How to Stop and Control Sweating
Medically reviewed by William Truswell, MD
Sweating is a vital function that prevents your body from overheating. Perspiration is crucial when you’re in high temperatures or physically exert yourself; it can also be a natural stress response. However, sometimes, it results from a chronic medical condition, hyperhidrosis, which causes excessive sweat, regardless of temperature or activity level.
Whether it’s an occasional or constant issue, sweating can be uncomfortable, interfere with daily activities, stain clothes, and impact your self-image. Luckily, there are medications and treatments for hyperhidrosis and many ways to prevent and control sweating.
This article discusses how to stop sweating and provides strategies for managing perspiration.
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How to Control and Prevent Excessive Sweating
There are many ways that you can control or prevent sweating that has become excessive. These range from changing your clothing material to switching deodorants or antiperspirants to taking medications to, rarely, getting surgery for severe sweating.
Choose Garments Carefully
It’s little wonder that what you wear influences how much you sweat. Choose garments made of natural fibers, as these allow for better air flow and venting of heat around the body. Wearing loose-fitting shirts, pants, or shirts can also help.
For foot sweat, there are several additional steps you can take:
Wear sandals when possible, or go barefoot, especially at home.
Choose shoes made of natural leather.
Wear socks that have air vents.
Change socks frequently.
Find an Effective Antiperspirant
Finding an effective antiperspirant can go a long way in managing excessive sweating. Keep in mind that antiperspirants and deodorants aren’t the same products. Antiperspirants stop perspiration—blocking the ducts in your skin that release sweat—while deodorants primarily mask any odor.
For severe cases of hyperhidrosis, a healthcare provider will recommend antiperspirants containing 10% to 20% aluminum chloride hexahydrate as an initial treatment. In more severe cases, you may be prescribed products with a higher volume of aluminum chloride hexahydrate. These should be applied one to twice daily on the underarms or, if directed, on other parts of the skin.
Aluminum-Free Deodorant Options
Despite the mixed evidence, research has found a relationship between aluminum in antiperspirants and adverse health effects. A 2019 study linked aluminum levels in the brain and neurological diseases, though it’s unclear if antiperspirant use is at fault. Another study noted that women under 30 using aluminum-containing antiperspirants may have an increased breast cancer risk.
Avoid the Heat
Keeping yourself cool and avoiding physical exertion in the heat are additional ways to prevent excessive sweating. When it’s hot out, avoid direct sunshine and exercising or doing hard physical labor between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when temperatures are the highest.
Dietary Changes
Certain foods and drinks can induce sweating. To prevent sweat, avoid the following:
Spicy foods
Coffee, tea, or caffeinated beverages
Foods containing the preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Alcohol
High-fat foods, such as red meat or bacon
In addition, certain foods and drinks may help reduce sweating, often because they help with digestion, which can raise your body temperature.
Foods and beverages to consume include:
Water-rich fruit, such as watermelon, peaches, citrus, or apples
Bananas or foods high in potassium
High-fiber foods, such as leafy greens, beans, and others
Calcium-rich foods that are low in fat, such as low or nonfat milk
Whey protein
Iontophoresis
A treatment for excessive sweating in the hands or feet, iontophoresis uses electrical stimulation to stop sweat gland activity temporarily. This involves several sessions of submerging or soaking affected areas in water and running an electrical current through them for 10 to 30 minutes.
Botox Injection
Another treatment for hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating involves injections with Botox (onabotulinumtoxinA). Often injected into the underarms, hands, feet, or face, this substance halts the activity of chemicals that stimulate sweat glands. Botox provides temporary relief from excessive sweating, which lasts four to six months. When the sweating returns, you’ll need additional treatment.
Prescription Cloth Wipes
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved treatment for excessive sweating in those 9 years old or older uses specialized wipes with glycopyrronium tosylate. This prescription therapy involves daily application on the underarms or other affected areas.
Prescription Medications
There also are several oral prescription medications for hyperhidrosis. These anticholinergic drugs work by inhibiting the activity of the neurotransmitter (brain chemical) acetylcholine. They are often indicated for muscular or movement disorders like Parkinson’s disease.
Anticholinergic drugs used for excessive sweating include:
Robinul (glycopyrrolate)
Cuvposa (glycopyrrolate)
Oxytrol (oxybutynin)
Ditropan XL (oxybutynin)
Because of their side effects, these oral medications are typically reserved for cases in which topical agents haven’t yielded results, or the sweating is more generalized.
Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS)
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) is a surgery for difficult-to-treat cases of hyperhidrosis affecting the face or palms. Typically indicated when other approaches aren’t yielding results, the surgeon works to sever nerves involved in excessive sweating in this minimally invasive procedure.
Underarm Surgery
Sometimes, a healthcare provider will recommend underarm surgery to remove sweat glands from the underarms to control hyperhidrosis. An option that causes permanent changes to the body, surgery is typically the last result for this condition.
Surgeons may employ several techniques, including the following:
Excision involves the surgeon cutting the sweat glands away.
Liposuction is the use of a tube to suck away the glands.
Curettage is scraping away the sweat glands with special tools.
Laser surgery relies on directed laser beams to heat and destroy sweat glands.
Managing Hyperhidrosis
If you suspect hyperhidrosis, seek a medical diagnosis for proper treatment. As you undergo therapy, track your sweating patterns to identify triggers. In addition, note any other symptoms you’re experiencing, such as weight loss, heavy heartbeat, fever, and loss of appetite. Notify your provider if you experience these other symptoms, as they may be signs of other health conditions.
Sweating as a Symptom of Anxiety
Anxiety is a persistent and debilitating feeling of fear or dread. Everyone may feel some anxiety occasionally, but if it’s chronic, recurrent, and persistent, it can be a sign of an anxiety disorder. There are several types of anxiety disorders, and symptoms can vary from person to person.
Alongside rapid heart rate, restlessness, irritability, fatigue, and others, anxiety can cause excessive sweating. This is because anxiety triggers a fight-or-flight fear response in the body, which can elevate body temperature and trigger perspiration. This is why you may sweat if you’re nervous or anxious and why coping with anxiety may help alleviate sweating.
Anxiety Due to Sweating
The relationship between anxiety and sweating may be bidirectional. This means that the sweating may be caused by anxiety, and sweating can lead to anxiety. Though more work is needed, researchers have noted elevated levels of hyperhidrosis among those with anxiety or other mental health conditions.
Sweating at Night
Another issue that arises is sweating at night. You may find yourself waking up with your sheets or pillows soaked. Night sweats are commonly caused by the following:
Mood disorders
Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland)
Anxiety
Fever
Sometimes, although rarely, night sweats are a sign of a severe and life-threatening infection or cancer. Talk to a healthcare provider if you sweat at night—especially if it’s a frequent occurrence. Managing the underlying condition will help put a stop to this issue.
Summary
Sweating is a natural body function, and it’s not unusual to experience noticeable sweat due to heat or physical exertion. In some cases, this results from a chronic condition called hyperhidrosis. You can manage sweating in many ways, including using antiperspirants, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and avoiding caffeine or spicy foods. Medications, surgeries, and other medical procedures are among the treatment options for hyperhidrosis.
