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National Survey Finds Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating) Affects Nearly Three Times as Many People as Previously Thought
PHILADELPHIA – August 2, 2004 – The first-ever national survey conducted to determine the prevalence of hyperhidrosis, a medical condition characterized by excessive sweating, has found that the disease affects a much larger proportion of the United States population than has been previously reported. According to the survey, published this week in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD), as many as 7.8 million Americans (or 2.8 percent of the U.S. population) may have hyperhidrosis. A large proportion of sufferers (1.3 million individuals, or 0.5 percent of the U.S. population) have severe underarm sweating, reporting that their sweating is intolerable or barely tolerable, and that it always or frequently interferes with their daily activities. Despite this and the fact that a range of treatment options are available, the survey found that only a minority of patients ever consult a health care provider about the condition.
The same issue of JAAD presents the recommendations of a multi-disciplinary group of internationally recognized physicians who reviewed the latest clinical evidence and developed guidelines for the recognition, diagnosis and treatment of primary focal hyperhidrosis, which can affect the underarms, palms of the hands, soles of the feet, face and other areas. This group of hyperhidrosis experts also noted that patients are often misdiagnosed or mismanaged when they first seek treatment, and they urged primary care physicians and pediatricians to be well-informed about the signs and symptoms of hyperhidrosis to facilitate diagnosis and improve management of the disease.
“Hyperhidrosis can result in substantial occupational, physical and emotional impairment, as well as difficulties in personal relationships and potential social stigmatization,” said Dee Anna Glaser, M.D., St. Louis University, an investigator for the survey and a working group participant. “Now that there are several viable treatment options available, it is imperative that people who feel they sweat too much know that they should talk to a doctor about their condition to receive proper diagnosis and treatment, especially those people whose sweating is so excessive that it limits or interferes with their daily activities.”
For the prevalence survey, a nationally representative sample of 150,000 households was screened by mailed survey for hyperhidrosis and projected to the U.S. population based on U.S. census data. The projected U.S. prevalence of hyperhidrosis, regardless of focal location, was 2.8 percent and similar for men and women. The study also showed that axillary hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating of the underarms, affects half of all those with hyperhidrosis (50.8 percent), or about 1.4 percent of the U.S. population (4 million individuals). The average age of individuals with hyperhidrosis was 40 years and the average reported age of onset was 25 years.
In addition, the survey assessed the impairment and burden of disease associated with hyperhidrosis based on items from the Hyperhidrosis Impact Questionnaire, which examined the ways sweating affected components of the individuals’ daily life, and how their sweating affected them emotionally and limited them in various activities. It found that for one-third (32.4 percent) of people with axillary (underarm) hyperhidrosis, sweating is either intolerable or barely tolerable, and that it always or frequently interferes with daily life including work, social interactions, and physical and leisure activities.
Despite its debilitating impact and the fact that treatments are available for hyperhidrosis, only 38 percent of individuals with excessive sweating reported having discussed the condition with a health care professional.
In the second paper, the working group of hyperhidrosis expert physicians provided algorithms for the treatment of the various types of primary focal hyperhidrosis:
• For axillary (underarm) hyperhidrosis, the guidelines recommend topical therapy followed by botulinum toxin A injections (BOTOX®) if the patient fails to respond to topical agents. BOTOX® was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 19, 2004 for the treatment of severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis that is not effectively managed by topical agents. If the patient does not respond to either type of treatment, surgery should be considered.
• For palmar (palms of hands) hyperhidrosis, topical therapy or tap water iontophoresis are recommended as first-line therapy, followed by botulinum toxin A injections. Surgery is an option for selected patients who are unable to tolerate other therapies.
• For plantar (soles of feet) hyperhidrosis, topical therapy or tap water iontophoresis are recommended as first-line therapy, followed by botulinum toxin A injections. Surgery is not recommended.
• For craniofacial (face) hyperhidrosis, topical therapy may be tried, and botulinum toxin A injections are a reasonable option, according to the guidelines.
“These treatment recommendations are extremely significant because they give physicians a standard to follow that they did not have before,” said Lisa Pieretti, Executive Director of the International Hyperhidrosis Society. “Especially with the recent approval of BOTOX® to treat axillary hyperhidrosis, there many treatment options available for this debilitating condition. Anyone who sweats excessively should know that a visit to their doctor can help them stop suffering.”
About the International Hyperhidrosis Society
The International Hyperhidrosis Society is a non-profit organization working to increase the understanding, awareness, research, and education of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) for both patients and healthcare providers. The International Hyperhidrosis Society is the central worldwide resource for the latest treatment and research information about hyperhidrosis. It offers patients an online searchable database of physicians who provide treatment and relief for hyperhidrosis.
For more information about hyperhidrosis and treatment options, please visit www.SweatHelp.org or call 215-351-9050.
Lisa Pieretti
info@SweatHelp.org
215-351-9050
About the International Hyperhidrosis Society:
The International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS) is a non-profit organization promoting the awareness of and research into the condition of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Through their advocacy and programming, IHHS provides sufferers with access to treatment, and educates physicians about hyperhidrosis. Founded in 2003, the goal of IHHS is to improve the quality of life and diminish the suffering of those affected by this medical condition.
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