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Here’s how to stop sweaty armpits, how to prevent sweaty underarms and the causes of excessive wet armpits. The cures and treatments listed, as well as home remedies for sweaty underarms for men and women will help you stop the problem, including the use of antiperspirants.
Dermatologists and doctors recommend various treatments and cures, some of which may be natural to reduce too much sweat production under the arms. Best products such as SweatBlock Antiperspirant are advised and can help in the control of the problem. With its use, the wetting of the underarms may be reduced significantly to increase comfort.
What is Excessive Armpit Sweating? Axillary Hyperhidrosis?
Affecting about 3% of the American population, primary axillary hyperhidrosis or sweaty armpits is a condition where the armpits produce too much sweat compared to the other parts of the body. Excessive armpit sweating is different in that the body produces too much more sweat than the normal amounts of sweat it would produce through the armpits. Sweaty armpits are referred to as primary axillary hyperhidrosis because the excessive sweating is localized in one area – the armpits.
Diagnosis of Sweaty Armpits
Excessive armpit sweat can easily be diagnosed with a simple examination of the symptoms. Normally, the body produces sweat that exceeds the amount required to cool the body. However, before a doctor administers a certain medication such as Botox injections or surgery to cure wet underarms, they will need to do tests to determine the problem of profuse underarms, such as the following:
- MRI and X-ray scans for TB and pneumonia
- Hematological tests used to determine underlying problems causing excessive armpit sweating, such as diabetes and other thyroid related problems.
- Thermoregulatory sweat tests
- Monitoring electrical conductivity to determine axillary hyperhidrosis causes
Other than these tests for causes of sweaty armpits, doctors and dermatologists may use other factors such as:
- Family history with hyperhidrosis to determine whether the causes are hereditary
- Whether the sweaty armpits are bilateral or symmetric
- Excessive armpit sweating patterns especially during the night
- Frequency of occurrence of sweaty armpits
What Causes Sweaty Armpits?
So, what exactly causes sweaty underarms? The causes of sweaty armpits may not be well known but the problem is commonly linked to genetic predisposition. Mostly, the kind of sweaty armpits caused by hereditary factors is bilateral and symmetrical.
Overactivity of the sweat glands may also cause the problem. This may as well have underlying causes. Here are the most common causes of excessive perspiration under the arms.
- Hormonal imbalance and changes.
- Hyperthyroidism
- Side effects of some medications
- Autoimmune disorders, malignant disease, metabolic disorders can also cause axillary hyperhidrosis
- Emotional factors such as depression, stress, nervousness and anxiety
- Neurological disorders as well as physical medical conditions such as spinal injury can cause excessive armpit sweat.
- Lifestyle causes of axillary hyperhidrosis include certain foods, excessive intake of caffeine, smoking and excessive alcohol.
Excessive armpit sweating may be categorized into three major groups. The causes of each of them may not be clear, but the above general aspects have to be considered by a doctor before treatment is administered to stop wet underarms.
- General hyperhidrosis – When wet underarms are part of a general excessive sweating condition of the whole body, the condition is not localized around the armpits and may be experienced elsewhere too, such as feet, face, scalp, palms and the entire body in general.
- Primary focal hyperhidrosis – In such a case or sweaty feet, the problem of excessive armpit sweating is localized around both armpits. The cause of the condition may not be known but one characteristic is that the excessive sweating is symmetrical (occurs on both armpits).
- Secondary primary hyperhidrosis – In secondary hyperhidrosis, excessive armpit sweating has known causes and may be characterized by asymmetrical sweaty armpits such that one armpit sweats more than the other. The causes of each of these types of excessive armpit sweat may be different.
How to Prevent Sweaty Armpits
In order to stop wet underarms, you need to learn how to prevent armpit sweat. This would be the same as finding ways on how to stop armpit sweat in order to be successful at doing away with the problem. Many options are available to help prevent profuse underarms but whether one will work for you perfectly is a question of trial and error. Let’s look at the different ways on how to prevent the excessive perspiration under the arms.
Wear Best Antiperspirant for Sweaty Armpits
Ensure that you make it your daily habit to wear armpit antiperspirant in order to prevent perspiration of armpits. Getting antiperspirant that has deodorant may also help you control bad underarm odor too. However, deodorant may not help you prevent too much sweating.
Therefore, look for antiperspirant because they are designed to stop perspiration. With a good antiperspirant, you will be able to stop excessive armpit sweat. When choosing antiperspirant to use to stop the problem, ensure that you look for one that contains aluminum chloride and generally aluminum compounds because they are the best in stopping excessive sweating. Sometimes, a dermatologist may recommend prescription antiperspirants with deodorant.
Aluminum Compounds Stop Sweaty Underarms
You may fail to stop excessive armpit sweat with common trending antiperspirants. Don’t jump to surgery or oral medication yet. Try varying the prescription strength of antiperspirant you are using in order to stop excessive armpit sweat. Most OTC antiperspirants used to prevent sweaty armpits have between 10 and 25 percent of aluminum chloride hexahydrate concentrate. If these don’t work, go for those with 30 to 45% of this concentrate to stop excessive armpit sweat. These compounds are known to plug sweat ducts and slow down the flow of armpit sweat.
