How to Stop Underarm Sweating Permanently
Underarm sweating is the body's way of naturally cooling itself during activities of physical exertion. Underarm sweating is also a common response to emotional duress such as embarrassment or stress. But when underarm sweating is excessive, causing clothing to become saturated and resulting in embarrassment and complications in social and occupational settings, this could be indicative of a medical condition called hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis has no underlying cause, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hyperhidrosis is characterized by heavy bilateral sweating not only in the underarms, but also in the soles of the feet, palms of the hands, and sometimes the face. According to Mayo Clinic experts, isolated axillary hyperhidrosis affects the underarms only. Excessive sweating typically takes place during the day and ceases at night when you sleep.
According to the International Hyperhidrosis Society, the first line of treatment for excessive underarm sweating is use of topical antiperspirants. Often a combination of therapies may be used to curb excessive underarm sweating. But when antiperspirants fail to be effective, there are other treatments that can stop underarm sweating for prolonged periods of time--and sometimes permanently.
Instructions
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Hyperhidrosis Treatment Basics
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See your doctor first to ascertain the cause of excessive underarm sweating. The Mayo Clinic notes medical attention is warranted when you find yourself sweating more heavily than usual to the extent that it causes problems in your daily life. Always consult with a physician if you begin to experience cold sweats accompanied by dizziness and chest or stomach pain, as this could be in response to a serious medical condition.
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Consider a procedure called iontophoresis. The Mayo Clinic notes that this treatment may be performed by a dermatologist to stop underarm sweating (as well as sweating in the hands and feet). This treatment, which may cause some discomfort, involves delivering a low level of electricity to the underarms from a battery-operated device through water-saturated pads. The Mayo Clinic states that this typically needs to be done twice daily for three to four weeks. Underarm sweating may be curbed for several weeks, after which treatments are performed again. According to the Mayo Clinic, this method of addressing underarm sweating isn't appropriate for those with pacemakers or pregnant women.
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Look into Botox injections--one of the newer methods used to treat excessive underarm sweating, notes the IHS. This method, which was approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in 2004 to treat hyperhidrosis, involves using multiple injections of the botulinum toxin into the armpits. This toxin blocks the sweat gland's ability to produce perspiration. According to the IHS, roughly half of patients who received Botox injections noted relief from excessive sweating for seven months. Botox injections must be repeated to stop underarm sweating.
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Ask your doctor about surgical options. The Mayo Clinic and IHS state that this treatment option is used very rarely, and only in cases where underarm sweating cannot be effectively treated using any other method. The sweat glands in the underarms may be surgically removed. Alternately, a procedure called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), in which the nerves that send signals to the sweat glands are cut, may be used.
The Mayo Clinic states that usually a day's stay in the hospital is required after ETS surgery. However, the IHS notes that compensatory sweating on other parts of the body, such as the back, chest, stomach, and face, is a common side effect of ETS surgery--and this can be just as problematic.
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Tips & Warnings
Prescription antiperspirants, which contain higher levels of aluminum chloride hexahydrate than over-the-counter antiperspirants, may be an option to stop underarm sweating.
The IHS urges those who are considering surgery as an option to stop underarm sweating permanently to consider the benefits and risks. Due to the low rate of satisfaction among those who opted for ETS surgery, the IHS states that the procedure "can rarely, if ever, be used effectively to treat hyperhidrosis."
The IHS notes that there are prescription medications that can curtail underarm sweating; however, because these cause an array of serious side effects, they are not a good long-term treatment option.
