There are about 2.5 million sweat glands in the body, all of which work to release unwanted and unneeded chemicals and excess minerals in the body in the from of sweat. It is important for the body to perspire to maintain its role in cleansing the body of toxins that we get especially from eating and breathing. Cleansing the body of waste materials prevents it from developing diseases and helps in maintaining a strong immune system.
There’s nothing wrong or abnormal in perspiring so you should not have some sort of a phobia about it. It is a normal process in the body. It cannot be stopped because there are pores in the body made to do that bidding.
For many people however, sweating goes beyond its normal activity. Excess perspiration or hyperhidrosis is a problem of approximately 2 to 3 percent of the population and because sweating is natural, in excess it has been very hard to control or remedied.
Through the years, with the help of the improvement in technology, several treatment procedures have been developed to cure hyperhidrosis. Some could still resort to local and native solutions as alternative to the expensive treatment. If you have the symptoms of the illness which is mainly sweating excessively, you can try some of these tips to temporarily solve your problem.
First, you need to know whether your sweating is “generalized” which means that it occurs in skin surfaces all over the body or “focal” which is focused on only one or two areas of the body. Excess perspiration can be in the underarms, feet, face or palms. Of course, this enables you to apply the proper remedy. Approximately 50% of people with focal hyperhidrosis sweat excessively in their underarms. This is also called axillary hyperhidrosis.
Tips to Control Excess Perspiration
Try putting cornstarch or talcum powder in your palms if you sweat excessively there. There are also medicated powders made for the palms and feet that are available in the market.
Apply strong antiperspirants made for that area where your excess sweating occurs. Preferably, use unscented, aluminum self-based antiperspirants. Be careful though, because these solutions can cause irritation and inflammation on the skin.
Practice the habit of maintaining cleanliness and proper hygiene to stop accumulation of bacteria.
There are also readily available temporary remedies at home that you can try using. Tea and vinegar mixed with warm water are just few examples. Soak you palms in the solution for 15 to 20 minutes.
When these solutions fail to address your problem and that no matter how much you apply these treatment, it till seems that your hyperhidrosis continues to become a problem, there are still other options that you can try.
First, consult a physician for you to know the root cause of your hyperhidrosis. If it is caused by menopause, obesity, abnormal function of the nerve, brain and spine or a metabolic disorder, then these should be treated first. Other options include:
· Botox (Botulinum Toxin). It is injected under the skin where it stops the release of acetylcholine- a neurotransmitter that activates the sweat gland. There is also a starch / iodine test performed before the main procedure of injecting botox to be sure where the area of excessive sweating occurs. It is effective to stop hyperhidrosis for 6 to 8 months.
· Iontosporesis. It is a medical procedure using a torch battery electricity to stop the glands from producing sweat.
· Surgery. Extreme cases of hyperhidrosis resort to surgical means. Surgery can be in the form of removing the excessively perspiring skin on the underarm, removal of sweat nerves near the spine and upper chest or what is called endoscopic thoracic sympahectomy and other ways.
Don’t just self-medicate, ask the help of a doctor to find the best treatment and solve the problem.