About 3 percent of the world’s population has hyperhidrosis, which causes someone to sweat a lot — four to five times as much as the average person.
“Primary hyperhidrosis, while not life threatening, is certainly life altering,” says Lisa Pieretti, executive director and cofounder of the International Hyperhidrosis Society. “The extreme embarrassment as well as actual functional impairment can be devastating. But thankfully, we see great improvement in the treatments being offered and the awareness of both the public and medical communities.”
While primary hyperhidrosis appears to have a genetic component, secondary hyperhidrosis can result from an underlying condition, such as lymphoma, hyperthyroidism, or diabetes, or as a side effect of medication. Treatments include Botox injections, iontophoresis (which sends a gentle electrical current through your body to shut down sweat glands temporarily), and even surgery.
Still, some doctors suggest that hyperhidrosis can be vastly improved by testing for food-sensitivities and removing any offending foods from the diet.
This was excerpted from “Everything You Wanted to Know About Sweat” which was published in the July/August 2022 issue of Experience Life.
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