It’s summertime in South Africa and that can only mean one thing: hot days are on their way. One way your body cools itself down is by sweating – it’s a complex cooling system that stop your body from overheating. The only problem is, sweat leads to smells.
It’s really the germs’ fault
Ironically, sweat doesn’t actually have a scent! It gets its odour from the germs that lives on your skin. When the germs mix with the sweat, it gives off an unpleasant smell.
What can I do about the smell and the sweating?
Smell
- Take a shower/ bath and scrub away all the odour
- Once you’re dry, apply some anti-perspirant – this will help prevent you from sweating.
- If you start to smell (which is very unlikely if you followed the first two steps), apply some deodorant.
- Body hair tends to trap sweat & bacteria. If you have excessive body hair, waxing or trimming it can also help to reduce the smell.
Sweating
If antiperspirants aren’t working for you, there are a few more options available to you. Some are fairly extreme, so you must discuss them with your doctor before you decide on a treatment
Medication – Anticholinergic or antimuscarinic medication may be prescribed, but they come with some bad side-effects, such as: dry mouth, difficulty urinating, blurred vision and constipation.
Botox – these injections can stop sweating in any area where the substance is injected. It can last up to 3 months and is one of the more effective options.
Surgery – You can surgically disable the nerves that control your sweat glands There are two problems with this option: 1) finding a specialist isn’t easy; and 2) it doesn’t work for everyone.
When sweating is a health problem
If it’s not hot and you’re not moving, and you’re still sweating buckets, then you know you have a problem. If this sounds like you, the chances are that you have a condition known as hyperhidrosis. The main sign of hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating, such as sweating for no reason, or sweating a lot more than normal. You can sweat from anywhere in the body, such as your back, neck, chest, feet, arm pits and hands.
What else could cause excessive sweating?
Your fitness definitely plays a big role. If you are very unfit and attempt to climb five flights of stairs, you’ll probably be drenched by the time your reach your floor. This isn’t because you have hyperhidrosis, it just means your body is hot because it’s not used to climbing all those stairs.
If you continue to have problems with sweating, then we highly recommend that you speak with your doctor. Ask them to refer you to a specialist that can help.
Sources: NHS, WebMD, Medical News Today