Excessive Sweating Causes & Symptoms of Excessive Sweating

Excessive armpit sweating is a condition known as axillary hyperhidrosis. Sweating is a normal bodily function, designed to cool down the internal temperature of the body during hot conditions or exercise, but in excessive cases sweat can literally drip from the armpits, and can occur even when there is no physical need for sweating. Although the true cause of axillary hyperhidrosis is not known, it is thought to be triggered by overactive sympathetic nerves, which are responsible for regulating sweat glands, and is sometimes also combined with excessive hand or foot sweating.

Axillary hyperhidrosis can be a very unpleasant condition and is resistant to most types of regular antiperspirants. You can buy stronger antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride, which are applied at night to clean, dry skin, and can help reduce the physical signs of excessive sweating. Although sweat itself is not smelly, it quickly grows stale once excreted and provides an ideal environment for bacteria to grow. These bacteria breakdown the sweat and release a fatty acid, which has a pungent and unpleasant smell. Unfortunately excessive armpit sweating is particularly prone to becoming smelly, and is resistant to most types of odour controlling medications such as deodorants, and so axillary hyperhidrosis can have some significant psychological impacts on suffers such as social shyness, fear of intimacy and depression.

Excessive armpit sweating usually first occurs during puberty, and can last throughout life. Some sufferers do report that the severity of the symptoms ease over time, even without treatment, and that attacks can be triggered by anxiety, stress and even some specific foods. If excessive armpit sweating is accompanied by an increase in overall sweating it could be the result of an underlying medical condition, such as thyroid problems. You should always seek advice from your doctor if you suffer from excessive sweating, to rule out any other possible causes.

There are a variety of treatments available for more severe cases of axillary hyperhidrosis, such as Iontophoresis. This is a long-term treatment, and it involves submersing the affected area in water, through which a small electrical charge is passed. This is thought to numb the sweat glands and prevent them from responding to overactive stimulation. Sessions can last up to half and hour, and it can be an uncomfortable procedure, and is generally though to be more successful the sweat glands of the feet and hands (eccrines), rather than those in the armpit area (apocrines).

Botolinum Toxin injections offer another approach to treating axillary hyperhidrosis, and this involves making a number of small injections into the affected area, in order to disable the sweat glands. This is only a temporary treatment, lasting for up to 10 months at a time and as over 30 injections can be required during each session it can be an expensive treatment to undergo. Some people have also reported some weakness in the small muscles surrounding the injection site, and also an allergic reaction to the Botolinum Toxin that manifests as mild flu-like symptoms that last for a few days after treatments.

There are some more permanent treatments available, in the form of surgical procedures. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) involves a small incision into the chest area, through which the nerves responsible for triggering the excessive sweating are cut or clamped. Although this procedure is effective against axillary hyperhidrosis it is not commonly recommended as it can cause significant compensatory sweating, mainly on the stomach, thighs or back, and alternative methods are usually considered first, such as ‘currettage’. This technique involves making small incisions into the affected area, through which the sweat glands are carefully suctioned and scraped away. This procedure can eliminate up to 95% of the sweat glands in the armpit area, reducing sweating significantly and as this is a relatively minor surgical operation, patients can usually return home that day and be back to work within a week. There can be some side effects to this procedure though, with some possible skin loss and scarring, and also some patients have reported that the treated area becomes prone to dryness and irritation. Currettage is often thought to be more preferable in treating axillary hyperhidrosis than ETS, as it does not have the side effect of compensatory sweating.