Solutions For Uncontrollable Sweating

March 1st, 2009 by author

Although it’s normal for us to sweat especially, in hot, badly ventilated rooms, or when strenuously exercising, excessive sweating is actually a medical condition called hyperhidrosis. People who suffer from hyper-hidrosis normally report excessive sweating of the underarms, hands and feet, although it’s not uncommon to have excessive sweating of the groin, back, scalp and pretty much any other areas where there are numerous sweat glands. There is even a specific type of abnormal sweating that occurs when sleeping, known as sleep hyperhydrosis. All the different types of this medical complaint cause different problems, from the unsociable aspect of underarm stains, sweaty feet leaving marks on flooring or sweaty hands resulting in embarrassing handshakes, and all will lead to body odor unless the sweat is washed off frequently.

To treat hyper-hidrosis, it’s necessary to know how sweat glands are controlled normally. In people with normal sweat mechanisms, the sympathetic nervous system (part of the central nervous system) regulates the function of the sweat glands. Humans have next to no control of this part of the nervous system which is what regulates our involuntary body activities such as our heart rate, breathing, gut movement etc.. until they go wrong.

Control of sweating is impaired in those people who suffer from excessive perspiration. Scientists know the cause is hyper-activity of the nerves leading to the eccrine glands, because botox injections will stop the over-sweating, as will severing the nerve and anti-cholinergic drugs. Those three methods to stop hyperhidrosis are quite drastic. Less dramatic solutions for profuse sweating are strong anti-perspirants (such as the prescription ones anhydrol forte, driclor, or other powerful aluminium-chloride-based anti-perspirant), avoiding stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system by avoiding caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods, and employing relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, visualization, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Some people believe that sage tea and zinc may reduce sweating.

Almost all people who have excess sweating will go for cheap, natural solutions, and if they still perspire too much will, think about the more drastic treatments. Some of the most dramatic treatments (surgery and drugs) can have side-effects, so please consult a qualified medical practitioner before considering such solutions for your profuse sweating.