|
medpundit |
||
 |
 |
|
Friday, July 09, 2004For years, her condition was a mystery — both to her and her doctors. "I said, 'Wow, my hands are really sweaty, my feet are really sweaty, is there a name for this condition?' And the doctor laughed me off," Burke said. They said, 'Oh, you're just clammy.' Everybody blew me off." Finally, while being treated for an unrelated condition, she found a doctor who didn't dismiss her complaints. "It wasn't until recently, when I had foot surgery, that my podiatrist said, 'You have a condition called hyperhidrosis,' " she said. "And I was just so relieved that there's an actual name behind the condition." This patient also says she got relief with Botox injections, which is why she was on Good Morning America. But hyperhidrosis is difficult to treat, which is probably why most of her physicians seemed dismissive. They probably knew what she had but had nothing to offer of any use. There are topical treatments, such as the prescription anti-perspirant Drysol, and there are more extreme treatments such as Botox injections or surgical amputation of the nerve supply to the sweat glands. They all have their drawbacks. Drysol doesn't work well for everyone. Botox requires frequent injections (every four to six months in some cases), is expensive, and may cease to be effective after a while. And surgery sometimes either doesn't work at all or causes a condition called compensatory hyperhidrosis, which means that the excessive sweating is directed away from the armpits, hands and feet and toward the rest of the body. An even more difficult problem. posted by Sydney on 7/09/2004 07:36:00 AM 0 comments 0 Comments: |
|
