ARE YOU SWEATING EXCESSIVELY?
Recent research shows that 85% of patients who excessively sweat wait over 3 years to discuss their problem with a healthcare professional and 50% of patients wait for over 10 years*! As the heat continues to rise in the UAE, Zulekha Hospital tells us all we need to know to combat excessive sweating (Osmidrosis).
Excessive sweating, especially in the armpits results in staining of clothing and causes bad odour, which is often brought by soaring temperatures and other scenarios. Sweating is a normal physiological process which is crucial for body heat regulation. The basic pathology of excessive sweating is an abnormal increase in the number of sweat producing glands. In Osmidrosis surgery, a very thin layer of the under surface of skin is removed using special instruments, thereby removing the excessive sweat glands. The surgery targets only a specific area (axilla) as a part of the treatment, the rest of the body parts continue to sweat normally. The procedure is safe and straight forward and the recurrence of the condition is seen in as little as 10% of patients.
“Excessive sweating affects both sexes and all ages, it is a common problem, and no-one should feel ashamed if they are suffering from it. Living in climate where temperatures are high, the issue is more prominent than in other parts of the world. The simple Osmidrosis procedure is able to relieve patients of any anxiety they may feel in relation to excessive sweating so that they can go about their daily lives worry free,” said Dr. Chandra Bose, Consultant Plastic Surgeon at Zulekha Hospital.
The Osmidrosis procedure is usually a one-time procedure as an outpatient surgery where patients are discharged the same day. Very rarely the patient might have to undergo a second sitting if the symptoms persist. Post-surgery, there is no special precautions needed after the procedure, the patient will have a padded dressing in the operated area for five days, which will be removed on the sixth day. The patient will be advised to wash the area with soap and warm water twice a day.
For patients suffering from excessive sweating of palms and feet, the plastic surgery department offers Botox injection treatment, which would give significant relief that lasts for more than six months.
Osmidrosis surgery is also advocated in early stages of Hidradenitis Supporitiva, a condition characterised by recurrent and relapsing abscesses or pus pointing swellings resulting from an abnormal increase in the number of oil producing glands in the skin. The condition, if treated early, can be very helpful to patients affected by it, who would otherwise have to take multiple courses of antibiotics and multiple painful pus draining procedures.