They say sweating detoxifies the body, but for the elderly, who are already in poor health, frequent sweating can weaken the body and cause excessive sweating. What are the reasons for excessive sweating in the elderly? Here are some recommended dietary remedies!
Causes of Excessive Sweating in the Elderly
1. Primary Hyperhidrosis
Some people sweat excessively due to disorders in the central nervous system that regulates the autonomic nervous system. These individuals often experience excessive sweating in the hands, feet, armpits, and face symmetrically.
Whenever they become emotionally excited, the environmental temperature rises, or after physical activity, they often sweat more, and some may even sweat profusely.
2. Secondary Hyperhidrosis
Excessive sweating is caused by certain diseases, such as tuberculosis, which often causes night sweats.
It can also be seen in neurological disorders such as encephalitis, syringomyelia, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and Raynaud's disease.
If the underlying disease is discovered during examination, active treatment should be pursued.
3. Gustatory Localized Hyperhidrosis
Some people experience sweat on their foreheads, nasal tips, and temples when they eat certain spicy foods.
This condition is often related to the sweating center in the brainstem. If it is symmetrical sweating in specific areas, it is congenital. If the sweating is limited to specific areas, it is often the recovery period after facial nerve paralysis.
Dietary Remedies for Excessive Sweating in the Elderly
1. Chinese Yam, Coix Seed, and Longan Porridge
Ingredients: 100g of fresh Chinese yam, 100g of coix seed, 15g of longan meat, 100g of glutinous rice.
Preparation: Peel and mash the Chinese yam. Cook the coix seed and glutinous rice into porridge. Then add the mashed Chinese yam and longan meat to the porridge and heat until all the ingredients are cooked.
Benefits: This dietary remedy can invigorate the spleen, replenish qi, and nourish the heart and spleen. If consumed during menstruation, it can help restore depleted blood and qi.
2. Herbal Pork Ribs Stew
Ingredients: 10g of Chinese angelica, 10 jujubes, 10g of chuanxiong, 10g of cooked rehmannia, 10g of white atractylodes, 10g of codonopsis pilosula, 3g of cinnamon twig, 15g of white peony root, 10g of poria cocos, 6g of licorice, 15g of astragalus, 2 slices of eucommia ulmoides, 15g of wolfberry, a pinch of salt.
Preparation: Boil the ten herbal ingredients with 20 cups of water until the liquid reduces to about 10 cups, then remove the herbs and keep the broth.
Blanch the pork ribs with hot water, then put them in a pot. Add the prepared herbal broth and rice wine, and simmer for about 1 hour. Add salt after removing from heat.
3. Codonopsis Chicken Soup
Ingredients: 10g of dried codonopsis pilosula, half a hen, 10g of dried Chinese yam, 10g of dried astragalus, 3 dried shiitake mushrooms, 2 jujubes, a small amount of ginger.
Preparation: Blanch the hen in boiling water to remove impurities, then add the other ingredients mentioned above and simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Consume 1-2 times a week.
Benefits: This herbal soup can tonify qi, stabilize the exterior, and invigorate the spleen and stomach. It is especially suitable for postpartum women who are weak and prone to excessive sweating, as well as elderly individuals with weak constitutions.
