ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Hyperhidrosis is a little known disorder, characterized by excessive production of sweat. Hyperhidrosis may occur under several circumstances and appears in body parts like armpits, hands, feet, and face, consequently causing problems to the patient like job limitation, social embarrassment, and psychological damage. OBJECTIVES: Using these theoretical views as a starting point, the study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hyperhidrosis in Blumenau. METHODOLOGY: Utilizing interviews, the research was conducted with 500 subjects randomly approached, in the period ranging from August 21 to September 1st, 2006. RESULTS: 45 respondents (9%) matched the pre-requisites, being classified as hyperhidrosis patients. The age group most affected was from 18 to 30 years (11.8%). Hyperhidrosis was more frequent among men both in absolute (24 men against 21 women) and relative numbers (10.62% of men against 7.66% of women). The most prevalent characteristic was 'at least one occurrence per week', in 91.11% of patients; the least prevalent occurrence was 'cessation of sweat during sleep', in 37.77% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that the prevalence of hyperhidrosis in Blumenau is higher when compared with other studies, thus indicating that it is not a rare phenomenon.
Subject(s)
Hyperhidrosis/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Brazil/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Prospective Studies , Young AdultABSTRACT
FUNDAMENTOS: A hiperidrose é um distúrbio pouco conhecido, caracterizado pela produção excessiva de suor. Manifesta-se sob várias formas, afetando áreas como axilas, mãos, pés e face. Seus sintomas trazem prejuízos para o paciente, desde limitações no trabalho até constrangimento social e transtornos psicológicos. OBJETIVOS: O objetivo deste trabalho é estimar a prevalência de hiperidrose na cidade de Blumenau. MÉTODOS: A pesquisa foi realizada entre 21 de agosto e 1o de setembro de 2006, nos terminais urbanos de Blumenau: SC, entrevistando-se 500 pessoas abordadas de forma aleatória. RESULTADOS: Dentre os entrevistados, 45 deles, que correspondem a 9 por cento do total, preencheram os requisitos mínimos para serem classificados como portadores de hiperidrose. A faixa etária mais acometida foi entre 18 e 30 anos (11,8 por cento). O número de portadores de hiperidrose do sexo masculino foi maior em números tanto absolutos quanto relativos. A característica mais prevalente foi frequência de hiperidrose ao menos uma vez por semana, encontrada em 91,11 por cento dos afetados; a menos prevalente foi cessação de suor durante o sono, presente em 37,77 por cento. CONCLUSÕES: Observa-se que a prevalência de hiperidrose em Blumenau é maior que a encontrada em outras pesquisas semelhantes, não evidenciando raridade na presente amostra.
BACKGROUND: Hyperhidrosis is a little known disorder, characterized by excessive production of sweat. Hyperhidrosis may occur under several circumstances and appears in body parts like armpits, hands, feet, and face, consequently causing problems to the patient like job limitation, social embarrassment, and psychological damage. OBJECTIVES: Using these theoretical views as a starting point, the study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of hyperhidrosis in Blumenau. METHODOLOGY: Utilizing interviews, the research was conducted with 500 subjects randomly approached, in the period ranging from August 21 to September 1st, 2006. RESULTS: 45 respondents (9 percent) matched the pre-requisites, being classified as hyperhidrosis patients. The age group most affected was from 18 to 30 years (11.8 percent). Hyperhidrosis was more frequent among men both in absolute (24 men against 21 women) and relative numbers (10.62 percent of men against 7.66 percent of women). The most prevalent characteristic was "at least one occurrence per week", in 91.11 percent of patients; the least prevalent occurrence was "cessation of sweat during sleep", in 37.77 percent of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that the prevalence of hyperhidrosis in Blumenau is higher when compared with other studies, thus indicating that it is not a rare phenomenon.