Hyperhidrosis and smelly fox

What is hyperhidrosis

The sweat glands of our body have the functions of dissipating heat, regulating body temperature and excretion. Sweat glands are distributed throughout the body It affects every part of the skin, but is especially developed on the head and neck, armpits and hands.

In addition to the main sweat gland secretions, sweat is also composed of apocrine glands in the skin. However, apocrine glands are not distributed throughout the body like sweat glands, but are only found behind the ears, armpits, breasts and genitals. The secretion of apocrine glands has a unique smell, which is commonly known as "body odor".

Excessive sweating is very common in the hot weather in Hong Kong and is a normal reaction of the body. However, if excessive sweating is more common and severe than ordinary people, you may suffer from hyperhidrosis (hyperhidrosis). ).

Patients with hyperhidrosis are prone to sweating profusely in slightly hot environments, nervousness and slight exercise. In severe cases, the clothes of patients with severe hyperhidrosis are often wetted by armpit sweat, and their hands are too wet to protect themselves from sweating. If you dare to shake hands with others, the sweat on your hands will stain the paper when writing. These inconveniences often make patients feel embarrassed and affect normal social interactions and work.

The symptoms of hyperhidrosis are concentrated on the hands, feet and armpits, but it can also be just the armpits with normal hands.

When armpits sweat too much and are infected by bacteria, emitting a strong unpleasant odor that makes people around them feel uncomfortable and uneasy, we call it "stinky fox".

Excessive armpit sweat can also cause skin inflammation complications (hidradenitis suppurativa) over time.

The causes of hyperhidrosis

The causes of hyperhidrosis are mostly due to the overdevelopment of the sweat glands or apocrine glands and the oversensitivity of the sympathetic nerve lines that regulate sweat secretion. Made.

A small number of causes of hyperhidrosis are caused by excessive thyroid secretion and mental stress. Doctors will rule out these possibilities and prescribe appropriate medicines before diagnosing hyperhidrosis.

How do smelly foxes form?

Body odor is produced by the sweat produced by the apocrine glands and eccrine glands of the skin, mixed with the secretions of the sebaceous glands. The odor varies from person to person. .

People suffering from stinky foxes often suffer from profuse sweating. After the sweat is decomposed by bacteria, unpleasant body odor is produced, and the odor is mostly emitted by the armpits, which are full of sweat glands, especially in the weather. This is especially true in hot weather, which not only makes patients feel embarrassed, but also hinders normal social interactions.

Treatment of hyperhidrosis and stinking fox

The treatment of hyperhidrosis mainly focuses on determining the body area of ??excessive sweating, whether it is concentrated in the armpits or even the hands. question. If it is just underarm sweating, topical medications, Botox injections, and underarm sweat gland removal can be used.

Smelly fox is caused by armpit sweat, so the treatment principle is mainly to reduce the secretion of armpit sweat and keep the skin clean and dry.

But if the problem of hyperhidrosis involves the hands and underarms, complete treatment may ultimately require sympathectomy surgery.

1. Topical antiperspirant

The advantage of external antiperspirant is that it is simple and easy to use, but it is only suitable for mild hyperhidrosis problems, and it may be used for several months. As the body adapts, the antiperspirant effect diminishes.

Changjiao’s antiperspirants include 20% Aluminum Chloride and 70-90% alcohol, which can both antiperspirant and bactericidal effects. The usage is to apply the medicine on sweaty areas such as armpits, groin and palms every day. After the condition improves, reduce it to two to three times a week.

People suffering from odor should keep their bodies dry and clean to reduce sweat accumulation and bacterial growth, which can help eliminate body odor.

2. Tap water iontophoresis

Use a weak voltage to energize your hands or feet by immersing them in tap water for several days a week, which can effectively inhibit the secretion of sweat. . The principle of antiperspirant is believed to be based on the effect of electric current, which interferes with the normal secretion of sweat glands.

The limitation of this method is that it is complicated, time-consuming and needs to be repeated, so it is not a radical cure.

3. Botox injection

Botox (Botulinum toxin) is a nerve blocker extracted from botulinum toxin. It has been proven to be effective in treating facial spasms and removing wrinkles. Local micro-injection of Botox into the palms or armpits can block the nerve transmission of sweat glands (Cholinergic blockade) and inhibit sweat secretion. The effect can last for 6 months. Repeat injections when necessary to maintain the antiperspirant effect.

4. Underarm sweat gland removal

Sweat gland removal surgery is suitable for axillary hyperhidrosis. The principle is to remove the sweat glands and apocrine glands under the armpit cortex through the underarm incision. Glandectomy can be performed under local anesthesia with minimal complications and a success rate of over 90%. After the surgery, the armpits become drier, and the problems of excessive sweating and stinking are improved.

Because the structure of the palm is complex and important, sweat gland removal surgery cannot be used for palmar hyperhidrosis. Surgery is the permanent and complete way to eliminate sweat glands.

Traditional underarm sweat gland removal surgery can be performed under local anesthesia. The wound is about 1.5 inches, and you can fully recover in a few days. The new technology in recent years is to use liposuction to remove sweat glands under the armpits. A special liposuction tube combined with advanced technology is used instead of a scalpel to remove the sweat glands under the armpits.

The advantage of liposuction is that it can reduce the original wound of about 2 inches to a small hole of about 3mm. The advantage of this surgery is that it is simple and effective, which greatly shortens the recovery time and scarring of the patient after the operation. Reduce, and improve surgical acceptability.

5. Sympathectomy

The sweat glands in the upper half of the body and upper limbs are controlled by sympathetic nerves in the chest, so excision of the relevant sympathetic nerves is a complete cure for hyperhidrosis. method.

The current advanced surgical technology is to use an endoscope to enter the chest cavity through a small incision in the chest to remove the second to fourth/fifth sympathetic ganglia of the chest (Thoracoscopic sympathectomy). The emergence of this minimally invasive surgery It has completely replaced the old chest incision method, and the patient's recovery time and the safety of the operation have also been greatly improved.

Sympathectomy is especially suitable for patients with palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis at the same time, and the success rate is greater than 90%. However, for patients with excessive underarm sweating alone, the success rate is only about 40%, so such patients are more suitable to undergo a relatively simple method of removing underarm sweat glands.

Sympathectomy will not have a major impact on the health of the body. A small number of patients may experience temporary flushing and increased sweat secretion in the lower limbs for several months.