Excessive perspiration can be embarrassing.
Perspiration is the body's natural way to cool down when overheated or after strenuous physical exertion. However, excessive perspiration can turn that natural body function into an embarrassing condition that brings about strong, offensive odors, wetness on the face and underarms, or even overly-sweaty hands and feet. Although over-the-counter deodorants do the trick for most people, those that suffer different degrees of perspiration have other options ranging from household remedies to surgery.
Deodorant/Antiperspirant
Over-the-counter deodorants and antiperspirants are the answer to underarm perspiration and are usually a part of a daily hygiene regimen. Deodorants work by masking or eliminating odor, while antiperspirants cover up odor and reduce the amount of perspiration that forms under the arms or on other parts of the body. When shelf-variety products are not strong enough, however, prescription-strength alternatives are available. Blocking up to 10% more perspiration than regular versions, these prescription-strength products are usually the next step for those who experience excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis). Despite fears of cancer and Alzheimer's disease connections to aluminum-based antiperspirants, both the Food and Drug Administration and the Alzheimer's society have deemed prescription antiperspirants safe for use.
Home Remedies
Naturalists or proponents of alternative remedies may find homemade antiperspirants of more beneficial use. Many remedies exist and include bath agents, powders and pastes that provide an alternative to chemically produced deodorants and antiperspirants. Roasted horse gram powder, tamarind paste, datura flower ash (taken orally) and even warm pomegranate baths are all home remedies that can help reduce perspiration and eliminate any foul odors. Adding dietary zinc and eating certain foods may also help reduce the odors caused by perspiration.
Oral Medications
For those actually diagnosed with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), some oral medications can be prescribed that may help alleviate symptoms of the condition. The International Hyperhidrosis Society suggests that medications known as anticholinergics, clonidine hydrochloride and some beta blockers are given to sufferers of hyperhidrosis because they prevent the stimulation of all sweat glands and thus may limit overall sweating. However, IHS also recommends that long-term use be avoided to curtail possibly serious side effects like blurred vision, urinary retention, heart palpitations and impaired speech.
Physical Treatments
In the progression of physical perspiration remedies, iontophoresis, a method of running electrical charges through water across the body, is usually the first attempt to treat hyperhidrosis. Botox injections can also be used to block sweat glands from producing excess amounts of liquid. For the most extreme cases, surgical options exist that may palliate the effects of perspiration. An endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is a surgical procedure during which a surgeon deflates a lung and endoscopically (with a camera) removes or severs the nerves that control sweat glands in the face or hands. This extreme treatment is typically a last resort, performed when other options consistently fail.
