Excessive sweating – how to effectively fight the problem?

Excessive sweating is an embarrassing ailment that may appear not only on hot days. There can be many reasons for it, and in some cases it can even indicate a disease in the body. How to effectively deal with this problem?

What is excessive sweating?

Even though sweating is a completely physiological process, as it helps to maintain a proper body temperature, it can sometimes be extremely tedious and troublesome, especially in public places. Unattractive underarm stains and bad smells can cause social withdrawal and significantly reduce self-confidence.

There are about 3 million sweat glands on the human body, the most of them on the feet and hands. Sweat consists mainly of water, minerals, salts, uric acid, urea, ammonia and carbohydrates. Excessive sweating occurs when the activity of the glands is too high in relation to the physiological needs.

The causes of excessive sweating

The increased work of the sweat glands takes place not only during intense physical exercise or severe stressful situations. We also observe this phenomenon during the course of viral infections, e.g. influenza or a common cold. These are typically physiological reactions that protect the body against overheating and the activation of defense reactions in the fight against the pathogen.

Primary hyperhidrosis has no specific cause. It is often genetically determined. Sweat can appear all over the body, especially in the armpits, feet, hands and scalp.

However, overproduction of sweat may indicate serious illnesses or ailments. This is called secondary hyperhidrosis, which requires immediate treatment or at least consultation with a doctor and a change in lifestyle. The causes include, but are not limited to:

1. obesity – excess kilograms do not have a positive effect on the work of any kind of glands in the human body. Too much adipose tissue does not allow for effective removal of excess heat from the body, which makes thermoregulation much more difficult,
2. diabetes – a drop in sugar, i.e. a state of hypoglycaemia, favors the appearance of sweat spots, especially at night,
3. overactive thyroid gland – too low levels of TSH cause a constant feeling of warmth, which may be accompanied by excessive sweating, a faster heartbeat (felt as palpitations), open eyes, shortness of breath and increased blood pressure
4. menopause – women in the pubertal period, due to large fluctuations in hormone secretion, may experience hot flushes and excessive sweating,
5. neoplasms – hyperactivity of the sweat glands may accompany Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, thyroid cancer, leukemia, or pheochromocytomas.

How to deal with excessive sweating?

If there is a suspicion that excessive sweating is related to an illness, it is necessary to perform a thorough examination and consult a doctor. Quick implementation of treatment allows you to get rid of most of the annoying symptoms, including sweating.

The problem of primary hyperhidrosis can be dealt with in the following ways:

1. herbal baths – frequent bathing in lukewarm water with the addition of herbs (e.g. chamomile, oak bark, mint, sage) allows you to get rid of the unpleasant smell from the skin, which is the result of bacteria multiplication. It is recommended to take such baths about 2 times a week,
2. diet change – some food products may make you sweating. These include, for example, spicy spices, alcohol, and caffeine in energy drinks and coffee. Nutritionists recommend that the daily menu does not lack fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as adequate hydration (it is worth drinking about 2 liters of mineral water a day). Herbal infusions, including nettle, mint, sage and lemon balm, are also effective in fighting excessive sweating,
3. the use of effective antiperspirants – ordinary deodorant may not cope with stains in the armpits and unpleasant odors. Reach for an effective and proven product that contains aluminum chloride in an alcohol base, e.g. from the Etiaxil line. This compound reacts with water and proteins in the sweat ducts, which causes the duct to be blocked. The skin remains dry and pleasant to the touch for up to 5 days,
4. wearing clothes made of natural, good-quality materials – artificial fabrics, e.g. polyester, hinder the removal of moisture from the skin. Then, sweat has no chance to evaporate quickly, which is an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, which gives it an unpleasant smell. Instead of artificial fabrics, it is worth choosing clothes which are dominated by linen and cotton,
5. iontophoresis – is a painless and non-invasive procedure performed in beauty salons and biological regeneration centers. It is carried out on the hands and feet. Low values ​​of the electric current damage the sweat glands and, consequently, inhibit excessive sweating. During iontophoresis, the patient may feel a slight tingling sensation on the skin.