How to prevent excessive sweating

Sweating helps regulate body temperature, but sweating that soaks clothing, disrupts sleep, interferes with work, or occurs without heat may need assessment. It can affect the underarms, palms, soles, face, or several areas. Heat exhaustion can cause heavy sweating with weakness, dizziness, nausea, headache, or cool clammy skin. Other conditions, including hyperthyroidism, hypoglycaemia, and obstructive sleep apnoea, can also be associated with sweating in particular circumstances.

Track when sweating happens and note heat, exercise, stress, food, medicines, alcohol, and nighttime episodes. Wear loose breathable layers, use absorbent socks, rotate footwear, and keep a spare shirt available. Apply an appropriate antiperspirant to completely dry skin as directed; irritation can occur, so ask a pharmacist or clinician about alternatives. If self-care is not enough, treatment options may include iontophoresis, botulinum toxin injections, or microwave sweat gland treatment, depending on the body area and your health.

Arrange a medical review when sweating is new, worsening, generalised, or mainly occurs at night, or when it follows a medicine change. Seek urgent help for heavy sweating with chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe weakness, breathing difficulty, or signs of heat illness. A clinician can assess the pattern and decide whether testing is needed.

Ask whether your pattern suggests a primary sweating disorder or another condition, how to use antiperspirant safely, and which treatment matches the sites that trouble you most.