Are your palms constantly sweaty? Does your clothing become moist with perspiration just minutes after dressing up? If so, you may suffer from hyperhidrosis, an excessive sweating, which occurs mainly in the hands, armpits, groin, and feet. Affected individuals sweat profusely over the affected body parts, which is not due to exertion (physical or mental), hot surroundings, heavy clothing, or medication. Generally speaking, they sweat excessively without a good reason. Given the fact that sweating is a natural process of the body through which it releases its toxins, that natural course of action becomes deviant when it is a disorder. Those who suffer from excessive sweating know very well how discomforting it is. Hyperhidrosis can significantly affect their quality of life and cause considerable social embarrassment and anxiety. You can imagine one appearing in a function in drenched clothes; with yellow or black lines left by sweat under the armpits; visible sweat dripping down from the thighs to the feet and to say the least, very wet-cold palms. Hyperhidrosis can make shaking hands embarrassing!
People with excessive sweating are likely to develop skin-fold rashes, folliculitis, prickly heat, and boils on the body. A number of signs and symptoms, some of which are already mentioned, typical of hyperhidrosis are:
Visible sweating that even drenches the clothes; wet and moist palms and soles; maceration of the skin; foot/body odor; cracking and scaling of the skin, e.t.c.
Fortunately, affected individuals do not have to live with hyperhidrosis. If clinical examination rules out any underlying health problems, such as hyperthyroidism, rheumatic fever, hormonal imbalance, excess weight, low blood sugar, heart or lung disease, depression, infections, you may try natural remedies for relief:
Lantanacamara (wild sage, ewon-agogo in Yoruba) is an astringent herb having lots of chemical properties to soothe the sweat gland and calm down nerves. It also has essential oils which inhibit excessive production of sweat. Experts claim that wild sage revitalizes blood flow, which helps in cooling your body and reducing excessive sweating. Its anti-microbial and fungicidal properties may take care of boils, odors, and any infection that may be associated. Infuse fresh Lantana leaves in a teacup of boiling water for 15-30 minutes or until it cools down. Take 2X daily. You can also use the solution from the tea to dab or clean affected parts.
Portulaca oleracea-(common purslane, papasan-Yoruba, ntiodu-Igbo) + alum- first soak a handful of the herb in 250ml of hot water for 20 minutes and bring to boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes. Drop the alum in the resulting solution. Use a swab, dip it in the warm solution, and wipe the sweat-prone areas, let it stay for 10 minutes. Rinse with clean water and wipe properly.
Equisetum avernse (horsetail, misimisigoro)- this herb is rich in silicon, which is said to regulate the production of sweat. Taking the tea 2 X daily will help stop many of those embarrassing moments from excessive sweating. To make a tea, ¼ litre of boiling water is to be poured over 1-2 tsp of dried horsetail and steeped for 15 minutes. Silicon is also present in fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Specifically, beet root, brown rice, oats, bell peppers, onions, green beans, leafy greens, asparagus, parsley, sunflower seeds, almonds and grain husks from whole grain oats, barley and millet are all rich in silicon. Include these in your meal plan.
Camphor-grind about 10 gm of camphor and infuse in coconut oil. Apply this on the sweat prone areas to curb the excessive sweating.
Lime juice- for cold and wet palms, mix some lime juice with a tablespoon of sea salt and massage your hands. This will help regularize the activities of sweat glands and will cure excessive sweating.
Tea tree oil– thin layers of this oil should be applied to the sweat prone areas. It has natural astringents, which will give you the desired results within a short period of application. Tea tree oil also contains potent anti fungal properties that would help get rid of bacteria, fungi, or other harmful organisms in affected areas that could potentially act as sweat gland triggers. For foot sweating, pat your feet dry, especially between the toes after bath and apply the oil directly. The astringent properties of the tea tree oil may dry out the skin. So start with just a little quantity to determine how much you’ll need or dilute in a carrier oil, like coconut or almond.
Apple cider vinegar- applying this on areas like the feet and palms can curb hyperhidrosis. Wash your hands and feet with cold water and pat them dry with a soft towel. Apply some apple cider vinegar and rub-in until completely absorbed. For the armpit, use cotton balls to apply the apple cider vinegar under your arms after bathing. This helps prevent excessive sweating and underarm odor.
Honey- you can also add about 2 teaspoons of honey to 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 1 glass of warm water. This mixture will help flush out the impurities that could otherwise trigger the sweat glands as well as serve as an effective antiperspirant. Drink at least 2X daily for best results. You may add 1tsp.
Cinnamon powder to help the normal functioning of the sweat pores.
Cornstarch and oats- to get rid of excessive underarm sweating apply a mix of cornstarch and oat powder under the arms after thoroughly cleaning them. Let it stay for half an hour and then wash off. You can also add any essential oil of your choice to the mixture; this will act as a deodorant.
Tannins in tea- have astringent properties that act as natural antiperspirant and are found in black and green teas. Infuse three tea bags or more in a tea cup of boiled water and allow to cool down. Use this as a hand or foot soak for at least thirty minutes daily. A cup of tea every night can also curb excessive sweating by cleansing the body off toxins and impurities.
B vitamins- work collectively and individually in every cell to perform many different jobs, including helping the body reduce excessive sweating. So, if you are a victim of hyperhidrosis, increase intake of natural foods rich in vitamin B.
In addition
•Shave the underarms and groin areas to prevent excessive sweating.
•Wear clothes made of natural fibers, like cotton. Avoid synthetic fabrics, like nylons and polyesters. Wear loose fitting-clothes as much as possible.
•Avoid eating sugary, spicy, and chemically processed foodstuff.
•Reduce your caffeine intake. Shun hot drinks, alcohol and drugs.
•Avoid taking very hot baths as well as using harsh deodorants or soaps.
•Shed off the excess weight.
•Drink enough water and try to keep the temperature of your body cool.
•Avoid stress as much as possible.