Everyone knows that hot flashes are a frequent complication of menopause. But if that's not bad enough, the hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating, caused by menopause is also a major contributor to body odor. Here are four things women need to know about excessive perspiration and how to prevent the odor it can cause.
1. Hot flashes sometimes get "hotter" as a result of medication. Many medications cause excessive perspiration. Just a few of them are:
· Aspirin· Buproprion (Wellbutrin) · Citalopram (Celexa) · Chlomipramine (Anafranil) · Clozapine (Clozaril) · Duloxetine (Cymbalta) · Escitalopram (Lexapro) · Fluoxetine (Prozac) · Fluvoxamine (Effexor) · Goserelin (Zoladex) · Insulin · Niacin, nicotinamide (Niaspan) · Rituximab (Rituxin) · Ropinirole (Requip) · Sertraline (Zoloft) · and Tositumomab (Bexxar)
In the most extreme cases, sweat can literally drip from the hands to the floor. Bacteria trapped with sweat can cause a cheesy odor that offends others and distresses the person with the condition.
To remove sweat from the body or keep sweat from soaking the body, the number one element is personal hygiene, or in other words, bathing regularly.
2. Washing: Daily showers with soap and water are necessary. In some cases it may be necessary to shower twice a day or more. Be sure to use warm water. Hot water can cause flaking of the skin, which provides additional food for odor-causing bacteria. Cold water stops perspiration for a time, but then the shock of returning to a warmer environment makes sweating even worse.
Also, pat or air dry skin, but don't rub yourself dry with a towel. Rubbing can loosen dead skin and clog pores. Finally, be sure always to use clean washcloths and towels, to avoid reinfecting yourself with the bacteria you just washed off!
Taking a soak in the tub is just as effective as taking a shower, but be sure to be careful about soaking in hot water for more than 15 minutes. Long, hot soaks can dry out the skin and provide bacteria with an additional food source.
3. Antibacterial soap: There are many good soap products on the market that will kill the bacteria that is present in skin. By killing bacteria that thrives in a sweaty environment, one reduces the amount of odor caused by perspiration.
One precaution: Don't use antibacterial soap on dry skin unless you also use a moisturizer. Antibacterial soaps, like all scented soaps, can dry out the skin.
1. Hot flashes sometimes get "hotter" as a result of medication. Many medications cause excessive perspiration. Just a few of them are:
· Aspirin· Buproprion (Wellbutrin) · Citalopram (Celexa) · Chlomipramine (Anafranil) · Clozapine (Clozaril) · Duloxetine (Cymbalta) · Escitalopram (Lexapro) · Fluoxetine (Prozac) · Fluvoxamine (Effexor) · Goserelin (Zoladex) · Insulin · Niacin, nicotinamide (Niaspan) · Rituximab (Rituxin) · Ropinirole (Requip) · Sertraline (Zoloft) · and Tositumomab (Bexxar)
In the most extreme cases, sweat can literally drip from the hands to the floor. Bacteria trapped with sweat can cause a cheesy odor that offends others and distresses the person with the condition.
To remove sweat from the body or keep sweat from soaking the body, the number one element is personal hygiene, or in other words, bathing regularly.
2. Washing: Daily showers with soap and water are necessary. In some cases it may be necessary to shower twice a day or more. Be sure to use warm water. Hot water can cause flaking of the skin, which provides additional food for odor-causing bacteria. Cold water stops perspiration for a time, but then the shock of returning to a warmer environment makes sweating even worse.
Also, pat or air dry skin, but don't rub yourself dry with a towel. Rubbing can loosen dead skin and clog pores. Finally, be sure always to use clean washcloths and towels, to avoid reinfecting yourself with the bacteria you just washed off!
Taking a soak in the tub is just as effective as taking a shower, but be sure to be careful about soaking in hot water for more than 15 minutes. Long, hot soaks can dry out the skin and provide bacteria with an additional food source.
3. Antibacterial soap: There are many good soap products on the market that will kill the bacteria that is present in skin. By killing bacteria that thrives in a sweaty environment, one reduces the amount of odor caused by perspiration.
One precaution: Don't use antibacterial soap on dry skin unless you also use a moisturizer. Antibacterial soaps, like all scented soaps, can dry out the skin.
And the fourth thing women need to know about body odor and menopause.
