“Muscle relaxants can help treat excessive sweating and the embarrassment that comes with it.”
Excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis is a common condition that affects many people. This condition causes too much sweating even if the environment is not hot or you did not do any activity. If you have this medical condition, you may sweat so much that you need to change your shirt several times a day. You may also notice that sweat can drip off your hands. As a result, you may feel anxious and embarrassed. In worst cases, it can affect your daily activities as well as quality of life. If this condition has a negative impact on your life, you can schedule a consultation with Dr Anh in Perth.
Treatment options for hyperhidrosis condition
There are different treatments for excessive sweating. These include antiperspirant, nerve-blocking medications, surgery, and antidepressants. Although these treatments are effective, Dr Anh recommends muscle relaxants first. This non-surgical treatment can reduce the symptoms of excessive sweating with no downtime.
During the procedure, your surgeon will inject the muscle relaxant into the area. This in turn prevents the release of chemicals responsible for sweating. As a result, sweating in the treated area is significantly reduced.
How do muscle relaxants treat excessive sweating?
Your sweat glands regulate your body temperature by secreting water into your skin. This in turn removes heat through the process of evaporation. If your sweat glands develop an abnormal reaction to heat or stress, this produces too much sweat. In most cases, excessive sweating occurs in the hands, armpits, and feet. To treat this, muscle relaxants block the transmission of nerve signals in your skin. This in turn prevents the stimulation of your sweat glands. As a result, sweating is significantly reduced.
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DO YOU SWEAT TOO MUCH?
Ask yourself these questions to determine if you sweat too much.
Would you say you sweat every day all day?
Yes No
Do you avoid activities because of your sweating condition?
Yes No
Would you say sweating affects your life significantly?
Yes No
If you have answered yes to the above questions, then you may benefit from hyperhidrosis treatment in Perth with Dr Anh.
Your hyperhidrosis consultation
Dr Anh recommends visiting her clinic in Perth for your initial consultation. She will conduct a complete health assessment including your expectations and treatment goals. Also, she will try to make the process as comfortable as possible for you to understand the procedure.
Will hyperhidrosis treatment be painful?
Muscle relaxants are no more painful than normal needles. To prevent any discomfort, your surgeon will apply a numbing cream to the treatment area. Once the cream has taken effect, your surgeon will inject the muscle relaxant into your skin.
What about topical solutions?
Topical solutions are usually applied to your skin to treat excessive sweating. While they are effective, many of our patients prefer muscle relaxant treatment. The reason is that muscle relaxants are usually given every 3 months or more. This makes it more convenient than topical solutions that need to be applied daily.
Hyperhidrosis Treatment FAQs
Of course, the cost of the treatment may vary. This will depend on several factors such as the following:
- The size of the body area to be treated
- The amount of muscle relaxant to be used
- Your surgeon’s fee
- Your desired results
In most cases, the costs of muscle relaxant treatment for excessive sweating are covered by health insurance. This is because the procedure is medically necessary, which means that it is used to treat a certain condition. It is important to keep in mind that not all insurance companies will cover the costs of your treatment. Before having the procedure, talk to your insurer to determine if you can get any financial help.
To get an accurate estimate of the treatment, we recommend that you book a consultation with us. Your surgeon will discuss and explain the breakdown of each cost. We will also help get your private health insurance provider to cover your treatment. If you want to explore your treatment options for your condition, we will discuss it with you during your consultation.
Your nerves can become overactive, causing your sweat glands to produce more sweat. This can happen even without heat or strenuous activity. Several factors that can cause excessive sweating are the following:
- Certain medications
- Diabetes
- Heart problems
- Infections
- Low blood sugar
- Menopause
- Nervous system disorders
- Nervousness
- Some types of cancer (e.g. Non-hodgkin lymphoma)
- Stress
- Thyroid problems
Before the treatment, your surgeon will remove any hair and will clean the treatment area. A numbing cream will be applied over the area to reduce discomfort. Depending on the size of the area, your surgeon will give several injections. You should not feel any pain during the process because your skin is numb. Once the desired injections are given, your surgeon will wipe the area with gauze to remove blood and excess solution.
After 48 hours, you can notice a reduction in sweating of the treated area. After a week, the treatment will achieve its full effect. The duration of the results may vary from patient to patient. In general, you should expect that the results can last for 6 to 12 months. If the treatment did not achieve your desired results, you may need another shot. To prevent excessive sweating from returning, you may need to undergo treatment every year.
Using muscle relaxants for the treatment of excessive sweating can cause side effects. These include:
- Agitation
- Bruising from the injections
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- Dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Irritability
- Low blood pressure
If you have a family history of excessive sweating, you cannot outgrow this condition. The good news is that this embarrassing condition is very treatable using muscle relaxants.