How to Stop Sweating Unnecessarily

It's called hyperhidrosis and it's a condition that results in excessive sweating. Only about 1 percent of the population has the condition, though it may be higher since most people don't know they have it. The condition occurs without the person doing any physical exercise and its onset can be attributable to stress.For instance, you are at an important job interview and suddenly you begin perspiring profusely, even though you have been sitting quietly at someone's desk. That sweating creates bacteria that leads to a foul odor. There are some things you can do to stop sweating unnecessarily.

Instructions

• 1

  Try strong over-the-counter antiperspirants if you have a mild case of hyperhidrosis. Some people have found that they can keep sweating in check, although this treatment does not last very long. If you are looking for something more effective, ask your physician to prescribe a more powerful antiperspirant. Prescription antiperspirants can include tannic acid, aluminum hexahydrate or formalin, and they are to be applied several times each day. In some cases, they can cause skin discomfort, and they may become less effective after a brief period, as well. If the sweating continues after using these topical drugs, talk to your physician about other remedies.

• 2

  Treat the underlying cause of your sweating. If your bouts of sweating are caused primarily by anxiety or some other type of mental disorder, your physician may decide to attack the problem by prescribing antianxiety medication. Other possible remedies include NSAIDS, calcium channel blockers and others. Understand that each of these drugs can cause dry mouth, problems with urination and blurred vision. For those reasons, your doctor should be kept abreast of any changes in your condition.

• 3

  Ask your doctor about other ways to prolong hyperhidrosis remission. He may tell you about a procedure called Iontophoresis where the patient receives a low dose of electricity in his hands, feet or armpits while he is submerged in water. This procedure is safe, but it is quite expensive and can cause some skin irritation. The same can be said of botox injections, found to be effective with hyperhidrosis.

• 4

  Be aware that neither of these treatments are permanent and that drugs must be taken continuously to be effective. Surgery is the only permanent answer for hyperhidrosis. Under one scenario, the surgeon will physically remove the offending sweat glands and that will signal the end of most problems with hyperhidrosis. In addition, promising work at Mayo Clinic is being done to block signals to the sweat glands from the brain.