Antiperspirants: A commercial product available in almost all supermarkets and shops to help with the normal signs and products of sweating including odor and dampness. There is normally a huge range to choose from, manufactured by several companies including variations in scent and dryness levels. It is possibly to find medicated versions for cases of severe sweating beyond normal levels
Apocrine Gland: One of two types of sweat gland, located in several places including the armpits, face and groin. The sweat produced is normally oil based as opposed to common water based sweat and is rarely affected by Sympathectomy.
Axillary Sweating: A sweat that is often brought on by a physiological factors, including exercise and also large anxiety levels. Some people are affected by severe sweating, this can be minimized by using antiperspirant or in special cases surgery.
Botox: The common name given to a toxin extracted from Botulism Toxin which is often used to reduce wrinkling, especially around the eyes.
Bromhidrosis: A medical term that describes excessive sweating from glands, secreting a darker and worse smelling sweat than usual.
Clipping:
A method used in Sympathectomy where nerve endings that call for the production of Sweat are clamped using titanium clips so that the signal will not reach the glands. This process is reversible and as such is favored by many people over other methods.
Compensatory Sweating:
When sweat occurs on parts of the body where it is unusual, often on the shoulders or thighs. Almost all sufferers who use Sympathectomy will suffer from this after treatment, although only 1 in 20 would call it severe.
Cutting:
A method of Sympathectomy where the nerves are cut, this can be carried out in many ways including removal of a segment of nerve or a simple scalpel incision.
Drionic:
A name given to an iontophoresis machine, where the normal processes of the sweat glands are disrupted by small electrical pulses delivered by the machine. Whilst some users report success many others have not found it helpful and regular treatment with the machine is required.
Drysol:
A treatment produced commercially that consists of aluminum chloride in an organic solvent that is used by severe sweat sufferers. It should be applied when the area is dry and is available over the counter in many shops and pharmacies; however there have been some minor side effects reported.
Eccrine Gland:
One of two types of sweat gland, known to produce water based sweat that has a minimal odor and is normally colorless. These are affected by Sympathectomy and cover most of your bodies’ plantar surfaces.
Electrocautery:
A term used for the destruction of tissue or blood vessels, there are two types of instrument, mono and bi polar, the end result is the same.
Endoscopic:
Often termed “key-hole” surgery, it is a procedure performed by cutting only a small slit and using specialized tools and methods.
Erythrophobia:
A phobia of social interaction, often causes rashes or red patches as well as blotchiness. These symptoms often cause anxiety in sufferers and this in turn increases the phobia.
ETS – Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy:
A medical procedure in which the sympathetic chains that link glands are cut or clamped. Only a small incision is made compared to older procedures where open surgery was needed and the patient suffered for longer.
Flushing:
Sufferers experience mild warm areas, normally on the face, no redness or blotches appear unlike blushing
Ganglia:
A mass of nerve cells or nerve tissue, often linking sympathetic cells together.
Gustatory Sweating:
The production of sweat from the face when or after eating, especially hot and spicy foods. It is especially common in those that have been treated using Sympathectomy.
Hemothorax:
A situation where there is loose blood with in the chest cavity, very unusual and associated with major trauma, may be life threatening although it can be solved via a chest tube relatively quickly.
Horner Syndrome:
A reaction to Sympathectomy that results in the falling of the higher eye lid, narrowed pupils as well as a dry eyeball. This is very rare and occurs less now then when open surgery was performed.
Hyperhidrosis:
Excessive sweat from the body including areas such as the groin and feet, it is unusual and consists of more sweat than is needed for thermoregulation with in the body.
Hyperhidrosis Surgery:
Sympathectomy is surgery to correct Hyperhidrosis and can include ETS
Kuntz Nerve:
A misleading name with in Sympathectomy, Kuntz Nerve has only been found in cats, however it is often used as a cause of high failure rates with in humans, sometimes in the context of Sympathectomy.
Neurotransmitters:
A cell with in your body that when stimulated releases an impulse that acts as a catalyst for a nerve action.
Nerve Graft:
The name given to a procedure where a nerve has been accidentally severed or cut and must be replaces using a nerve graft. Often the graft is taken from nerve tissue with in the ankle.
Palmar Hyperhidrosis:
A medical term used to describe excessive sweating from the hand or your palms. This can often be traced back to overactive sympathetic cells in the chest and is associated with anxiety and a rapid heart rate.
Parasympathetic:
Part of the involuntary nervous system, the other part is called the sympathetic and together these are considered to be the autonomous nervous system.
Perspiration:
The action of sweat being produced by the body onto body surfaces so they will evaporate and transfer heat away from the skin, cooling itself down, it is part of the bodies thermoregulation.
Plantar Sweating:
Similar to Palmar Sweating and uses the same mechanism except it relates to feet, it is common to those with plantar Hyperhydrosis in 8 out of ten people.
Pneumothorax:
A medical term used when there is loose air with in the chest cavity, normally caused by severe trauma such as a shooting or stabbing or an accident in surgery such as cutting a lung.
Robinul:
A medication which stops the stimulation of sweat glands in palmar hydrosis.
Rosacea:
The name given to a skin condition where there are broken blood vessels that can damage the texture and quality of skin in the facial area.
Sympathetic:
Part of the involuntary nervous system, the other part is called the parasympathetic and together these are considered to be the autonomous nervous system.
T2 T3 T4 Levels:
Used to describe at which point the sympathetic nerve is being cut, T2 is the second level rib and so on.
Titanium Clips:
The clips applied to nerve cells in Sympathectomy to stop the stimulation of sympathetic gland cells, they are made from Titanium to minimize allergic reactions or infections.
Varicose Veins:
The enlargement and imposition of veins, often in the legs as they come closer to the surface, can be brought on by long periods of sitting down, such as on airplanes.