Reasons for Excessive Underarm Perspiration

Reasons for Excessive Underarm Perspiration


To explore the reasons for excessive underarm perspiration, it is necessary to realize that, in most cases, axillary hyperhidrosis is a primary condition, i.e., a condition that is either genetic or inherent. So why do these people sweat so much? Under normal circumstances, sweating is the human body’s way of regulating temperature. As sweat evaporates from the surface of our skin, the body temperature comes down.

The body has over 3 million sweat glands that produce sweat under instructions from the sympathetic nervous system, which sends neural signals to the glands via a chemical called acetylcholine. However, in the case of excessive underarm perspiration, the glands produce far more sweat than is required to cool the body. Sweat production may increase owing to a number of stress factors, both physical and emotional. Other contributing factors include eating certain kinds of food, intake of alcohol, smoking, and external temperature changes.

At this point, the conventional methods of treating the problem of excessive underarm sweating can successfully monitor, and in some cases cure, the condition, but each has its negative effects, which means there is no single recorded cure for underarm sweating. In order to understand why none of these methods are foolproof, we need to study them in some detail:

Topical Treatments: Both over the counter and prescription antiperspirants have been used to treat mild to moderately severe cases of underarm perspiration. Typically, these antiperspirants plug the pores on the surface of the skin, thus preventing sweat from reaching the surface. Branded antiperspirants containing chemicals like aluminum chloride hexahydrate, formalin, glutaraldehyde, and tannic acid have been used in the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis.

However, all the chemicals have potentially negative side effects. For instance, formalin not only smells bad, but may also cause contact dermatitis in a significant number of users. Similarly, glutaraldehyde, while a potentially viable treatment method for hyperhidrosis of the feet and hands, is virtually useless when it comes to acute underarm sweating because it causes brownish stains on the skin, which can cause socially embarrassing situations. Again, tannic acid is even less effective than glutaraldehyde and can also cause discolor the skin.

Besides, even the strongest antiperspirants need to be applied continuously in various doses over a long period of time because they do not represent a one-time solution. Put simply, pores that have been clogged unclog over time, necessitating a repeat dose.