2024-07-23 09:10:15
Increased sweating occurs for different reasons
During sports or active physical work, as well as at high indoor or outdoor temperatures, the human body produces more sweat. This is the body’s natural reaction to regulate body temperature, as sweating cools the body.
However, increased sweating can also be a consequence of hyperhidrosis, when the activity of the sweat glands is disturbed and they secrete more sweat than necessary. Such sweating can range from a slight wetness on the surface of the skin to profuse dripping of sweat, both in specific areas, such as the armpits or feet, and throughout the body.
According to J. Kantauskaitė, there can be many reasons why the activity of the sweat glands is disrupted. Increased sweating can be related to genetics, hormonal changes, stress, and certain diseases such as chronic infections, tumors, endocrine and neurological diseases.
We tolerate the smell of our own sweat more than those around us
According to doctor J. Kantauskaitė, people often do not notice their bad body odor:
“Our sense of smell becomes less sensitive to the smells we are constantly exposed to. Simply put, our brain filters out constant repetitive stimuli in order to focus on new and potentially relevant smells. Since we are always closest to our body odor, our brain gets used to it and stops registering it,” warns the doctor.
So, when you sweat profusely, you may think that it is only a discomfort that you feel yourself, but the reality can be worse and your bad body odor can be felt by others significantly more than you.
Bad body odor is not caused by sweat, but by bacteria living in it
When you say that bad body odor is caused by sweat, you are not entirely correct: in fact, the smell of sweat is neutral, but when you sweat, the bacteria on the skin break down the substances in the sweat, and this process produces an unpleasant smell.
Therefore, in order to avoid unpleasant body odor, the most important thing is regular hygiene. After sweating, you should take a shower immediately and remove all bacteria from the body.
The next step is the use of an antiperspirant, which locally blocks the sweat glands and works as long as the preparation remains on the skin.
However, after some time after its use or after profuse sweating, the preparation becomes ineffective, so hygiene procedures must be started from the beginning.
For those who want to avoid bad body odor, simple hygiene may not be enough
It is not always possible to use a shower and antiperspirant immediately after sweating. This is especially relevant during the working day or when going on longer trips.
However, modern medicine offers several ways to reduce not the bad body odor caused by sweat, but the unwanted sweating itself.
People who suffer from hyperhidrosis may have several treatments.
Patients with type 2 (whole body) sweat gland disorder may be prescribed medications to reduce sweating, but their use is very limited due to unwanted side reactions.
Those with type 1 (local) sweat gland dysfunction may be treated with iontopheresis, an electrical current procedure, as well as injections of botulinum toxin, also known as Botox.
According to the doctor, botulinum toxin injections are a more effective treatment method than iontopheresis, as they can be used not only for the feet and hands, but also for the armpits and head area.
Botulinum toxin is also suitable for people who want to get rid of antiperspirant. There are people who can’t use antiperspirants because of sensitive skin, or don’t want to use them because when they mix with sweat, they damage clothes even more.
“For such people, we also recommend trying botulinum toxin injections, which will help get rid of underarm sweating. The procedure is painless and completely safe, because the reduction of sweating with this preparation is confirmed as effective and safe,” advises the doctor.
In this method, botulinum toxin is injected into areas that sweat profusely, it binds to presynaptic nerve endings and blocks signals to muscles and sweat glands. The result begins to be felt in 5 days, and fully works in 2 weeks. Sweating in the treated areas no longer occurs for up to one year. After the nerve endings are restored, sweating returns, but is often less intense.
“We often hear the myth that blocking sweat gland receptors in one area of the body, such as the armpits, will cause other areas to sweat more. This is not true. After the sweat glands are blocked, they no longer produce sweat, so there is no need for it to escape through the glands in other parts of the body,” says J. Kantauskaitė.
2024-07-23 09:10:15