Sweat producing glands are distributed in different concentrations throughout the body.  Concentration of sweat glands are most intense under the armpits, the palms of the hands, and the soles of your feet.  While other parts of your body such as the lower arms and legs have the least concentration.  Along with your sweat glands, oil glands are at work filtering out salts and oily fluids during the whole sweating process.  These oily secretions are what the bacteria on your skin thrive on, and these bacteria are responsible for the distinctive odor of sweat.

Your body will naturally send impulses through the nerves to the sweat glands when necessary.  When you are excited or in a fearful situation your sympathetic nerves trigger signals throughout the body increasing the flow of sweat.  Also, spicy foods and stress will cause a person’s sweat glands to increase in activity.  Genetics and a number of medical conditions and diseases can be causes for over-productive sweat glands.

If you experience excessive sweating that seems abnormal, or unpredictable, you should check with your doctor to determine if you suffer from hyperhidrosis or another medical condition.  You should also be aware that certain medications will cause the body to sweat profusely.  Some cancer treatments, and some HIV treatments are examples of such medications.

If you have often asked yourself  “Why do I sweat so much?” because excessive sweating has caused you embarrassment, then you should take some steps to solve the situation.  There are a number of natural remedies, over-the-counter antiperspirants, electrical devices (ionophoresis), Botox, and as a last resort invasive surgery, that can be decrease or eliminate your excessive sweating problems.

Staphylococcus epidermidis, the same bacteria that causes acne, can infect the pores of the sweat glands and the resulting dead skin will clog up the pores.  Moisture produced by the sweat glands will then get trapped under the skin, causing reddish bumps and blisters to form.  These blisters become very uncomfortable and must be treated with topical antibiotics.  Otherwise secondary infections can occur.  The body also has a small chance of overheating when your pores are blocked up, because it’s natural cooling system has been interfered with.  In extreme cases sweat that is trapped under the skin can begin leaking between the layers of skin forming lesions on the surface.

Miliaria profunda, the most severe form of sweat rash can suddenly appear within hours after a sweat-producing activity, and can subside just as quickly.  This type of rash tends to display a more flesh colored appearance rather than the typical reddish coloring of regular miliaria.

There is no standard treatment for sweat rash apart from topical creams.  Limiting sweat producing activities, and keeping your environment cool (perhaps by a conditioning), is the best way to avoid sweat rashes.  Also clothing should be loose fitting, and the fabric should be cotton or silk.  This promotes good air circulation around the body and will minimize the risk of a rash outbreak.

If you frequently suffer from sweat rashes, then practice good hygiene by taking frequent showers to help loosen the dead skin that clog up your pores.  Mild antibacterial soaps can also help control the population of bacteria which aggravate rashes.

Stress is one of the major contributors to non-medically related sweating. Examine the lifestyle that you lead, and attempt to decrease the stressful situations in your life.  That is not always possible, so some psychological approaches may be beneficial, such as meditation.  Meditation has been proven to lower stress levels.  By keeping yourself calm and learning how to cope with stressful situations you can prevent your body’s sympathetic nerves from triggering excessive sweating.

Spicy foods have been known to affect the nerve endings in the sweat glands causing them to produce sweat.  Therefore you should examine your diet to see what role it plays in your excessive sweating problem.

You may be able to apply antiperspirants depending on what part of your body is affected.  These antiperspirants contain aluminum-based salts, which act like a gel to clog up the sweat ducts.  This prevents the release of sweat moisture, if only temporarily.  The salts will eventually dissolve so reapplication is needed periodically.

Iontophoresis is a process for a small electrical charge is passed through the skin near the affected area.  This can be a beneficial treatment when large areas of your body are affected by excessive sweating.  The low electrical current used in iontophoresis shock the nerve endings and during this shocked state they are unable to transmit the sweat generation signals.  Sending electrical currents through the body sounds painful, but since a very low charge is used its usually not enough to cause discomfort.  The treatment proves effective for several days before needing to be performed again.

Facial sweating, unlike other areas of excessive sweating, does not necessarily indicate a more serious medical condition — with the exception of being a possible symptom of adrenal dysfunction.

Because antiperspirants cannot be used on the face, anticholinergic medicines are usually the first suggested treatment.  These medicines are often prescribed in tandem with a mild sedative, because excessive facial sweating is often triggered by stress.

Some sufferers have practiced biofeedback or meditation as a way of lowering their stress levels naturally.  However such alternative treatment has not been scientifically proven to work by itself.

One surgical procedure that is no longer common, but was once used extensively is endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS).  During this procedure the sympathetic nerves which control the sweat glands are clamped off from within the body.  It is no longer recommended to remove the sympathetic nerves because it can lead to a face with less mobility, decreased facial sensitivity, and the body will also compensate the loss of sweat-generated cooling by increasing sweat production in other sweat glands throughout the body.  Therefore this surgery can often create more problems than it cures.

There are many types of hyperhidrosis, but excessive facial sweating is usually the most difficult to treat effectively without leaving unwanted side effects.

Typically the first line of treatment for axillary underarm sweating is the use of prescription strength aluminum chloride hexahydrate antiperspirants.  For some sufferers antiperspirants prove ineffective, and they have to progress towards Botox injections.

In extreme cases a specialist may recommend a surgical procedure known as curettage.  This treatment involves scraping and destroying the sweat gland intensive areas of the skin.  This medical procedure results in scarring and a small decrease in the flexibility of the underarm area.

