Sweating is a process that maintains the temperature of the body. In thermoregulation of the body sweating plays an important role. If your body temperature rises then your brain activates sweat glands in your skin that produce sweat to cool down your body temperature. Sweating is very uncomfortable and disturbing. Environment is the major factor of excessive sweating. Your lifestyle also influences the sweat production. Lifestyle changes can reduce your sweat production. Head sweating is also a symptom of many medical problems and diseases. You need to consult a doctor to determine the cause of excessive sweating. Proper treatment and medication can stop sweating from your head.
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Making Lifestyle Changes:
- Avoid drinking alcohol and caffeine: Alcoholic and caffeinated beverages and drinks increase your body temperature and give you hot sensations. If your alcohol and caffeine intake is more, it may trigger your sweat glands to produce excessive sweating. Stop or limit your consumption of alcoholic drinks like beer, liquor, wine, champagne etc. or caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea etc. Alcohol and caffeine will increase your heart beat and dilate your blood vessels that cause excessive sweating from your head and body.
- Stay away from spicy foods: Spicy foods make your body warm and hot. They can affect your thermoregulation mechanism and cause excessive sweating. Avoid eating spicy foods to lower the sweat production and stop sweating from your head. Don’t add extra spices to your foods such as red chilies or hot peppers. Hot pepper contains capsaicin that affect your nervous system and nerves that make your body hot.
- Don’t smoke: Smoking is injurious to health and causes many respiratory disorders such as emphysema or lung cancer. But smoking also increases your body temperature that causes sweating. Nicotine releases acetylcholine in your body which leads to sweating from your head. If you’re a smoker then you need to quit it immediately if you want to stop sweating from your head.
- Keep your indoor spaces cool: Lower down the temperature of your room according to your body thermostat to cool down your body. Cool temperature of your room will cool down your body temperature and limit the sweating from your body. You can lower your room temperature by using a fan or air conditioner. If you sweat from the head during the office hours while working, then use a desk fan or hand fan to cool down your body and stop sweating. If your body temperature still increases then drink a glass of cold water to cool down your body temperature and stop sweating from the head.
- Wear loose-fitting clothes: Avoid wearing tight clothes especially that are made up of nylon because it is too dense and it doesn’t allow the air to pass through it that leads to excessive sweating. It will increase your body temperature, decrease air flow and increase muscle stiffness. When your body gets hot, your head is the first region that experiences sweating. Wear loose fitting clothes to stop sweating and increase air flow.
- Lose weight if you are overweight: if you are obese or overweight then this may also cause sweating. If you want to stop sweating then lose your body weight. Burn your fats by doing exercises and take a low calorie diet to stop sweating from your head. This weight loss also provides you other medical benefits including improved blood circulation and lower stress.
2. Seeking Medical Assistance:
- Visit your doctor to determine the cause of your excessive head sweating: As we mentioned earlier, sweating can also be a symptom of many medical conditions. Visit your doctor to determine the reason behind excessive sweating from your head. Doctor will examine your condition and prescribe you some tests to diagnose that sweating is either caused by a medical condition or is a non medical condition.
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- Sweating caused by a non-medical condition is known as primary hyperhidrosis. Non medical conditions could be genetic or hereditary.
- Sweating caused by a medical condition is known as secondary hyperhidrosis. Medical conditions could be obesity, diabetes, nausea etc.
Tell your condition to the doctor. Doctor will ask you some questions about your conditions like
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- When did you start sweating?
- In which part of your body excessive sweating occurs?
- What makes your sweating worse?
- What reduces your sweating?
- Sweating from the head is continuous or intermittent?
- Switch to using prescription antiperspirant on your head and scalp: If your doctor thinks that it’s a right treatment then he would prescribe you antiperspirant. Apply it on your head and scalp carefully before sleeping and keep it away from your eyes. Wash your head early in the morning. Antiperspirant contains aluminum chloride that causes irritation of skin which can be treated with hydrocortisone cream.
- Try using a prescription cream on your head instead of antiperspirant: You can stop sweating from the head by using cream instead of antiperspirant. Ask your doctor to prescribe the cream that contains glycopyrrolate. Apply this cream on your head and scalp. These creams are useful for treating primary hyperhidrosis in adults and children less than 9 years old.
- Use anticholinergic oral medications for a non-topical treatment: Acetylcholine is a chemical that affects your nervous system and causes excessive sweating. If you’re a smoker then nicotine secretes acetylcholine in your body. To stop production of acetylcholine, doctors will prescribe you anticholinergic oral medicines. This will stop sweating from your body, head and face. This medicine has side effects such as blurred vision, urinary bladder disorders and dry mouth. If you’re more than 65 years old then it will lead to cognitive disorders such as dementia.
- Take antidepressants to stop sweating due to stress and anxiety: Sweating is also caused by depression and stress. Doctors may prescribe you antidepressant medicines to lower your stress and anxiety. Antidepressant medications help to treat depression that stops sweating from the head.
- Get Botox injections to temporarily block nerves that cause sweating: Nerves dilation cause excessive sweating. Nerves constriction lowers or stops sweat production. Botulinum toxin injections or Botox injections are used to block nerves that stop the excessive sweating from your head. Botox injection stops sweating for 6 to 12 months. Ask your doctor for a Botox injection every 6 to 12 months to stop sweating from the head. But this procedure also has side effects like it may be painful or facial muscle weakness in those areas where you inject botulinum toxin shots.