EXCESSIVE PERSPIRATION OF FEET, HANDS AND UNDERARMS
Many people all over the world suffer from excessive perspiration of hands, feet and underarms, a condition which is known as hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating completely independent of any emotional causes or physical exertion. It is thus known as “primary” or “idiopathic” perspiration. It is a frequent reason for consultations in dermatological practices. The sudden bursts of perspiration from underarms, palms of the hands and soles of the feet are spectacular and can be a real handicap (some of our patients are capable of filling a glass with sweat from one hand in one hour). Plantar hyperhidrosis is predominantly found in young men.
It complicates the lives of pupils and students and makes certain professions, such as precision mechanics, inaccessible to sufferers.
Hyperhidrosis in the underarm area can streams of sweat down the thorax. Hyperhidrosis of the palms can be a professional handicap for surgeons, musicians and electricians, or people who have to handle paper every day, such as secretaries and schoolchildren, or firmly grasp solid objects (bars, tennis rackets).
This condition is a problem in the microtechnology sector (watchmaking, precision mechanics) as workers suffering from it oxidise any metallic parts they handle.
Profuse sweating from the soles of the feet causes foul odour called bromhydrosis and is accompanied by bacterial or fungal infection. It also favours the development of plantar warts due to the viruses HPV1 and HPV2.
Plantar hyperhidrosis is predominantly found in young men : It is characterised by:
* Maceration, which can cause pain when walking,
* Symmetric paleness with cyanotic and erythematous zones
* Bromhydrosis, or foul odour due to the proliferation of bacteria which then decompose
* Pitted keratolysis which causes lesions on the weight-bearing zones of the feet which look as if the skin has been “punched out”. This is caused by the presence of Gram-positive filamentous micro-organisms (Streptomyces and Corynebacterium).
How is IONOPHORESIS carried out ?
The hands or feet are immersed in two trays with 1-2cm of water. The bottom of each tray, or in some cases the side, has a conducting electrode (silicone, steel, stainless steel, screw head). The two electrodes are connected to a continuous current generator which can be adjusted from 0 to 20 or 30 mA. Under the Levit method, the hyperhidrosis sufferer is subjected to a current of around 20mA for around 10 minutes in one direction and the same in the other direction, i.e. with the polarities reversed.
After 5 sessions, there is a perceptible reduction in hyperhidrosis and after 20 sessions, most patients display complete anhydrosis. If patients stop treatment altogether, the hyperhidrosis comes back after an average of 10-20 days (in our experience).
All opinions converge on a return of hyperhidrosis after stoppage of treatment.
What are the other methods of treating hyperhidrosis ?
* Creams based on aluminium salts reduce hyperhidrosis over time but are irritant and costly,
* Thoracic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis of the hands, which has numerous disadvantages: a delicate surgical operation under local, regional or general anaesthetic, risk of pneumothorax, shift of perspiration to the back, forehead or thorax, very dry hands.
To conclude, with a 99% success rate when practised in regularly weekly sessions, ionophoresis is the best method of treating perspiration of the hands, feet and underarms.