"Alternative Treatments" - For When Sweating Is Really Intense

There are a bunch of tips you'll hear over and over for dealing with heavy sweating. Some home remedies or alternative medicine approaches haven't been scientifically proven to work – but on the flip side, they have few to no side effects. So, it might be worth giving some of these treatments a try.

Homeopathy (Globules)

Folks who swear by homeopathic remedies can get little pellets from a naturopath or by checking a chart. These are supposed to help curb excessive sweating.

Sage

Sage is well-known in herbal medicine for being super effective. Its essential oils don't just fight bacteria and reduce inflammation, but when taken internally, they're also said to help with sweating. The idea is to drink a cup of strong sage tea three times a day. This can noticeably reduce sweating for some people. But heads up! Sage can upset your stomach. Plus, you should only use it for a few weeks at a time. It's best to get advice from a pharmacy or a naturopath.

Hypnosis

People keep reporting success with hypnosis for hyperhidrosis. It's suspected that in these cases, the hyperhidrosis was secondary, triggered by anxiety disorders or something similar. Another explanation is that hypnosis can affect the autonomic nervous system, which is linked to sweating. Either way, you'll have to pay for hypnosis sessions yourself. Success is mostly reported with repeated and consistently regular sessions.

Essential Oils

Aromatherapy suggests various essential oils for (excessive) sweating. Besides sage oil, chamomile, willow, and hyssop are mentioned. It's possible that essential oils affect the autonomic nervous system. Just make sure you're using pure essential oils, not just fragrance oils.

Bach Flower Remedies and Schuessler Salts

Bach flower therapy and Schuessler salt therapy also offer remedies that are supposed to help with hyperhidrosis.

Psychotherapy for Excessive Sweating

For most people, psychotherapy doesn't really do much. Very rarely, these patients have primary psychological issues. If there are any psychosocial problems, they're usually a result, not a cause, of the sweating issue. So, you can't really consider psychiatric drugs as a treatment for hyperhidrosis. Psychotherapy might help a person learn to live with it, though.

Controversial Due to Possible Strong Side Effects

When it comes to treating hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating), there are some methods that can be effective, but they're controversial because they're invasive or have potential side effects. Here are a few:

Surgical Procedures:

• Sympathectomy: This procedure cuts the nerves that activate sweat glands. While it's very effective for the affected areas, it can lead to unwanted side effects like compensatory sweating in other parts of the body.
• Sweat Gland Liposuction: This removes sweat glands using liposuction. It's less invasive than sympathectomy, but its effectiveness isn't as well-documented.

Medications:

• Anticholinergics: These drugs block the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps control sweat production. But they can cause strong side effects like dry mouth, vision problems, and trouble peeing.

Why are these methods controversial?

1. Invasiveness: Surgery and injections come with risks and can cause complications.
2. Side Effects: Many treatments have unwanted side effects that can mess with your quality of life.
3. Cost: Hyperhidrosis treatment can be really expensive and often isn't covered by insurance.
4. Temporary Effects: A lot of treatments only work for a while, so you need to keep getting them done.
5. Ethical Concerns: Some experts think treating hyperhidrosis interferes with your body's natural functions and raises ethical questions.

Erstmals publiziert am: 12.05.2011

Aktualisiert: 27.05.2025