Summary of the study: Treating hyperhidrosis using tap water iontophoresis: positive effects on healing time and freedom from recurrence in hand-foot eczema
Excessive sweating caused by hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet can severely restrict the lives of affected patients. This lends this phenomenon its own disease character. Morbid sweating is also discussed as a factor that worsens eczema of the hands and feet.
The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of eczema on treatment of hyperhidrosis with tap water iontophoresis. The study used a HIDREX pulse current device.
The study showed that tap water iontophoresis is not only effective in relieving excessive perspiration on the hands and feet, but also cuts the healing time and reduces recurrence of eczema. On average, there was a shorter healing time (20 days with iontophoresis vs. 22.3 days without iontophoresis), which might not be significant itself, but the length of the relapse-free period (24.8 weeks with iontophoresis vs. 8.35 weeks without iontophoresis) is highly significant.
This is not only due to the reduction in sweat but also to an influence on the inflammatory reactions in the eczematous skin. The capsaicin-like effects of the electrical current are suspected. The inflammation is interrupted, which has a positive effect on prolonged freedom from recurrence in hyperhidrotic hand-foot eczema.
(cf. Wollina, U., Uhlemann, C. et al.: Therapie der Hyperhidrosis mittels Leitungswasseriontophorese: Positive Effekte auf Abheilungszeit und Rezidivfreiheit bei Hand-Fuß-Ekzemen. in: Hautarzt (1998) 49, p. 109-113).
