Underarm wetness can be a significant embarrassment, even causing social anxiety and avoidance in extreme cases. If standard antiperspirants fail to control your armpit sweating, you may have primary or secondary hyperhidrosis. The former is a condition causing excessive perspiration, while the latter is excessive perspiration resulting from another medical condition. It is believed that two to three percent of people suffer from primary hyperhidrosis, though only around 40 percent of those affected seek diagnosis or medical treatment, according to MedlinePlus.
Step 1
Consult your doctor for diagnosis of excessive underarm wetness. Based on other possible symptoms and your account of the condition, he may need to test for causes of secondary hyperhidrosis, many of which are serious. Possible causes include anxiety disorders, cancers, carcinoid syndrome, diabetes, lung or heart disease, menopause, an overactive thyroid, Parkinson's disease, infection and numerous others, notes MedlinePlus.
Step 2
Switch to a clinical-strength antiperspirant containing 10 to 15 percent aluminum chloride hexahydrate. These are available over the counter, but stronger products are also available by prescription.
Step 3
Ask your doctor about prescription anticholinergic medications such as glycopyrrolate. These drugs can slow the workings of the sweat glands, according to MedlinePlus.Other options cited by the website include beta-blockers and benzodiazepines for controlling stress-induced underarm sweating.
Step 4
Talk to your doctor about botox injections for managing excessive armpit wetness. Treatments are needed once every four to six months and entail 15 to 20 injections per session, explains Hyperhidrosis.org. Botulinum toxin type A temporarily inhibits the body's signals to produce sweat. The procedure is painful.
Step 5
Consult a surgeon about having an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. This procedure, performed under general anesthesia, is a last resort for treatment of hyperhidrosis. The surgery involves the permanent severing of the sympathetic nerve chain via an incision in the chest. It is credited with a 98 percent success rate, cites New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Tips and Warnings
- Clinical-strength antiperspirants are significantly more effective when applied at night before bed, states the International Hyperhidrosis Society. Wash it off in the morning and re-apply to dry skin for best results.
- Aluminum chloride hexahydrate antiperspirants can cause skin irritation and stain clothing, cautions MedlinePlus. Possible side effects associated with anticholinergics include dry mouth, dizziness and urinary difficulties, notes MedlinePlus. As with any surgery, there are risks involved with an endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. There are risks associated with medications and general anesthesia, as well as with chest surgery. In addition, the procedure may cause compensatory sweating elsewhere on the body and Horner's syndrome, a condition causing diminished facial sweating, enlarged pupils and drooping eyelids.
Things You'll Need
- Aluminum chloride hexahydrate antiperspirant
Member Comments