How to Stop Sweating So Much

Summer is the season of swimming, sunbathing — and sweating. As the heat index climbs, our bodies work hard to keep us cool.

“When we become hot, a part of our brain called the hypothalamus signals to little nerves in the skin to tell the sweat gland to produce sweat,” said Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City. The liquid then cools us when it evaporates.

But while sweating is helpful for cooling us down, few people enjoy having smelly underarms, stinky feet and clothes stuck to their back and groin. And some people sweat excessively no matter the time of year, and in the absence of typical triggers like heat and physical activity.

Here’s why some of us get extra swampy, and a few methods to cut down on chronic sweating.

Why Some People Are Prone to Perspire

People can sweat more when they have infections, take medications (such as certain antidepressants) or go through perimenopause or menopause, among other causes, Dr. Bowe said.

Others may have a condition known as hyperhidrosis. With this disorder, sweating is often spontaneous and “unrelated to triggers like stress, emotion, exercise and environmental triggers like heat,” said Dr. Mark Ferguson, a thoracic surgeon who treats excessive sweating at UChicago Medicine.

About 5 percent of Americans are believed to have hyperhidrosis. It’s unclear what causes it, but it can run in families. People with hyperhidrosis may sweat excessively around their armpits, hands, feet, scalp or any combination of those body parts, Dr. Ferguson said. Typically, the condition arises either in infancy or during puberty.