Hyperhidrosis is a serious medical condition affecting nearly 5% of the world’s population that results in sweating in excess of the amount needed by the body to regulate body temperature. This excessive sweating can be present on many places of the body, but the most common areas are the underarms, hands, feet, face and head, groin, breasts, back, and any combination of the foregoing. Patients with hyperhidrosis may sweat 4-5 times more than an average person.

Sweating is a necessary function of the human body, acting as a coolant to reduce body temperature. There are two types of sweat glands: (1) eccrine sweat glands; and (2) apocrine sweat glands. Eccrine sweat glands produce an odorless, clear fluid, and they are the glands responsible for controlling body temperature. Apocrine sweat glands produce a thick, milky fluid, which is the main cause of body odor.

In a patient with hyperhidrosis, the eccrine sweat glands overproduce sweat.

You may have hyperhidrosis if you have two or more of the below criteria:

• You sweat excessively at least once per week;
• Sweating impairs your daily life;
• Symptoms appeared before age 25;
• Sweating ceases or stops at night during sleep;
• Other members of your family sweat excessively.

Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis

This is characterized by sweating in one or more "focal" areas such as the underarms, hands, or feet. Primary focal hyperhidrosis occurs on both sides of the body, and most patients suffer in more than one focal area.

Secondary Hyperhidrosis

Secondary hyperhidrosis is "secondary" to another cause such as a medication or medical condition. Unlike primary focal hyperhidrosis, secondary hyperhidrosis involves sweating that is more generalized and not limited to specific body areas.

Management of hyperhidrosis, particularly moderate to severe hyperhidrosis, requires the use of multiple products used together.

Antiperspirants

Topical antiperspirants are the treatment of choice for managing hyperhidrosis. Antiperspirants, by FDA definition, contain aluminum.

For most patients with hyperhidrosis, over-the-counter antiperspirants are not enough, which is why we developed a proprietary line of prescription-strength antiperspirants. Even for patients who cannot be adequately managed on antiperspirants alone, prescription-strength antiperspirants should remain part of a patient's medication regimen.

Methenamine Cream

For patients seeking to avoid using aluminum-based products, we developed an aluminum-free product to stop sweating. Methenamine Cream, 13% from Undefined Health is the only product of its kind that is legally available in the United States.

Oral Anticholinergics

Oral anticholinergic medications such as glycopyrrolate tablets work throughout the body to stop sweating anywhere on the body.

These are great for patients who sweat in more than one body area or for those who cannot get adequate relief from antiperspirants alone.

Iontophoresis

Iontophoresis is a medical device that has been used for nearly 100 years in the treatment of hyperhidrosis. When used properly and consistently, it has some of the best treatment success of any option available on the market today, with results in as little as 2 weeks.

Undefined Health offers its own iontophoresis device that can be used on the underarms, hands, or feet. Our device is the strongest device (30mA, 60V).