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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffYou can do a number of things on your own to reduce sweating and body odor. The following suggestions may help:
- Bathe daily. Regular bathing helps keep the number of bacteria on your skin in check.
- Dry your feet thoroughly after you bathe. Microorganisms thrive in the damp spaces between your toes. Use over-the-counter foot powders to help absorb sweat.
- Choose shoes and socks made of natural materials. Shoes made of natural materials, such as leather, can help prevent sweaty feet by allowing your feet to breathe.
- Rotate your shoes. Shoes won't completely dry overnight, so try not to wear the same pair two days in a row if you have trouble with sweaty feet.
- Wear the right socks. Cotton and wool socks help keep your feet dry because they absorb moisture. When you're active, moisture-wicking athletic socks are a good choice.
- Change your socks often. Change socks or hose once or twice a day, drying your feet thoroughly each time. Women may prefer pantyhose with cotton soles.
- Air your feet. Go barefoot when you can, or at least slip out of your shoes now and then.
- Choose natural-fiber clothing. Wear natural fabrics, such as cotton, wool and silk, which allow your skin to breathe. When you exercise, you might prefer high-tech fabrics that wick moisture away from your skin.
- Apply antiperspirants nightly. At bedtime, apply antiperspirants to sweaty palms or soles of the feet. Try perfume-free antiperspirants.
- Try relaxation techniques. Consider relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation or biofeedback. These can help you learn to control the stress that triggers perspiration.
- Change your diet. If foods or beverages cause you to sweat more than usual or your perspiration to smell, consider eliminating caffeinated drinks from your diet as well as foods with strong odors, such as garlic and onions.
References
- Rados C. Antiperspirant awareness: It's mostly no sweat. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2005/405_sweat.html. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Biology of eccrine, apocrine, and apoeccrine sweat glands. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=2956362&print=yes_chapter. Accessed Oct. 14, 2008.
- Smith CC, et al. Idiopathic hyperhidrosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 15, 2008.
- Morelli JG. Disorders of the sweat glands. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/108020522-2/761896310/1608/1544.html. Accessed Oct. 20, 2008.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 27, 2008.
- Kitabchi AE, et al. Clinical features and diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 22, 2008.
- Mitch WE. Chronic kidney disease. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/109232365-3/767978930/1492/501.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50136-1--cesec17_5590. Accessed Nov. 4, 2008.
