After hand and foot sweating surgery, why do I sweat more on my back and stomach?

There is one thing that people considering surgery for hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet are most curious about.

“Will surgery really reduce sweating in my hands and feet?”

However, when considering surgery, there is one more question you should ask yourself.

“Is it possible that while sweating on my hands and feet decreases, I might sweat more in other areas instead?”

In fact, after surgery for palmar-plantar hyperhidrosis, some patients may experience compensatory hyperhidrosis, in which sweating in other areas—such as the back, chest, abdomen, waist, buttocks, and thighs—increases after sweating in the hands or feet has decreased.

Today, I’ll summarize the areas where sweating may increase after surgery for palmar-plantar hyperhidrosis, the characteristics of compensatory hyperhidrosis, and the factors to consider before deciding on surgery.

If your hand and foot sweating has decreased but other areas have become more uncomfortable,

Compensatory hyperhidrosis is one of the changes that can occur following hyperhidrosis surgery.

This refers to a situation where, after surgery, while sweating in the hands or armpits—which had originally been a problem—has decreased, sweating on the torso or lower body, which was not a major concern before, has increased, causing discomfort.

Although the severity of symptoms varies from person to person, people may experience discomfort particularly in the following areas.

Areas where compensatory hyperhidrosis may occur

etc.

The back is a common area where people often experience discomfort due to compensatory hyperhidrosis. In hot environments or stressful situations, shirts and other clothing may become damp, and you may feel dampness when you stand up after leaning back in a chair.

Chest and Stomach

In some cases, sweating may increase on the front of the upper body. This can cause discomfort in daily life because clothes may stick to the body or sweat may run down the body.

Lower Back and Buttocks

This can be even more of a concern if you have a job that requires you to sit for long periods of time. The dampness in your clothes after a meeting or while driving can be bothersome, making the act of sitting itself feel like a burden.

Thighs and Lower Body

Increased sweating in the lower body can cause your pants to get damp or make your skin feel sticky. This can particularly affect your choice of clothing and your plans to go out during the summer.

Why might sweating increase in other areas?

Sweating is a function related to various physiological responses, including the regulation of body temperature. Sweat production can also vary depending on various factors, such as anxiety, stress, hot environments, and exercise.

Surgery for palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis generally involves surgical intervention on the sympathetic nerves to reduce sweating in specific areas. After surgery, some patients may experience compensatory hyperhidrosis, characterized by increased sweating in other areas, such as the trunk or lower extremities.

However, the likelihood and severity of these issues vary greatly from person to person and may also differ depending on the surgical method or skill level.

Therefore, if you are considering surgery, you need to go beyondsimply asking, “Will it reduce sweating?” and instead take the time to understand what other changes might occur after the procedure.

So, is surgery the last resort?

There is no single treatment method that works for everyone.

Various treatment options for hyperhidrosis can be considered depending on the location and severity of the symptoms. These include topical treatments, iontophoresis, medication, botulinum toxin injections, and surgical procedures; each has different durations of effect, levels of discomfort, and potential side effects.

Therefore, rather than deciding on surgery simply because it is “the surest method,” it is important to compare it with other options.

In particular, you should listen carefully to the full explanation regarding the possibility of compensatory hyperhidrosis occurring after surgery and make a careful decision, taking into account your lifestyle and any potential discomfort.

In the exam room, this is what they check before looking at the amount of sweat.

When discussing hyperhidrosis, many people focus solely on “how much they sweat.”

However, it’s also important to consider when, why, and under what circumstances the symptoms worsen.

Some people experience excessive sweating in their hands when they’re nervous, while others sweat profusely all over their bodies when it’s hot. Symptoms may be particularly severe the day after a poor night’s sleep, and some people experience increased sweating in connection with meals or certain foods.

If you focus solely on reducing sweating without examining these differences, it may be difficult to fully understand your own pattern of symptoms.

From a traditional Korean medicine perspective, one can take an approach that involves examining constitutional characteristics, lifestyle habits, sleep patterns, stress responses, sensations of heat, and digestive health together to identify factors that exacerbate hyperhidrosis.

If you’re considering surgery, check this out first

If excessive sweating of the hands and feet is making your daily life difficult, it’s important to actively explore treatment options.

However, before deciding to have surgery, it’s a good idea to ask yourself the following questions.

• Where on my body do I sweat the most?
• Does it get worse when you’re stressed, or when it’s hot?
• Have you thoroughly explored other treatment options?
• Were you fully informed about the possibility of developing compensatory hyperhidrosis after surgery?
• Have you considered both the benefit of reduced sweating in your hands and feet and the possibility that sweating in other areas might increase?

Surgery is one of the treatment options available, depending on an individual’s symptoms and circumstances. The important thing is not to be afraid of surgery itself or to choose it unconditionally, but to make a decision only after fully understanding the changes that can be expected.

If, after the sweating on your hands and feet has decreased, you find yourself more bothered by sweating in other areas,

If you feel like you’re sweating more than usual on your back, chest, abdomen, waist, buttocks, and thighs, rather than simply brushing it off as “probably just because it’s hot out,” it’s a good idea to consider when the symptoms first began.

In particular, if you notice any changes after surgery, recording when they occurred, where they appeared, and under what circumstances they worsen can help you understand your symptom patterns.

Treating hyperhidrosis isn’t simply a matter of eliminating sweat; it begins with fully understanding the situations in which my symptoms occur and which treatment options are right for me.

Could my sweating be compensatory hyperhidrosis?

If you’ve noticed that while sweating on your hands and feet has decreased, sweating in other areas has become more of a concern, start by identifying the areas where sweating has increased and the situations in which it gets worse.