Medical Interventions to Stop Underarm Sweating
There is a small percentage of the population, 2-3%, that has a problem with excessive sweating under the arms or in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
For these individuals, normal antiperspirants are not enough to prevent staining clothing, excessive body odor, wet handshakes, and other socially embarrassing problems.
There are, however several medical interventions used by doctors to stop underarm sweating.
If regular over the counter antiperspirants have failed to control underarm sweating, a doctor may prescribe a much stronger one that contains aluminum chloride hexahydrate.
For most users, this antiperspirant is enough to stop underarm sweating.
Oral medications are available that will reduce the amount of sweat produced in the underarm area and on the hands and feet.
The exact mechanism of function that makes these medications effective is not known, but their effectiveness is documented.
In some cases, a doctor may prescribe a procedure known as lontopheresis.
A machine passes an electrical current through the skin using ordinary tap water.
These treatments can be administered at home following the doctor's instructions.
When none of the above works, your doctor may perform a series of Botox injections under each arm.
The usefulness of Botox in this area of medicine is very good.
The FDA has not approved this procedure for palm and foot sweating because of the increased amount of pain from the injections.
Strong nerve blocks would be needed to make the injections tolerable.
The injections produce a small amount of pain in the underarms, but this is tolerable for most people.
As a last resort, your doctor may perform a laparascopic surgery that allows him to sever the sympathetic nerves that control the sweat glands rendering them permanently incapable of producing sweat.
These are the basics of the various medical interventions that can be used to stop underarm sweating in cases where the person does not respond to regular over the counter antiperspirants.
Doctors generally start at the top of the list and work through the different steps until a method is found that will control the sweating.
For these individuals, normal antiperspirants are not enough to prevent staining clothing, excessive body odor, wet handshakes, and other socially embarrassing problems.
There are, however several medical interventions used by doctors to stop underarm sweating.
If regular over the counter antiperspirants have failed to control underarm sweating, a doctor may prescribe a much stronger one that contains aluminum chloride hexahydrate.
For most users, this antiperspirant is enough to stop underarm sweating.
Oral medications are available that will reduce the amount of sweat produced in the underarm area and on the hands and feet.
The exact mechanism of function that makes these medications effective is not known, but their effectiveness is documented.
In some cases, a doctor may prescribe a procedure known as lontopheresis.
A machine passes an electrical current through the skin using ordinary tap water.
These treatments can be administered at home following the doctor's instructions.
When none of the above works, your doctor may perform a series of Botox injections under each arm.
The usefulness of Botox in this area of medicine is very good.
The FDA has not approved this procedure for palm and foot sweating because of the increased amount of pain from the injections.
Strong nerve blocks would be needed to make the injections tolerable.
The injections produce a small amount of pain in the underarms, but this is tolerable for most people.
As a last resort, your doctor may perform a laparascopic surgery that allows him to sever the sympathetic nerves that control the sweat glands rendering them permanently incapable of producing sweat.
These are the basics of the various medical interventions that can be used to stop underarm sweating in cases where the person does not respond to regular over the counter antiperspirants.
Doctors generally start at the top of the list and work through the different steps until a method is found that will control the sweating.
Source...