How to Stop Excessive Perspiration

Overview

The body perspires so it can release salty liquids from the sweat glands. Sweating, or perspiration, is the body's cooling mechanism. The amount of sweat each person releases depends on the number of sweat glands in the body. While women have more sweat glands than men, men tend to release more perspiration. There are a number of causes of excessive sweating and a variety of ways to stop excessive perspiration.

Step 1

Get a starch iodine test to find out if you have hyperhidrosis, a medical condition that causes excessive sweating. A number of medications are available for the disease, ranging from anticholinergics drugs to botox treatment and electric shock applications to turn off the sweat glands.

Step 2

Take hormone replacement therapy medication if you are going through menopause, which is a major cause of excessive sweating. Dress in layers and keep a fan nearby to cool off when the sweating begins.

Step 3

Ask your doctor to test you for hyperthyroidism if you have other symptoms in addition to excessive sweating. Common signs of the thyroid disorder are fatigue, increased appetite, frequent bowel movements and difficulty concentrating. Goiter, restlessness and uncontrollable weight loss also are signs that your sweating is caused by an overactive thyroid gland. Treatment includes antithyroid medications, radioactive iodine or surgery.

Step 4

Use heavy-duty antiperspirants. Doctors at the National Institutes of Health recommend products that contain 10 percent to 15 percent aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which plugs up sweat glands in the underarms. Ask your doctor for prescription antiperspirants that contain higher doses and that is used at night on areas that sweat excessively.

Step 5

Wear clothing made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool or silk to allow your skin to breathe. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic report that if you sweat excessively while exercising, you should wear high-tech fabrics that draw moisture away from your skin.

Step 6

Consider a surgery called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy that shuts off the signals that cause the excessive sweating. It's a minimally invasive surgery used primarily for those who experience heavy sweating on the palms and face.