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Choosing Your Doctor
With the help of the right doctor, hyperhidrosis can be managed.
Determining which doctor is right for you depends on the severity of your condition
and how it has responded to previous treatments. Whichever type of
doctor you choose, it’s important to find one that is supportive, understanding,
and experienced in treating hyperhidrosis. For help finding a physician in your
area who is familiar with hyperhidrosis, use our Physician Finder database.
Primary Care Physicians Including
Pediatricians, Internists & Family Physicians
Hyperhidrosis treatment often starts in your primary care physician’s (PCP) office.
It is with your PCP, perhaps during a regular checkup, that you may first decide to
discuss the condition.
A PCP may begin treating your hyperhidrosis with an antiperspirant.
If this treatment doesn’t provide enough relief, if skin irritation occurs,
or if the PCP feels that another doctor can provide more successful treatment,
he or she will refer you to a specialist, such as a dermatologist.
Dermatologists
Dermatologists are specially trained to diagnose and
treat skin problems. As skin experts, dermatologists
are often the most informed about hyperhidrosis, its
diagnosis, and its treatment. Dermatologists' expertise in treating excessive sweating is due, in part, to extensive
American Academy of Dermatology
and International
Hyperhidrosis Society educational programs.
Dermatologists may be able to provide stronger antiperspirants as well as
antiperspirants that are less irritating to the skin, or, they may prescribe
additional skin products to help alleviate irritation. Dermatologists may
also provide other treatments, such as iontophoresis,
botulinum toxin type A injections, and local surgeries, such as liposuction.
Neurologists
Neurologists specialize in treating conditions of the
brain and nervous system. The human body’s sweat
glands are controlled by the brain and nervous system
such that the underlying mechanism of the condition
falls within the realm of conditions that a
neurologist may treat. Some neurologists, in fact,
specialize in studying the neurophysiology, management
and treatment of hyperhidrosis.
Neurologists can give botulinum toxin type A injections (BOTOX) and have been known to use
botulinum toxin type A to treat a variety of conditions including spasticity
and movement disorders. In most cases, a neurologist is not
consulted until "first line" treatments, like antiperspirants, have been tried
and have failed to provide relief.
Surgeons
Surgeons perform a wide variety of operations, ranging from removing an appendix
to transplanting organs. Surgeons may also treat hyperhidrosis.
A number of different types of operations may be used to treat hyperhidrosis,
including liposuction, curettage,
excision, and endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS).
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), in
particular, is an invasive procedure that carries
serious risks. Due to these risks, ETS for excessive
sweating is a last resort - a treatment not tried
until other possible treatments have failed.
Working with your health plan
Many people in the U.S. receive health insurance through a health maintenance organization,
or HMO. As a member of an HMO, you may be required to visit your primary care physician first,
before seeking treatment from a specialist, such as a dermatologist.
If your PCP determines that a specialist is best suited for treating your excessive sweating,
he or she will provide you with a referral to a particular specialist.
In order to receive coverage for your visits to a specialist and for any treatments he or
she may prescribe, it is important to receive this referral and to follow your health plan’s
process. Every health plan is different. For more information, call your health plan’s customer
service or toll-free number and visit our Insurance Tools section.
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Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
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