Whether it’s due to vigorous exercise, a stifling humid environment, or plain old stress, what undoubtedly follows is normal trickles, or buckets of sweat pouring down the body.
From cool drops forming on the foreheads to wet trails on underarms, back and chest, the development of perspiration spots as a result of workouts, warm weather, or anxiety is bound to occur. However, there are cases where some individuals have to deal with abnormally high volumes of sweat.
Hyperhidrosis is a condition in which a person abnormally excessively sweats. This condition has no known cause. There are two types of hyperhidrosis: Primary hyperhidrosis and secondary hyperhidrosis. The former is due to a hereditary or genetic link and usually marked by too much sweating of some parts of the body, including armpits, groin, under breasts, hands, and feet. The latter is a condition in which the cause of the excessive sweating is associated with another disorder such as menopause or hyperthyroidism.
Assistant professor at the University of Toronto and a cosmetic dermatologist from Toronto, Dr. Nowell Solish, said that you may have hyperhidrosis if your sweating is such that it basically affects the daily activities of your life. When you suffer from this condition, you sweat all the time even where you’re sitting comfortably watching TV or during winter doing nothing at all.
Hyperhidrosis sufferers may need to repeatedly change their clothes in a single day. They may have to avoid shaking people’s hands, or refrain from raising their arms in public due to the sweat marks in their armpits, Solish noted. He added that the condition might be due to a dysfunction of the brain. The glands may be working right but they’re being instructed by the brain to sweat when they don’t need to be.
He said that hyperhidrosis may be due to the oversensitivity of the glands to the signal that is causing the person to sweat more than he/she needs to maintain water control and normal temperature.
Alternative treatments are available for this condition. Naturopaths treat patients with general detoxification. They use a concoction of various herbs that are diluted that patients can mix with water and drink during the day. Naturopathic practitioners believe that this cleanses deep lymphatic tissues. Lots of patients have been treated with this modality and most of them have seen improvements.
Another alternative treatment for hyperhidrosis is acupuncture. This non-invasive procedure not just addresses the signs and symptoms of sweating, but also its underlying cause.
Stress and other strong emotional issues can trigger anxiety which directly corresponds to secondary hyperhidrosis. Occasionally, secondary hyperhidrosis may be due to an autoimmune condition. Acupuncture can resolve not just the symptom of excessive sweating, but address the root cause of the condition, which in these cases, are strong emotional issues and an autoimmune condition.
But before patients try out acupuncture, practitioners in Bellingham will advise them to get a diagnosis first from their doctor. Blood tests may be needed to rule out certain underlying problems such as a thyroid hormone problem.
Acupuncture can be very beneficial for hyperhidrosis sufferers. The treatment can help balance over-stimulated nerves and prevent them from being over-stimulated again. This will lessen the sweating and help the body stabilize temperature.
The number of acupuncture treatments for hyperhidrosis is usually eight to 10 sessions that is combined with the taking of herbal teas, granular herbs, or herbal pills taken once a day. The herbs augment the effectiveness of the acupuncture treatment bringing balance in the body in a much faster way.
And as if the unsightly effect of hyperhidrosis isn’t problematic enough, some sufferers still have to contend with the smelly odor of their perspiration. This malodor is due to the buildup of bacteria in the sweat.
For people who want to keep out the bacteria and the bad smell in their sweat, they should consider using an herbal astringent. Chinese medicine practitioners may recommend placing two drops of essential oil into a spray bottle with filtered water. The mixture can serve as a body splash after a bath or shower. Calendula flower extract, tea tree oils and rosemary possess antibacterial and antifungal properties which can keep you drier and fresher throughout the day.