Stress is something we all have to deal with at one point or another. Whether it’s nerves from presenting a project at work or the prospect of going on a blind date, symptoms such as nausea, shaking and clammy hands are perfectly normal. Perspiration is another typical way in which the body deals with pressure, but those who experience excessive underarm sweating even while relaxing may want to pay a visit to the doctor.
The condition is known as hyperhidrosis and is typically localized to one area of the body, like the palms or feet. Sometimes, the disorder is so severe that it causes embarrassment and discomfort for both the person and everyone around them.
WGNTV News reports that Spencer Pierce, a Chicago resident who has dealt with excessive underarm sweating all his life, had trouble with both professional and social interactions because of it. He recalled how difficult it was to try to sit and talk to clients because sweat was soaking his shirt.
“It got to the point where I would bring a change of clothes with me,” he told the news source. “And if I was going out with my close friends, they knew it, but if I were meeting other people and I’m wet, it doesn’t always make the best first impression.”
Pierce went to the doctor and together they tried a variety of remedies ranging from topical medications to Botox injections.
In the end, he opted to undergo an operation called an endoscopic transthoracic sympathicotomy, in which the physician made a chest incision to surgically block the sympathetic nerve that was triggering Pierce’s excessive sweating.
However, such drastic measures may not be necessary for everyone due to the development of a highly successful technique called the Axilase treatment. People who have hyperhidrosis can skip major surgery – which can be painful and often requires a long recovery time – by undergoing this procedure, which uses targeted lasers to eliminate sweat glands in affected areas before suctioning them out through tiny incisions. The whole process takes about an hour to complete and most patients are back to their normal routines soon afterward.
Those who undergo Axilase treatment to address excessive underarm sweating may be helping more than just themselves. According to MSNBC, a study published in the journal PLOS One revealed that sweat as a result of stress can be detected by others in the vicinity, making them stressed out as well.
