How To Manage Excessive Sweating

Sweating is normal, and is your body’s way of self-cooling.

However, excessive sweating – or producing as much as 5 times more sweat than needed – is a real medical condition called hyperhidrosis. People with this condition usually experience excessive and persistent sweating in the hands, feet, groin, and underarms.

At least 365 million people in the world have this condition and can pervade your quality of life in many areas more than just physically. Especially for women, excessive sweating can be embarrassing to talk about and even acknowledge, so most cases remain untreated.

There are natural ways to care for sweaty pits, but if you find that none of these work for you, here are 5 other ways to manage excessive sweating:

Antiperspirants

Applying dermatologist-approved antiperspirant formulas might curb down the excessive sweating. They’re not only for sweaty pits, these antiperspirants can also be effective on sweaty hands and feet.

Injections

In some cases of hyperhidrosis, FDA-approved botulinum toxin type A injections are usually prescribed. These local injections reduce excessive sweating at the injection site. However, injections do not permanently cure excessive sweating and its effects last for a few months before you’ll need another shot.

Prescription medication

Glycopyrrolate and other anticholinergic drugs help prevent sweat gland stimulation. However, these medications are not specifically designed to treat excessive sweating, so be sure to consult your doctor about your medical history and whether this will be a safe treatment option for you. Other oral medications such as benzodiazepines and beta blockers may also help manage excessive sweating caused by stress.

Iontophoresis

This medical procedure involves submerging the excessively sweaty area, usually hands or feet, in a shallow basin of water connected to a machine that sends mild electrical pulses through the water. Experts believe that the electric currents and the minerals found in water work together to slightly thicken the top skin layer to block the sweat flowing into the skin surface. You might need several iontophoresis sessions to observe an improvement in your sweaty areas.

Surgery

If all the other methods above are ineffective for you, you may be advised to undergo one of two types of surgery for treatment of hyperhidrosis. One surgical procedure will remove your sweat glands in the affected areas, while the other type of surgical method called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) disrupts the signals sent by your spinal cord nerves from reaching your sweat glands. Surgery is usually considered a last resort for hyperhidrosis as these also carry risks for major complications.

Read the full article by Everyday Health here for more information on management of excessive sweating.

Do you or anyone you know suffer from excessive sweating? What methods have you taken to manage the condition? Let us know in the comments below.