How to sweat less as the temperature rises – 09/23/2023 – Balance

Heat is associated with the pool, the sun – and sweat. As the temperature rises, our bodies work hard to cool us down.

“When we feel hot, a part of our brain called the hypothalamus sends signals to small nerves in the skin to tell the sweat gland to produce sweat,” says Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City. The liquid then cools us when it evaporates.

Although sweating is useful for keeping us cool, few people like having smelly armpits and feet and clothes sticking to their backs and groins. Some people sweat excessively at any time of year and even without typical triggers such as heat and physical activity.

See why some of us suffer more from sweating and some methods to reduce chronic sweating.

Why some people are prone to sweating

People may sweat more when they have infections, take medications (like certain antidepressants), or go through perimenopause or menopause, among other causes, says Bowe.

Others may have a condition known as hyperhidrosis. With this disorder, sweating is usually spontaneous and “is not related to triggers like stress, emotion and exercise, or environmental triggers like heat,” points out Mark Ferguson, a thoracic surgeon who treats excessive sweating at UChicago Medicine.

About 5% of Americans are believed to have hyperhidrosis. It is not clear what the cause is, but the problem may be hereditary. People with the condition may sweat excessively from their armpits, hands, feet, scalp, or any combination of these body parts, Ferguson says. Typically, the condition appears in childhood or during puberty.

For some people with hyperhidrosis, sweating can be so intense that they need to change their clothes several times a day. If their hands sweat, they may have trouble using touch screens, computer mice and car steering wheels unless they wear thick gloves, Ferguson points out.

If your feet sweat, he says, “you can imagine how quickly they wear out a pair of shoes because they’re constantly wet and start to smell and fall apart.”

Some people sweat so much that it significantly affects their daily lives. “They don’t want to leave anymore,” says Ferguson.

What can help

For people who sweat a lot, Bowe recommends loose clothing that wicks away moisture. Many sports brands offer quick-drying layers and outerwear. It can also be helpful to spend time in well-ventilated, air-conditioned spaces, Bowe adds.

Antiperspirants can also reduce sweating, he says. These topical treatments are typically made from aluminum compounds, which “clog the pores of the sweat glands and prevent sweat from coming out,” says Lyall Gorenstein, a thoracic surgeon and surgical director of the Hyperhidrosis Center at Columbia University Medical Center. (Deodorants are different from antiperspirants: They don’t affect sweat production, but they can help reduce any associated odors.)

Antiperspirants made with up to 15% aluminum chloride are sold over the counter, but doctors can also prescribe stronger formulations, says Gorenstein. These products can be used not only on the armpits, but also on the hands, face and feet.

“If you prefer to use antiperspirant, I recommend applying it at night before going to bed rather than in the morning after showering,” says Bowe. “Antiperspirant is more effective when applied to dry skin than damp skin.”

Iontophoresis is an at-home treatment that can also reduce sweating in the hands, feet and armpits, Gorenstein said. After soaking the affected skin in water, patients use a small device to produce an electrical current that blocks their sweat glands. The procedure should typically be done three times in the first few weeks to give initial results and then once a week to maintain them.

In-office treatments

If you’re willing to make a series of doctor’s office visits, another treatment that can reduce underarm and hand sweat is botulinum toxin, which prevents the brain chemical that initiates sweating from activating sweat glands, Gorenstein said. Its effects generally disappear after four to six months on the armpits and two to three months on the hands, says Gorenstein. People can also become resistant to the effects of Botox after a few treatments, Ferguson adds.

A treatment called miraDry can also be used to reduce sweat, especially in the armpits. After doctors numb the skin with lidocaine, they use a device that applies heat to the area and destroys the sweat glands. Patients often see results after one session, but it may take two or three, says Bowe.

Minor outpatient surgery, called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, is usually a last resort, but it can effectively reduce sweating that affects specific parts of the body, especially the hands, Ferguson says. During surgery, doctors make small incisions under the arm and then cut, pinch, or excise the nerves that stimulate the sweat glands.

“It’s a very effective therapy – I would say 99% effective in eliminating uncomfortable hand sweat,” says Ferguson. Sometimes, however, people start to sweat more on other parts of the body, she adds.

Few people — including primary care doctors — know that there are so many treatment options for excessive sweating, says Gorenstein. The condition is “underdiagnosed and underreported,” he says. But fortunately, it can be controlled.

Translation Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves