Hyperhidrosis

Overview

Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is a condition that most often affects the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and underarms. Dripping-wet skin can cause embarrassment and interfere with daily activities. In severe cases of hyperhidrosis (hi-pur-hi-DROE-sis), when more conservative treatments don't help, your doctor may suggest surgery either to remove the sweat glands or to disconnect the nerves responsible for the excessive sweating.

Why choose Mayo Clinic for hyperhidrosis

• Expertise and experience. Mayo Clinic specialists have been successfully treating hyperhidrosis for decades. Each year, more than 2,000 people seek treatment at Mayo Clinic for hyperhidrosis.
• Team approach. Specialists from dermatology, neurology, neurosurgery and chest (thoracic) surgery work with you to create the best treatment plan for your needs.
• Specialized tests. A thermoregulatory sweat test is available at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. In this test, your body is coated with a powder that changes color when it gets wet. Most people who have hyperhidrosis sweat enough to change the powder's color well before their core temperature is raised to 100.4 F (38 C).
• Surgical options. Mayo Clinic surgeons developed an effective surgical treatment for hyperhidrosis more than 70 years ago. Over the years, Mayo surgeons have been at the forefront of developing surgical techniques to improve results, speed recovery time and reduce side effects of hyperhidrosis surgery.

Mayo Clinic: Answers you can trust

At Mayo Clinic, we assemble a team of specialists who take the time to listen and thoroughly understand your health issues and concerns. We tailor the care you receive to your personal health care needs. You can trust our specialists to collaborate and offer you the best possible outcomes, safety and service.

Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical institution that reinvests all earnings into improving medical practice, research and education. We're constantly involved in innovation and medical research, finding solutions to improve your care and quality of life. Your doctor or someone on your medical team is likely involved in research related to your condition.

Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care — and trusted answers — like they've never experienced.

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