I Sweat Too Much, Antiperspirant or Surgery? A Wise Choice

Hello. This is Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. # I Sweat Too Much, Antiperspirant or Surgery? A Wise Choice Did you feel uncomfortable in social relationships because sweat poured like rain from your hands and feet, or did you feel nervous at every important moment because of sweat flowing from your armpits or face? You might have felt small thinking you sweat much more than others, and perhaps you couldn't easily confide your worries about excessive sweating to anyone. Unending sweat, hyperhidrosis, may be a sign that the balance of our body is broken, not simply a problem of sweat glands. 💡 **[Core Answer]** Top 3 most common causes of **Hyperhidrosis Treatment, Which Method is Best?**: ① Autonomic nervous system imbalance / ② Stress and psychological factors / ③ Body heat imbalance Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic solves the root cause of excessive sweat secretion through **autonomic nervous stabilization**. ## Why Does Hyperhidrosis with Excessive Sweating Occur? Hyperhidrosis refers to a condition where much more sweat than necessary for body temperature regulation is excessively secreted. Primary hyperhidrosis, which occurs without a specific cause, is often concentrated in specific areas such as hands, feet, armpits, and face, and appears in more than 80% of cases under mental tension state. Although the exact pathophysiology has not yet been elucidated, imbalance caused by excessive hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates sweat secretion among the autonomic nervous systems, is pointed out as the main cause. In fact, imbalance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems has been reported in hyperhidrosis patient groups. Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and tension can also stimulate the autonomic nervous system and further promote sweat secretion. In Oriental medicine, sweat is viewed as 'liquid of the heart', and is diagnosed as an imbalance of heat and water metabolism in the body, such as decreased heart function, accumulation of damp-heat due to weakened spleen/stomach (digestive) function, and yin deficiency (陰虛) due to decreased kidney function. In other words, hyperhidrosis is not simply a problem of sweat glands, but a warning light where deep imbalances inside the body are revealed outwardly. ## What Are the Pros and Cons of Western Hyperhidrosis Treatment? Many people suffering from hyperhidrosis even consider using antiperspirants or surgery. Western medicine attempts various treatments such as topical agents, oral anticholinergics, iontophoresis, botox injections, and thoracic sympathetic trunk transection. Topical agents are relatively simple to apply, but their effects are temporary, and long-term use can lead to atrophy of sweat glands. Oral anticholinergics suppress systemic sweat secretion, but can cause various dose-dependent side effects such as dry mouth, vomiting, constipation, headache, and urinary retention. Iontophoresis is known as a non-invasive treatment effective for hand and foot hyperhidrosis. In a study published in *Annals of Dermatology* in 2017, when iontophoresis was performed for 2 weeks on 29 patients with palm hyperhidrosis, 92.9% of the treatment group showed a significant improvement with an average 91.8% decrease in sweat secretion rate (p\<0.001). However, this also has limitations in that it has only temporary effects or requires repeated treatments. Surgical treatment, thoracic sympathetic ganglionectomy, is considered for severe hyperhidrosis patients, but can be accompanied by a serious side effect called compensatory hyperhidrosis. This is a phenomenon where excessive sweat occurs in other areas where sweat did not previously occur, and the occurrence rate reaches 3 to 98%, which can greatly degrade patients' quality of life. There are also risks of postoperative complications such as pneumothorax, hemothorax, and nerve injury. Due to these limitations and side effects of Western medical treatment, the necessity of a new approach for fundamental improvement is emphasized. ## How Does Oriental Medicine Treat Hyperhidrosis? In Oriental medicine, hyperhidrosis focuses not only on simply suppressing sweat secretion, but also on correcting body imbalance and normalizing sweat secretion. In particular, the core of treatment is seen as calming the excessively excited sympathetic nerve, replenishing insufficient body fluid (jin-aek), and restoring body water metabolism and heat control ability. In the study titled "Research on Herbal Medicine Treatment for Hyperhidrosis: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis" published in *The Journal of Korean Medicine Ophthalmology & Otolaryngology & Dermatology* in 2022, it was concluded that herbal medicine treatment is effective and safe for hyperhidrosis. This study comprehensively analyzed several clinical papers and revealed that the herbal medicine single treatment group showed a significantly higher treatment effect rate and a lower side effect occurrence rate compared to the Western medicine single treatment group. Additionally, in the 2026 publication "Hyperhidrosis Improved by Samhwangsasim-Tang: A Case Report," when Samhwangsasim-tang was administered alone for 42 days to a 66-year-old chronic hyperhidrosis male patient, spontaneous sweating was completely resolved (NRS 10 → 0, HDSS 4 → 1), and facial flushing showed clinically meaningful improvement reduced to 20-30% of the baseline level. The researchers explained that these results would have contributed to skin temperature normalization, sweat control, and peripheral circulation improvement due to the heat-clearing (淸熱), anti-inflammatory (消炎), and metabolism-regulating characteristics of Samhwangsasim-tang. These studies show the possibility of Oriental medical treatment through body balance recovery beyond sweat secretion suppression. Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch focuses on solving the root cause of hyperhidrosis based on these Oriental medical insights. ## What Makes the Hyperhidrosis Treatment at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch Different? At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch, hyperhidrosis is not viewed as a simple sweat problem, but focuses on correcting the imbalance of the excessively hyperactive autonomic nervous system. Our body's autonomic nervous consists of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, balancing like a car's accelerator and brake to control all organ functions. Sweat glands are also controlled by the autonomic nervous system, so if this balance collapses, problems in sweat secretion control also occur. We understand this collapse of autonomic balance as a signal that the brain cannot rest and the body's warning light remains lit. At Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, we grasp each patient's body condition and type of autonomic imbalance through precise Oriental medical diagnosis and autonomic tests. Based on this, through personalized herbal prescriptions, we stabilize the excessively excited sympathetic nerve, replenish insufficient body fluid, lower unnecessary body heat, and normalize sweat secretion. In addition, we combine acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and moxibustion treatments to reduce sweat in symptom areas and help restore systemic harmony. Those looking for Songdo hyperhidrosis clinic can also experience fundamental treatment through autonomic stabilization at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch. ### Hyperhidrosis Self-Diagnosis Checklist Check how many of the following items apply to you. * Sweat often pours abundantly even when staying still. * Sweat gets worse when nervous or stressed. * Sweat is concentrated only in specific areas such as hands, feet, armpits, and face. * Feel inconvenience in daily life (handshaking, writing, driving, etc.) due to sweat. * Experience difficulties in social life or interpersonal relationships because clothes get wet frequently. * Someone in the family also suffers from hyperhidrosis. * Sensitive nerves, easily feeling anxious or restless. * Frequently feel hot flushes in the face or chest area. * Accompanied by other autonomic symptoms such as dry mouth, indigestion, and insomnia. **Judgment Criteria:** * **3 or more apply:** Suspect hyperhidrosis due to autonomic imbalance and consider Korean complex treatment at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch. * **5 or more apply:** Quality of life degradation due to hyperhidrosis may be severe, so immediate visit is recommended for professional diagnosis and treatment. ## FAQ **Q. Can I combine antiperspirants and Oriental medical treatment?** A. In general, combining antiperspirants and Oriental medical treatment is not a big problem. However, when establishing a treatment plan, you must inform medical staff about currently used medications or treatments. It is best to decide whether to combine under accurate diagnosis by a Korean medicine doctor. **Q. Can hyperhidrosis get better naturally?** A. Some mild hyperhidrosis can improve only with stress management or lifestyle habits improvement, but chronic hyperhidrosis is difficult to improve naturally and symptoms may worsen instead. In particular, hyperhidrosis related to autonomic imbalance is important to solve the root cause through active treatment. **Q. How long does hyperhidrosis treatment take?** A. The duration of hyperhidrosis treatment varies depending on individual symptom severity, onset period, accompanying symptoms, and constitution. Generally, steady treatment and management are required, and at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic, we establish and conduct an optimal treatment plan tailored to each patient through precise consultation and examination. **Q. What should I consider when choosing an Incheon hyperhidrosis clinic?** A. When choosing a hyperhidrosis clinic in the Incheon area, it is important to check whether they deeply understand the autonomic nervous system problem which is the cause of hyperhidrosis, and provide systematic diagnosis and personalized individual treatment. We recommend carefully examining treatment cases and the professionalism of medical staff. Hyperhidrosis is not a problem solved by enduring. You do not need to ignore the body signals sent for a long time anymore. Approaching in the right direction makes the body react faster than expected. Bring your current symptoms as they are. We will find the cause together at Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch. Where life blooms. For herbal medicine, it's Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic. Check your symptoms similar to mine through AI consultation on the Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic website first! This article is health information compiled by Dalimchae medical staff based on questions frequently received in the treatment room. Medical Supervision | Brain & Autonomic Nervous System Treatment Standards Dalimchae Korean Medicine Clinic Incheon Branch Korean Medicine Doctor Min Jihong (Hyperhidrosis Column)