympathetic discharge” such as infections, tumors, endocrine disturbances, among other causes.
In addition to the classic deodorants or antiperspirants, which are usually insufficient in these cases, for years they have been used in the clinical practice different alternatives that must be evaluated and prescribed by a family doctor or a dermatologist.