Excessive Underarm Sweating
July 3, 2011 by: Deepak
Filed under: Skin Disorders
Sweating is essential functions of the body that help maintain body temperature and is perfectly normal. Most people tend to sweat during summer, exercise, or when they are nervous. However, when excessive sweating occurs without any triggering factors, that’s abnormal and it is called hyperhidrosis. Common site of excessive sweating may be underarms, palm and soles. In this article we’ll discuss the management of excessive underarm sweating.
Excessive underarm sweating, also called as axillary hyperhidrosis, may lead to social embarrassment for many people. It stains your clothes and you may have serious consequences both physical and emotional. While there are several anti-perspirants available in the market, these products may not help you. But you don’t worry anymore; recent advance in dermatology has opened the door for many safe and effective treatments that can control your excessive underarms sweating. Here we’ll discuss few of those.
Antiperspirants
Strong prescription anti-perspirant products containing 10-15% or more strong aluminum chloride hexahydrate are the initial treatment for excessive underarms sweating. Over the counter anti-perspirants may not usually help in this case, but still worth a try. Deodorants do not prevent excessive sweating but will help reduce the odor.
Oral medications
Oral anticholinergics medications will help prevent the stimulation of sweat glands. However these drugs have some side effects like dizziness, dry mouth and urinary problems. Talk to your doctor before starting these drugs. If your sweating is due to stress, benzodiazepines or beta-blockers may help.
Iontophoresis
This procedure was previously used widely for the treatment of hand and feet sweating, currently it has also been used to treat underarm sweating. It uses electricity to block the sweat glands and reduce the stimulation of sweat glands. Several treatment sessions are required to get a desired result. Side effects may be blistering and cracking at the site.
Botox
Botulinum toxin or commonly known as botox have gained wide reputation for the treatment of various neuro-muscular disorders. It is now approved for the treatment of excessive underarms sweating. Intradermal injection of botox into the underarms temporarily blocks the nerves that stimulate sweating thus providing long term relief from excessive sweating. As this is not a permanent solution and may only lasts for 6 months to a year, repetitive treatment intervals are required. Common side effects may include pain at the injection site and flu-like symptoms. Talk to your doctor about your medical history if you have any before undergoing this procedure.
Surgical Treatment
If you are looking for permanent treatment you may consider a surgery. Surgery may involve sweat glands resection where sweat glands that stimulate excessive sweating are removed and endoscopic sympathectomy where the sympathetic nerves that communicate with sweat glands are destroyed. During endoscopic sympathectomy, the second, third and fourth ganglia that communicate with sweat glands are destroyed.
Percutaneous techniques like radiofrequency ablation and thermo-coagulation have also been used to disrupt the communication of sympathetic nerve supply to sweat glands. Though it might be a permanent treatment for your excessive underarms sweating, this may have some serious adverse consequences. Talk to your doctor before planning to go for surgical treatment.
If excessive sweating happens, there would also be a big possibility of developing skin pigmentations or dark underarms. What do you suggest is the best way to treat dark underarms?
Hmm… While everyone thinks that using antiperspirants are very effective hygiene steps for a good smelling underarm, this article has stated otherwise. I agree that most antiperspirants are more on making the armpit smell better rather than resolving the perspiration issue.
This problem causes bad odour and we can’t even stand next to that person.Using Deo,Body spray may temporarily rid the smell
A close friend of mine used to have a powerful antiperspirant named CertainDri for his excessive underarm sweating. You would use it at night only and even shower in the morning, and it prevented the sweating all day long. I think you can buy it in drug stores, or check online store.
Some people sweat more than usual people. If a problem of excessive underarm sweating arises,buy the best available deodorant from the market and use it. Therefore, its not a permanent solution of the disease, but its better from all those painful methods like surgery or botox.
Excessive Underarm Sweating is a permanent problem. For the sake of feeling good, and not having emberesing moments. The best solution would be “Surgical Treatment”. And the person under thretment would have an instant physical relief. Problem solved, but the problem is “fear”. People are scared of any surgical treatment, but there is nothing to fear of
The surgery option for excessive underarm sweating may be a bit risky I think and it may be the last resort for anyone. To my knowledge swimming is a good way to keep the body temperature cool and we must also apply baby powder to our underarms after normal deodorant is applied. It helps in absorbing excess sweat and odor.