Hypohidrosis is a

medical condition A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function (biology), function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical condi ...

in which a person exhibits diminished sweating in response to appropriate stimuli. In contrast with

hyperhidrosis Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which a person exhibits excessive perspiration, sweating, more than is required for the Thermoregulation, regulation of body temperature. Although it is primarily a physical burden, hyperhidrosis can deterio ...

, which is a socially troubling yet often

benign Malignancy () is the tendency of a medical condition to become progressively worse; the term is most familiar as a characterization of cancer. A ''malignant'' tumor contrasts with a non-cancerous benign tumor, ''benign'' tumor in that a malig ...

condition, the consequences of untreated hypohidrosis include

hyperthermia Hyperthermia, also known as overheating, is a condition in which an individual's body temperature is elevated beyond normal due to failed thermoregulation. The person's body produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates. When extreme te ...

, heat stroke and death. An extreme case of hypohidrosis in which there is a complete absence of sweating and the skin is dry is termed anhidrosis. The condition is also known as adiaphoresis, ischidrosis, oligidria, oligohidrosis and sweating deficiency.

Causes

The causes are the following:

Diagnosis

Sweat is readily visualized by a topical indicator such as iodinated starch ( Minor test) or sodium alizarin sulphonate, both of which undergo a dramatic colour change when moistened by sweat. A thermoregulatory sweat test can evaluate the body’s response to a thermal stimulus by inducing sweating through a hot box (also called a ''hot room''), a thermal blanket, or physical exercise. Failure of the topical indicator to undergo a colour change during thermoregulatory sweat testing indicates hypohidrosis, and further tests may be required to localize the

lesion A lesion is any damage or abnormal change in the tissue of an organism, usually caused by injury or diseases. The term ''Lesion'' is derived from the Latin meaning "injury". Lesions may occur in both plants and animals. Types There is no de ...

Magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to generate pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and ...

of the brain and/or spinal cord is the best modality for evaluation when the lesion is suspected to be localized to the

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain, spinal cord and retina. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity o ...

. Skin biopsies are useful when anhidrosis occurs as part of a dermatological disorder. Biopsy results may reveal the sweat gland destruction,

necrosis Necrosis () is a form of cell injury which results in the premature death of cells in living tissue by autolysis. The term "necrosis" came about in the mid-19th century and is commonly attributed to German pathologist Rudolf Virchow, who i ...

or fibrosis, in addition to the findings of the primary dermatological disorder.

Treatment

The treatment options for hypohidrosis and anhidrosis are largely limited to preventing overheating and attempting to resolve or prevent further deterioration of any known underlying causes. Those with hypohidrosis should avoid drugs that can aggravate the condition (see "Medications", under ). They should limit activities that raise the core body temperature and if exercises are to be performed, they should be supervised and be performed in a cool, sheltered, and well-ventilated environment. When the cause is known, treatment should be directed at the primary pathology. In autoimmune diseases, such as

Sjögren syndrome Sjögren is a Swedish surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Anders Johan Sjögren (1794–1855), Finnish linguist, historian, ethnographer and explorer * Ann Mari Sjögren, Swedish fantasy artist and illustrator * Christer Sjögren, ...

and

systemic sclerosis Systemic scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is an autoimmune rheumatic disease characterised by excessive production and accumulation of collagen, called fibrosis, in the skin and internal organs and by injuries to small arteries. There are tw ...

, treatment of the underlying disease using

immunosuppressive drugs Immunosuppressive drugs, also known as immunosuppressive agents, immunosuppressants and antirejection medications, are drugs that inhibit or prevent the activity of the immune system. Classification Immunosuppressive drugs can be classified ...

may lead to improvement in hypohidrosis. In neurological diseases, the primary pathology is often irreversible. In these instances, prevention of further neurological damage, such as good glycaemic control in

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, is the cornerstone of management. In acquired generalized anhidrosis, spontaneous remission may be observed in some cases.

Corticosteroid Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex of vertebrates, as well as the synthetic analogues of these hormones. Two main classes of corticosteroids, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids, are invo ...

pulse therapy has increased sweating in some people.

In other animals

Horses can also have hypohidrosis. Management includes avoiding exercise in warm weather and using water or other cooling devices. Horses may have inflammation of the airway, which may reduce the horse's ability to use panting as a form of thermoregulation.

Citations

Sources

General references

* http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anhidrosis/DS01050 *