There is also a less invasive treatment called ionophoresis, and which are specially designed machine sends low voltage electrical current through the affected skin area.  This shocks the nerve endings into a non-functioning state.  Ionophoresis is only mildly painful but the results are only temporary.  Therefore, it needs to be repeated according to a basic schedule.

Anyone suffering from embarrassing underarm sweating can take some simple measures to help minimize the effects of this disorder.  Practicing good personal hygiene is one of the necessary first steps.  Wearing dark clothing can help mask any visible stains that appear around sweaty armpits.  You can also keep an extra change of clothes on hand so that you can change into them during your day if necessary.  Stress and overexertion also plays a role in excessive sweating.  So try to minimize the stress levels in your life as these can trigger excesses sweating even in people without hyperhidrosis.

There are many mistaken beliefs about underarm odor so sufferers often go about treating it all the wrong way.

Keep reading for our “Underarm Odor Myth Busters!”

Underarm Odor Myth #1 – Sweat Stinks!

We are all used to associating sweaty armpits with offensive body odor, but actually sweat doesn’t have much of a smell at all!

In fact, sweat is primarily water and is nearly odorless.  The odor is produced by bacteria which live on the surface of the skin.

The bacteria break down the sweat, and the waste product is responsible for the underarm odor.

Sweaty armpits provide an ideal breeding ground for the odor-producing bacteria.

Good personal hygiene plays an essential part in preventing underarm odor.  You should shower or bath after any activity that causes you to sweat a lot.

Underarm Odor Myth #2 – Antiperspirants Are The Solution

Since the cause of the underarm odor is the bacteria, it makes sense that if we reduce the amount of sweat then we can prevent the bacteria that depend on it.

Since antiperspirants are able to reduce excessive sweating, they must be the answer – right?  No.  Antiperspirants have their limitations and draw-backs.

First, the aluminium salts contained within antiperspirants are how they are able block up the sweat ducts to reduce visible sweat.   These salts can cause skin irritation and inflammation.   They should never be used on broken skin, or for groin or facial sweating.

Secondly, sweating is how our body naturally regulates it’s core temperature.  When we forcefully prevent  the ability to sweat by clogging up the sweat ducts with antiperspirants, we are literally fighting against our own body.  Remember, skin is the body’s largest organ.  Do you really want to be rubbing all those chemicals into it long term?

Underarm Odor Myth #3 – You Have To Live With It

So we want to reduce excessive sweating, prevent underarm odor, and we want to do it without resorting to antiperspirants. Fortunately for us, there are many natural treatments we can employ here.

As mentioned earlier, proper hygiene is a key component. If excessive sweating is a problem for you then shower at least twice a day.

Next, you need to keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of plain water.  As much as it pains me to say, caffeine is also a contributor to body odor, so cut down.

Essential oils such as rose and mint can be added to bath water.  They relax and revive the body and mind, and also help control unpleasant underarm odor.

Rock mineral deodorants are a decent alternative to spray-on and roll-ons.  Rock mineral (also called crystal) don’t block up the pores or simply mask the odor, they work by removing the sweat from the skin and prevent bacteria from forming.

For the “do-it-yourself types” a home-made deodorant can be made by diluting a few drops of essential oils in 30 mls of water.

Baby powder, talc, and even baking soda can be applied to your underarms as a substitute for antiperspirant.

Readers with sweaty armpits are encouraged to check out our review of Stop Sweating and Start Living for a natural sweating cure.

Disguising it by wearing black shirts, pouring on deodorant, wiping yourself down with tissues, and constantly showering have become part of your daily routine. But they are not the secret to stopping sweaty armpits!

Find out how to get your life back and permanently end your misery.

When it comes to stopping armpit sweat you have many options depending on the severity of your sweaty armpits, the costs involved, and the level of risk that you are willing to take.

Antiperspirants for Armpit Sweat

Basic antiperspirants can be bought from the supermarket, and are usually the first “treatment” that people try for their sweaty armpits.

Antiperspirants contain aluminum-based compounds which block up the sweat ducts.  So, in effect your glands still produce sweat but now the sweat can’t come to the surface because the path through your skin has been “bogged” up.  In actuality, this harms the body because the sweat is part of the body’s natural cooling mechanism.

Antiperspirants can cause allergic reactions, skin irritation, and should not be used on broken skin, the face, or the groin.  There are also claims that antipersirants can cause breast cancer, but the scientific establishment are not all in agreement on that one.

Antipersirant – Results: Low,   Cost: Low,  Risk: Medium

Botox for Armpit Sweat

Botox – yes the very same technique used to get rid of wrinkles – is also an option for treating sweaty armpits.

Botox is the marketing-friendly nickname for Botulinum Toxin type A – and is actually a deadly neurotoxin.  Small amounts of botox are injected into the underarm causing the nerves that stimulate sweating to become temporarily blocked.

Side effects include intense localised pain, and flu-like symptoms.  Now, if that doesn’t sound inviting enough also consider that the results only last 2 months then you have to go back for another $300 treatment, again and again.

Botox – Results: Medium,   Cost: Very High,  Risk: Medium

Natural Methods to Stop Sweaty Armpits

Suprisingly, natural methods to stop excessive armpit sweating do exist but are often overlooked.  Thousands of people have discovered these natural remedies, and have used them to treat armpit hyperhidrosis.

The exact remedies can range from dietary changes, herbal sweat remedies, clothing suggestions for sweat prevention, and simple changes to your daily routine that affect how your body’s sweat system behaves throughout the day.

For our suggestion on an effective natural method read Stop Sweating and Start Living review.

Natural Methods – Results: Medium,   Cost: Low,  Risk: Low