Anhidrosis: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

The inability of your sweat glands to effectively remove heat from your body and cool it down is known as anhidrosis. A harmful or even lethal condition could arise from an overheated body. Speak with your healthcare physician if you observe that you only slightly or barely perspire when performing activities that typically make you perspire on hot days.

A condition called anhidrosis prevents you from perspiring normally in one or more parts of your body. Your body releases heat through sweat, which allows you to cool yourself. Your body overheats if you can't perspire, which is risky and maybe fatal.

Read this blog further to get a quick overview of this important topic for dermatology and ace your NEET PG exam preparation.

CAUSES OF ANHIDROSIS

• Burns, radiation therapy, or pore-clogging conditions like psoriasis can all cause skin damage.
• Surgery, trauma, or scarring can harm the sweat glands.
• Diabetes, alcoholism, and the Guillain-Barre syndrome all induce nerve injury.
• metabolic illness that is inherited (Fabry disease).
• connective tissue diseases including Sjogren syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, and systemic sclerosis.
• abnormalities of the autonomic nervous system, including Ross syndrome and Harlequin syndrome.
• Nerve disorders (neuropathies), such as lepromatous neuropathy, amyloid neuropathy, hereditary neuropathy, and neuropathy caused by diabetes.
• illnesses and disorders of the central nervous system, such as multiple system atrophy, lewy body dementia, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and spinal cord disease.
• overly dehydrated.

SYMPTOMS  OF ANHIDROSIS INCLUDE

• little to no perspiration
• Dizziness
• Painful muscle spasms
• overall deficiency
• being overheated and unable to cool off

DIAGNOSIS OF ANHIDROSIS:

You will be questioned by your healthcare provider regarding your inability to perspire. Additionally, you might be required to take a sweat test. In this test, a powder is applied to you that changes color depending on where you perspire. To determine which areas of your body sweat, you are put into a chamber where you are made to perspire.

You might get a skin biopsy to check for nerve fiber damage and identify a potential anhidrosis cause. To try to identify additional underlying reasons for your anhidrosis, you could undergo additional tests.

TREATMENT OF ANHIDROSIS

If a medicine is the source of the anhidrosis, stopping the prescription may help. Without first consulting your healthcare professional, do not discontinue taking your medication. Your anhidrosis might be curable if a medical problem is to blame. Treatment for anhidrosis may be confined to avoiding circumstances where a lack of sweating results in a health issue, such as heat illness, if no other underlying medical condition is detected.

COMPLICATIONS OF ANHIDROSIS

severe heat-related disorders, such as the following, may develop from anhidrosis, a condition in which most or all of your body does not sweat:

After engaging in excessive exercise in hot weather, heat exhaustion symptoms and signs include weakness, nausea, and rapid heartbeat. Moving to a cooler location, consuming water, applying cool compresses, or taking a cool shower are all treatments.

Heatstroke: When your body temperature reaches 103 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, it is a very hazardous, perhaps fatal condition. Confusion, loss of consciousness, coma, and even death can result from heatstroke. Take the person to the hospital or dial 911. Move into the shade, take off any extra clothing, and cool the individual down (using ice packs, a sponge and cool water, cool wet cloths, or a hose).

PREVENTION OF ANHIDROSIS

Although anhidrosis cannot be avoided, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming too hot, such as:

• Dress comfortably and in bright colors. Don a hat with a wide brim.
• Move into the shade or remain in a cool, air-conditioned area.
• Sit in a cool bath or take a chilly shower.
• Remain hydrated. Be sure to hydrate well, preferably with water or sports drinks. Don't consume alcohol or anything with caffeine (coffee, tea, colas, or chocolate).
• Move carefully, don't exert yourself, and avoid strenuous exercise.
• Keep a water bottle with you every time. If you are outside and unable to transfer to a cool location, you can drink the water or, in an emergency, use it to cool your body off.

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