Schedule an appointment if you avoid social activities or feel that sweating has impacted your emotional well-being. You should also consult your doctor if excessive sweating develops suddenly or inexplicably, is accompanied by weight loss, or mainly happens at night. You might have a condition called hyperhidrosis, or overactive sweat glands. Your sweating could also be related to another underlying medical condition. Your primary doctor might refer you to a dermatologist, or a skin specialist. Sweating along with difficulty breathing, chest pain, or pain in your arms, neck, or jaws could be a medical emergency. Get immediate help if you experience these symptoms. There are countless prescription medications that can cause sweating as a side effect. Ask your doctor if any medications you regularly take might be causing you to sweat. If necessary, ask if they can suggest an alternative medication with fewer side effects. Your doctor might recommend a prescription-strength antiperspirant, a drying cream, or an anticholinergic medication. Take any medication according to your doctor's instructions, and don't stop taking your medication without your doctor's approval. Prescription antiperspirants and drying creams are typically the first step in medical treatment. Your doctor might prescribe an oral medication if these aren't effective. Oral anticholinergic medications are systemic, which means they cause a drying effect throughout your body. They can suppress your sweat glands, but they can also cause dry mouth and dry eyes. Your doctor can prescribe an at-home electric iontophoresis machine, or perform the treatment at their office. In this procedure, a mild electric current is run through water and is used to shut down your sweat glands. A typical regimen consists of several 30-minute sessions per week. You'll feel a tingling sensation during the procedure; tingling could persist for a few hours after treatment. Side effects are rare, but may include skin irritation, dryness, and blistering. Botox can temporarily paralyze sweat glands for 7 to 19 months per injection. It's used in cases of severe sweating, and can be injected into the underarms, face, hands, or feet. Side effects include pain at the injection site and flu-like symptoms. When injected into the palms, Botox can cause temporary weakness and pain. These devices work on the armpits or other sweaty areas that have a layer of protective fat. A device delivers controlled electromagnetic energy, which destroys the sweat glands in the treated area. Doctors usually recommend 2 treatments spaced 3 months apart. Destroying sweat glands in the underarms doesn't affect the body's ability to control its temperature. Only 2% of your sweat glands are located in your underarm areas. You won't feel any pain or discomfort during the procedure, but you could experience redness, swelling, and tenderness for several days. You might feel numbness or tingling in the treated areas for up to 5 weeks after undergoing microwave thermolysis. If you're experiencing anxiety-triggered sweating, cognitive behavioral therapy or psychotherapy could help you find relief. A counselor or therapist can recommend relaxation techniques and teach you how to recognize and redirect triggering thought patterns. If necessary, they might also recommend medication for an anxiety or panic attack disorder. Surgery for excessive sweating is rare and only advised in extreme circumstances when all other treatment options have failed. There are 2 surgical procedures used to treat hyperhidrosis: Local underarm surgery is performed under local anesthesia in a dermatologist's office. Your doctor will use liposuction, excision (cutting with scalpel or scraper), or lasers to remove the sweat glands. Recovery usually takes 2 days, although you'll need to limit arm activity for about a week. A sympathectomy involves removing the nerve that tells the body to sweat excessively. In a related procedure, called a sympathectomy, the nerve is cut instead of removed. These procedures can relieve excessive underarm or hand sweating, but they can also cause heat intolerance, irregular heartbeat, and compulsory sweating, or increased sweating in other parts of the body. If your condition requires surgery, your dermatologist will help you decide which option is right for you.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary -- Talk to your doctor if sweating interferes with your daily activities. Discuss any medications you take with your doctor. Ask your doctor if they recommend a prescription medication. Try iontophoresis for excessive sweating of the hands and feet. Talk to your doctor about Botox injections. Consider undergoing microwave thermolysis. See a counselor if anxiety triggers your sweating. Undergo surgery as a last resort.

If you want to use baking soda as a deodorizer, it's a good idea to soak it in a baking soda solution overnight. This gives the baking soda time to really go to work getting tough smells out of your laundry. It works well for clothes, towels and other items that that are smokey, musty or sweaty. Mix a cup of baking soda with a gallon of water. Pour it into a bucket. Add your clothes to the bucket. Give them a swirl to make sure they get completely soaked. Top them off with more water if necessary. Let them soak overnight. They'll be ready to launder the next day. Place your dirty laundry (and pre-soaked items) into the washing machine. Add detergent as usual. Begin the wash cycle so that the machine begins to fill with water. Allow it to fill completely before continuing. If you're washing clothes that smell musty, hot water will be most effective at removing smells. Musty smells are normally caused by mold spores. Hot water will kill the spores. Cold water should be used for delicates and colorful items. Pour it straight into the filled washing machine so that it dissolves into the water. Finish running the wash cycle as usual. For an extra-large load of laundry, you can add up to a cup of baking soda. Adding a cup of white vinegar will enhance the baking soda's deodorizing effects. This is the best way to dry clothes that previously smelled musty, smoky, or sweaty. Drying in the sun and wind will help to freshen them. Even on a cold day in winter, you can dry your clothes outside. Just choose a place that gets plenty of sun. If you'd prefer not to dry your clothes outside, use the dryer instead. When the dry cycle is finished, smell your clothes to see whether they need to be treated again. If they come out of the dryer still smelling musty, choose a sunny day to wash them again and hang out them out to dry.
++++++++++
One-sentence summary --
Do a pre-soak if necessary. Start a load of laundry. Add 1/2 cup baking soda when the machine has filled. Dry the clothes outside.