What is compensatory hyperhidrosis, phantom hyperhidrosis and residual hyperhydrosis?
Perspiration is one of the body’s options for keeping bodily temperature stabile within certain physiological limits. When we stop sweat from surfacing in certain areas, it’s normal that it appears compensatorily –compensatory hyperhidrosis– in other zones. This compensatory hyperhidrosis appears in 40-60% of pacients, but in 3-5% of the cases can be more important than the primary condition. There isn’t a way to foresee the manner in which this hyperhidrosis will manifest itself but a predisposition for obese pacients to develop it exists. Phantom hyperhidrosis means hyperhidrosis that appears immediately postoperatory in the affected zones prior to the operation. It appears and disappears suddenly (without any additional treatment) and doesn’t have a known mechanism of surfacing.
