What Chinese medicine is good for excessive sweating?

Written by Xia Min
Traditional Chinese Medicine
Updated on September 17, 2024
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In clinical settings, hyperhidrosis is often divided into two types: spontaneous sweating and night sweating. Spontaneous sweating is mainly caused by qi deficiency, and commonly treated with Astragalus, Cypress, and Fangfeng to address the excessive sweating due to qi deficiency. On the other hand, night sweating is primarily due to yin deficiency. For yin deficiency-induced hyperhidrosis, medicines that nourish yin such as Rehmannia glutinosa, Cornus officinalis, and Chinese yam are used. Additionally, other yin-nourishing medicines like Asparagus Tuber, Ophiopogon Japonicus, and Dendrobium can also be employed. (Medicines should be taken under the guidance of a physician and based on actual conditions.)

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Written by Qu Jing
Dermatology
1min 33sec home-news-image

What causes hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis refers to abnormal excessive sweating either locally or over the entire skin surface that occurs under normal living conditions or circumstances. In Western medicine, hyperhidrosis is primarily attributed to psychological factors, hemiplegia, concussion, and other causes of autonomic nervous damage or dysfunction, as well as some endocrine disorders, such as hyperthyroidism and diabetes. Sometimes, it can also be a symptom accompanying other diseases. The occurrence of hyperhidrosis is linked to an increase in sympathetic nerve impulses that enhance the excitement of sweat glands, leading to excessive sweating. It can also be due to increased nervous tension in the sweat glands, which intensifies the sweating response. Furthermore, excessive sweating can occur with the extensive use of corticosteroids, and it can be categorized into localized sweating and generalized sweating. According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are two types of excessive sweating: spontaneous sweating and night sweating. Spontaneous sweating entails sweating during the day without much physical activity, which worsens with exercise and is associated with qi deficiency. Night sweating occurs during the night and is accompanied by symptoms such as warmth in the palms and soles and irritability, indicating yin deficiency.

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Written by Yang Li
Endocrinology
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Is excessive sweating a symptom of diabetes?

Diabetes typically presents with symptoms of polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and weight loss, commonly known as the "three excesses and one deficiency." However, diabetic patients often have accompanying autonomic dysfunctions or peripheral neuropathy, which can also lead to excessive sweating. Clinically, it is observed that some patients might sweat excessively in specific areas. For instance, some might report excessive forehead sweating or localized sweating on certain body parts, or even unilateral sweating. In such cases, it is necessary to consider whether the symptoms might be a complication of diabetes. To diagnose this, one should firstly conduct diagnostic tests for diabetes, such as the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), to determine if the blood glucose levels meet the diagnostic criteria for diabetes. Additionally, it is important to perform electromyography to check for any neuropathic complications that might affect nerve conduction velocities. This helps in determining whether excessive sweating is a specific symptom of diabetes. However, not all cases of hyperhidrosis are specific to diabetes; other conditions, such as hyperthyroidism (thyrotoxicosis), can also cause excessive sweating and should be considered.

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Written by Qiu Xin Hui
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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What department should I go to for hyperhidrosis?

Hyperhidrosis is primarily caused by autonomic nervous dysfunction. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believes that there are various reasons for this condition, such as imbalances in the body's nutrient and defensive levels, liver and gallbladder damp-heat, yin deficiency leading to excessive fire, and so forth. If hyperhidrosis occurs, it is recommended to visit a hospital and consult with a TCM internal medicine doctor. The doctor will diagnose based on the individual's constitution and clinical manifestations through the four diagnostic methods of inspection, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. This helps to identify the specific causes of hyperhidrosis and choose appropriate medications for treatment. Additionally, daily life should include a lighter diet, maintaining a cheerful mood, and avoiding staying up late to facilitate the treatment and improvement of hyperhidrosis.

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Written by Xia Min
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Excessive sweating and susceptibility to colds are mostly due to what?

Excessive sweating and susceptibility to colds are mostly due to lung qi deficiency, which means the lung qi is damaged and insufficient. Why does lung qi deficiency lead to excessive sweating and susceptibility to colds? It is because when lung qi is damaged, the external defense becomes weak. Here we need to mention something called "wei qi." In clinical terms, "wei qi" refers to the body's resistance to diseases, especially external diseases. When this resistance declines, the skin's pores loosen, leading to sweat leaking out, resulting in spontaneous sweating. Under the condition of excessive spontaneous sweating, if the patient does not take proper care, they are more likely to catch a cold. Therefore, excessive sweating and susceptibility to colds are generally caused by lung qi deficiency.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
Pulmonology
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What is the condition of having a fever and sweating excessively?

Typically, fever and excessive sweating in the body often result from the presence of some infectious factors, commonly involving respiratory infections or post-surgical infections. It is also possible for some immune system disorders to cause these symptoms. Therefore, patients usually experience fever and excessive sweating in such cases. Once the cause is identified and appropriate symptomatic treatment is provided, the symptoms of fever and excessive sweating will improve when the inflammatory condition is controlled. Additionally, many non-infectious factors can cause fever, especially in women during their menstrual period or after intense exercise, which can lead to an increase in the body's heat production, resulting in feelings of heat and profuse sweating.