Excessive Sweating (Zyada Paseena): Causes, Treatment and Body Odour Tips

Wet patches on your shirt, sweaty palms when you shake hands, and a worry that people can smell you even right after a shower. Sweating is normal and healthy, because it keeps the body cool. But for some people it is far more than they need, and it can affect work, clothes and confidence. This is called hyperhidrosis (zyada paseena aana).

This guide explains the difference between normal sweating and excessive sweating, the causes, practical ways to stay dry, what antiperspirant treatments can do, and the signs that mean you should see a doctor.

Normal sweating or hyperhidrosis?

Everyone sweats more in hot weather, with exercise, stress and spicy food, and during fever. Hyperhidrosis means sweating much more than the body needs, sometimes at cool temperatures or at rest. It may be:

• Primary (focal): affects specific areas, such as the palms, soles, underarms, face or scalp. It usually starts in childhood or teenage years, runs in families and has no underlying disease.
• Secondary: sweating over a large area or the whole body, caused by another condition or a medicine.

Causes of secondary sweating

• An overactive thyroid.
• Diabetes, especially with low blood sugar.
• Menopause and hot flushes.
• Infections such as tuberculosis, malaria or other chronic infections, which can cause night sweats.
• Heart problems. Sweating with chest pain or breathlessness is an emergency.
• Obesity, anxiety, and some medicines, including antidepressants and some painkillers.
• Alcohol, caffeine and smoking.

Everyday ways to stay drier

• Wash daily with soap, and dry well, especially in skin folds.
• Wear natural fabrics such as cotton, which breathe better than polyester. Choose loose clothes, and change sweaty clothes quickly.
• Use an antiperspirant, not only a deodorant. Antiperspirants reduce sweat, and deodorants only mask the smell. Put it on at night on dry skin, when the sweat glands are less active, and wash it off in the morning.
• Shave or trim underarm hair, which can trap moisture and odour.
• Change socks twice a day, and let shoes dry between wears. Rotate your shoes.
• Limit triggers: hot spicy food, caffeine, alcohol and smoking.
• Stay hydrated. Drinking water does not increase sweating, and it helps your body regulate temperature.
• Manage stress with slow breathing and regular exercise.

Our hygiene section has soaps, deodorants and body care items, including Maxi Deodorant Spray.

Stronger treatments for heavy sweating

Aluminium chloride antiperspirant

Aluminium chloride solutions work by blocking the sweat ducts. ACH Lotion is an aluminium chloride product in our dispensing range. Common advice is to apply it at night to clean, completely dry skin, and wash it off in the morning. It can sting or irritate, so do not apply it right after shaving or on broken skin. Use it as directed on the pack or by your doctor, and stop if your skin becomes sore.

Other medical options

• Tablets that reduce sweating, prescribed by a doctor, which have side effects such as dry mouth.
• Iontophoresis, a device that uses a mild current in water, often used for the palms and soles.
• Botulinum toxin injections for underarms and sometimes the palms, which last several months.
• Surgery or energy treatments for severe cases that do not respond to other options.

Body odour

Sweat itself has almost no smell. The odour comes from bacteria on the skin breaking down sweat. Washing regularly, drying well and wearing clean clothes helps. An antibacterial soap may help in some cases. If a strong odour does not improve with good hygiene, see a doctor, since some conditions such as diabetes and kidney or liver disease can change body odour.

When to see a doctor

• Sweating is heavy, disturbs sleep or daily life, and over-the-counter products are not working.
• You have drenching night sweats, fever, weight loss or a long-lasting cough. This must be checked for infections such as TB.
• Sweating started suddenly in adult life.
• You also have a racing heart, tremor, weight loss, or feeling hot all the time. This can mean a thyroid problem.
• Sweating comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea or a feeling of dread. Get emergency help.
• You have diabetes and sweat heavily with shakiness or confusion. Check your sugar. See our guide to diabetes in Pakistan.

Frequently asked questions

Is excessive sweating a sign of poor health?

Not usually. Primary hyperhidrosis is a harmless condition caused by overactive sweat glands. It is worth checking if it starts suddenly or comes with other symptoms.

Do antiperspirants cause health problems?

No, there is no good evidence that standard antiperspirants cause cancer or other diseases. They can irritate sensitive skin.

Can I stop sweating completely?

No, and you would not want to. Sweating cools the body. The goal is to reduce it to a comfortable level.

Does sweating more mean I am more unfit?

No. Sweating levels vary a lot between people, and some fit people sweat heavily.

Find body care and treatments in our dispensing section and hygiene range, with delivery across Pakistan.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor. It does not include dosage; always follow the directions on the pack or from your doctor.