Prevent Sweaty Armpits by Wearing Breathable Materials
Sometimes controlling some of the causes of excessive armpit sweat can also help with prevention. Take new stock of your closet with the sole objective to prevent sweaty armpits. Buy clothing made of natural fabrics such as hemp, wool, cotton, linen or silk. Also, check to see these fabric have loose weaves than synthetics. These will allow your body to breathe well. Such material is also good at absorbing moisture, thus preventing bacteria from feeding on the excess sweat and causing a stink. Avoid polyester, rayon and nylon fabrics at all costs.
Control Anxiety and Reduce Stress
Most people will experience their first rush of excessive armpit sweat when on their first date, making public speeches, during interviews and such other situations. Control this trigger by getting adequate sleep and premeditating about your activities. Relaxation will also help you deal with stress, one of the causes of the problem. Processes such as biofeedback and yoga can also help with these problems.
Change Your Diet
Diet is one of the major causes of excessive armpit sweat. Eating spicy foods, especially hot pepper is likely going to leave you sweating profusely. Therefore, in order to prevent profuse underarm sweating, it is important that you avoid foods that cause sweaty underarms. Alcoholic drinks, caffeinated drinks, too much onions, garlic and hot pepper are not only going to cause you excessive armpit sweat but also armpit stink.
Natural Home Remedies for Sweaty Armpits
Most of the effective natural remedies for armpit sweating will work against the normal process of sweat production.
- Home remedies such as taking adequate water everyday will help the body cool without the need to produce excessive underarm sweat.
- Other than water, using baking soda or talcum powder for topical application under your arms because they will soak up the moisture and even prevent armpit odor.
- Limes can also be used as home remedies for stopping armpit sweat. Cut a lime and rub it under your arms until they are covered in lime juice just before going to bed. The citrus in it works as a natural deodorant and the acidic juice may work to prevent excess underarm sweat.
- Soaking cotton wool in tea and applying under the arms when relaxing will help dry up the armpits. Tannin compounds found in tea are believed to have a drying effect as well as ability to kill bacteria that may cause armpit odor. This home remedy for sweaty underarms can also be used as a cure for sweaty palms and feet.
- Wear underarm pads.
Treatments & Cures for Sweaty Armpits
How not to sweat is a difficult undertaking, which might need more than just the tips mentioned above. Medical attention might be needed when none of the above tips to stop excessive armpit sweating do not work well. There are various cures for sweaty armpits, each of them applied when there is need to, mostly when some of the basic treatments for excessive armpit sweating have been tried in vain. Here are common cures for excessive armpit sweating used today.
Iontophoresis Cure for Excessive Armpit Sweating
This is a non-invasive treatment for excessive armpit sweating that uses shock mechanism to eliminate the problem. A dermatologist administering this cure uses a handheld device with a low-level current to the armpits. During the procedure, the body is immersed in water. Iontophoresis cure temporarily shuts sweat glands to stop excessive armpit sweating. The procedure can be practiced at home once one buys the Iontophoresis device for use in treating excessive armpit sweating.
Botulinum Toxin Injections
Botulium toxin injections are also used as effective cures for excessive armpit sweating. The poisonous protein is injected in the armpits in very small amounts to block the nerves that stimulate the production of excess sweat in the armpits. Botox injection cures are effective for about 6 months.
Anticholinergic Medications for Excessive Armpit Sweating
These work by blocking the actions of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which helps in stimulating sweat glands and activating them to produce sweat. These oral medications for sweaty armpits normally start showing signs of improvement after a few weeks of taking. The problem with anticholinergic medications for excessive armpit sweating is that they come with undesirable side effects such as dry mouth, urinary problems, constipation, blurry vision and heart palpitations.
Antidepressants and Tranquilizers as Cures for Excessive Armpit Sweating
Although not usual solutions for sweaty armpits, tranquilizers and antidepressants may be administered if emotional reasons are known to be the underlying causes of excessive underarm sweating. They are not direct cures but they get rid of emotional factors such as stress and depression.
Surgery for Excessive Armpit Sweating Correction
This is sometimes considered as the last time option to cure excessive armpit sweating. Surgical therapy for axillary hyperhidrosis will involve the resection of the axillary organ or the interruption of the sympathetic nerves leading to the sweat glands in order to disconnect them from receiving signals that cause too much sweat. There are different types of surgery for correction of the axillary glands. Your doctor will explain each of these methods clearly. In a nutshell, the surgery procedures to treat excessive armpit sweating include:
- Surgical tumescent liposuction – a surgical treatment for excessive armpit sweating where liposuction is used to remove the excess sweat glands the stop the excess sweat.
- Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy – a procedure that involves the disconnection of nerves that relay messages related to the activation of sweat glands.
These two surgical procedures carry their own side effects and risks such as compensatory sweating, also described as increased sweating on other parts of the body. The International Hyperhidrosis Society recommends surgery as the last option.
If you are experiencing excessive armpit sweating, it is very important that you visit your doctor just to make sure it is not caused by any underlying medical condition or illness that should be treated. As discussed earlier, too much sweating armpits could be a symptom of other ailments such as heart disease, TB, leukemia, hyperthyroidism and many more. Before starting out any natural home remedies for sweaty armpits or even other prevention measures, ensure you get proper diagnosis.
More on Excessive Sweating – Hyperhidrosis
- Sweaty Feet – Causes, Prevention and Cures of Profuse Sweating
- Cure for Excessive Sweating – Treatment Options to Stop Excessive Sweating
- Excessive Sweating – Causes and Treatment to Stop Hyperhidrosis
- Sweaty Palms – Causes, Prevention and Cure for Sweaty Hands
