All human beings sweat to varying degrees. As matter of fact sweating is a means for the body to cool down. The perspiration evaporates and in doing so it cools the body. The drier and the hotter the atmosphere, the more effective is the cooling effect of perspiration. That is why one doesn’t not sweat a lot or feel the need to sweat in very hot and dry weather. However, there are some unfortunate souls who drip sweat or even soak their clothes wet with their sweat. Some sweat under their arms, some drip sweat from their palms and end up soaking the paper on which they keep their hand to write.

Since there are no discernible causes for this excessive sweating, it is more of a social problem and cause of embarrassment rather than a medical issue. It causes lots of mortification in public places, damages interpersonal interaction in work places as well as at social gatherings.

Treatments of Excessive Sweating
The absence of a causative factor militates against a systemic approach to its handling.
– The preliminary treatment is to provide relief to the discomfort of the patient. This is normally attempted by physically barring the sweat from coming out of the sweat gland. Over the counter drugs containing heavy metal salts generally aluminium chloride in low concentrations.
– When this does not give adequate relief, a higher concentration of the salt is used in what are called prescription strength medicines. These medicines contain a chemical called aluminium chloride hexahydrate. The salt goes into the sweat duct and blocks it. These are for local application. It is applied just before going to bed two or three nights continuously. As a follow, one should use it once a week for several weeks for continued effect. This biggest drawback to this treatment is skin irritation. A very dry skin prior to its application is found to reduce the reaction.
In more obstinate cases more advanced methods, even surgical removal of the glands can be employed. Chronic excessive sweating is not without long term consequences.