If you find yourself in a constant battle against sweaty armpits, you’re in the right place.
Excessive underarm sweating is inconvenient and embarrassing. No matter the cause, the result is still frustrating. Stress, diet, genetics, and climate are just a few of the reasons for extra armpit sweat.
Understanding the cause of excess armpit sweat can help you find a fix that works for you. In this article we’ll explore the most common causes underarm sweat.
- Hyperhidrosis
- Climate
- Stress & Anxiety
- Diet
- Genetics
- Hormones
- Medical Conditions
- Medical Side Effects
Continue reading for a full breakdown of each sweating cause.
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Why Do My Armpits Sweat So Much, EVEN With Deodorant?
You’ve tried Degree, Dove, Old Spice, and probably more. But your armpits still feel like Niagara Falls and your shirts get soaked.
It happens at the most embarrassing and inopportune moments. And worse, it happens all the time.
Using an underarm deodorant won’t stop the sweat. Deodorants are designed only to mask the body odor that results from sweating, not the sweating itself.
You need a strong antiperspirant or an antiperspirant deodorant combo to reduce sweating. If that still doesn’t help, well, keep reading.
How Do You Know If Your Armpits Are Sweating Too Much?
You already know if you’re sweating too much. But here’s the scientific answer to the question of how much is too much sweat?
Medical experts say that sweating over 100 liquid mg every five minutes is excessive. (1) That may sound like a lot, but it’s just a few drops– far less than a teaspoon. But it’s still too much and who has time to measure anyway?
According to Lyall Gorenstein, Surgical Director at the Columbia University Hyperhidrosis Center, sweating is excessive [too much] if it causes “social or personal embarrassment, withdrawal, or avoidance behavior.” (2)
Signs Of Excessive Underarm Sweating:
- You avoid wearing light-colored shirts to prevent sweat stains.
- You wear a jacket even when it’s warm to hide sweat.
- Your armpits sweat even when you’re not hot or anxious.
- You spend time worrying about your armpit sweat.
- You shower daily but still struggle with body odor and sweat.
- You always carry extra shirts just in case.
- You avoid hugs or touching others due to your sweat.
- You’ve changed your career, ended a relationship, or skipped events because of your sweating.
If any of this sounds familiar, you may have a condition called axillary hyperhidrosis.
Axillary Hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for excessive sweating. It affects roughly 15.3 million Americans. (3)
Axillary hyperhidrosis refers to excessive sweating in the armpits. Roughly half [51%] the people with hyperhidrosis suffer from this type of sweating.
What are the causes of excessive armpit sweating?
8 Common Causes for Sweaty Armpits
1. Hyperhidrosis
If you sweat excessively in specific areas like your armpits, you might have focal hyperhidrosis. Often there is no known cause (4). If the problem is all over your body, it’s called generalized hyperhidrosis, which usually has an identifiable cause (5). Don’t worry. There are effective treatment options.
2. Climate
High heat and humidity can increase sweating. On humid days, sweat doesn’t evaporate. The sweat accumulates, you continue to sweat but there’s no relief. Soon the humidity and the buildup of sweat throws the body into sweating overdrive to cool itself (6).
3. Stress & Anxiety
Emotional stimuli, like anxiety and fear, are bigger triggers than temperature for the apocrine sweat glands in your armpits and groin (7). So, you sweat more when stressed.
Job stress, a troubled relationship, or tense situations could be to blame. An underlying anxiety disorder can also cause hyperhidrosis. If headaches, trembling, stuttering, lightheadedness, clammy hands or nervousness accompany your sweating, you may have an anxiety disorder. (8)
4. Diet
Spicy foods, caffeine, fatty processed foods, and alcohol can trigger sweating. If you sweat after eating specific foods, they might be the cause. If you sweat no matter what you eat, you may have Frey’s Syndrome. Check with your doctor.
5. Genetics
Hyperhidrosis can be hereditary. If family members also sweat excessively, it could be in your DNA. Genetics can play a major role in excessive sweating.
6. Hormones
Hormonal changes during puberty (9), pregnancy, and menopause can increase sweating. An underlying hormone imbalance like a thyroid issue could also be a cause. (10)
7. Medical Conditions
Diabetes, heart disease, infections, thyroid problems, and other conditions can cause excess sweating.
8. Medication Side Effects
Many medications list sweating as a side effect. Check your prescriptions to see if this could be causing your sweat. There are at least 328 different medications that mention sweating as a side effect. (11)
If you take any prescriptions, check the side effects for extra sweat.
How Do You Stop Excessive Armpit Sweating?
Ah, the million-dollar question. Medical professionals have been seeking solutions for years. The good news is that there are effective treatments. Some of those treatments include:
- Dietary and lifestyle changes
- Strong, clinical strength antiperspirants
- Botox injections
- MiraDry treatments
- Iontophoresis
- Medications
Check out this comprehensive list of natural ways to stop sweating for a holistic approach.
If your sweating is severe, explore this detailed list of hyperhidrosis treatments with their pros and cons.
A Proven Way to Stop Unwanted Armpit Sweating
It’s easy, it’s effective and it works for about 70% of those who try it. There’s no need for expensive equipment, or needles, or harmful medications.
It’s a bit unconventional, but that’s part of why it’s such an effective solution.
It’s called SweatBlock. This clinical strength antiperspirant wipe is prolific in it’s sweat-stopping abilities.
Just dab a wipe to a clean, dry underarm before bedtime. In the morning, shower and go about your day. Most people enjoy 6-7 days of dryness with each application.
You can try SweatBlock Antiperspirant wipes at no risk. If they don’t keep your pits and your shirts dry, you don’t pay.
Sources
- 1. International Journal of Dermatology – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25599582/
- 2. Allure – https://www.allure.com/story/hyperhidrosis-excessive-sweating-treatments-causes
- 3. Archives of Dermatological Research – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27744497/
- 4. Cleveland Clinic – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17113-hyperhidrosis
- 5. Canadian Medical Association Journal – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC543948/#
- 6. HealthPartners – https://www.healthpartners.com/blog/humidity-can-make-you-sick/
- 7. Science Direct – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/sweat-gland
- 8. Healthline – https://www.healthline.com/health/diagnosing-hyperhidrosis/depression-and-anxiety#4
- 9. NCBI – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482278/
- 10. MedExpress – https://www.medexpress.com/about/newsroom/2019-press-releases-media-coverage/medexpress-reasons-you-might-be-sweating-a-lot.html
- 11. SideEffects – http://sideeffects.embl.de/se/C0038990/
