No Sweat

DO you resist shaking hands because your own palms are sweaty? Do friends and colleagues keep you at arm8217;s length because of obnoxious ...

DO you resist shaking hands because your own palms are sweaty? Do friends and colleagues keep you at arm8217;s length because of obnoxious odours? Excessive sweating is now recognised as a medical condition and can be remedied with surgery. Delhi doctors recently performed the procedure on a British citizen of Pakistani origin.

Sweaty palms? Is that a disease?
Medically, the condition is called hyperhidrosis, which literally means sweating in excess. It usually sets in during childhood or adolescence. 8216;8216;Although any part of the body can be affected, the most common sites are the palms, soles of the feet and armpits,8217;8217; says Dr Arun Prasad, senior consultant of minimally invasive surgery at Indraprastha Apollo, New Delhi. 8216;8216;It affects one in every 100 people.8217;8217;

What brings it on?
Hyperhidrosis can be usually attributed to two causes: One, a manifestation of an underlying condition and two, emotionally induced. The second is much more common than the first.

8216;8216;Unlike other parts of the body, sweating on the palms, soles and armpits is controlled by the cerebral cortex and is responsive to emotional stimuli, rather than temperatures. So the palms do not sweat during sleep,8217;8217; says Prasad.

Is there enough cause for medical treatment?
According to Prasad, severe cases of hyperhidrosis may adversely affect the patient8217;s quality of life by causing great emotional distress, social embarrassment and work-related disability. It also leads to irritation of the affected skin.


	POISON PEN The average celebrsquo;s best friend Botoxmdash;botulinum toxin, a family of poisons produced by a bacteria known as clostridium botulinummdash;comes in handy for six-month spells in disabling sweat production. A very low dose causes temporary muscle inactivity by cutting down transmission of impulses to the muscle

What are the possible treatment options?
Once the doctor has ruled out other causes hyperthyroidism, diabetes, obesity, menopause, the first therapeutic measure would be antiperspirants. The most effective agent appears to be aluminum chloride 20 to 25 per cent in alcohol, applied two or three times a week. This solution is enough to take care of light to moderate hyperhidrosis, but the treatment has to be repeated regularly.

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What about surgery?
Surgery is the next option since there are no specific drugs available and psychotropic drugs produce too many side effects before showing any noticeable results. The principle of sympathectomy as the procedure is called is to interrupt the nerve tracks and nodes ganglia that transmit the signals to the sweat glands.

8216;8216;It used to be a very rare surgery because the concerned nerves are located in the chest and the entire cavity would need to be opened up,8217;8217; says Prasad. 8216;8216;But Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy calls for just four incisions. It8217;s a very safe procedure if performed by an experienced surgeon and leads to a definitive cure in nearly 100 per cent of the patients. The only reminder will be a tiny scar in the armpit.8217;8217;