Some parts of your body may get clammy and moist after a rigorous fitness routine. But how will you know when you’re already experiencing excessive sweating of the hands and feet?
In this article, we will discuss more about palmar and sole hyperhidrosis. Learn more about how to differentiate it from regular sweating, as well as the treatments that can help you manage it.
Why do you get sweaty hands and feet?
Despite being a minor inconvenience to your day-to-day lifestyle, sweating is still a normal reaction to warm weather and physically demanding activities. When the body is put under these conditions, your sweat glands are activated, resulting in perspiration. Sweating cools down your skin in a process called thermoregulation. It helps manage your body’s temperature so that it won’t overheat.
But when you have excessive sweating of the hands and feet, your sympathetic nervous system triggers not just the sweat glands but also the eccrine glands. They release moisture into the palms of your hand and soles of your feet.
But what causes you to sweat other than the warm weather or exercise?
One is stress. Stress triggers your fight or flight response, so your body releases the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol. They help you cope up with the stress, but they also increase your body temperature.
Your genes can also play a part in excessive sweating of the hands and feet. A study published in the Journal of Vascular Surgery confirmed that if a parent has sweaty palms and feet, then there’s a 28% risk that it will be passed down to his kids.
Excessive sweating of the hands and feet may also be a symptom of another condition. Thyroid issues, HIV infections, tuberculosis, and Parkinson’s disease may all cause overactive sweat glands.
How do you know if you already have palmar and sole hyperhidrosis?
If you’re used to sweating all the time, it may be hard to know whether it’s still normal perspiration or if you’re already experiencing excessive sweating of the hands and feet.
So how do you distinguish excessive sweating from normal sweating?
For one, your regular antiperspirant doesn’t seem to be working for your sweating. Finding ways to cool yourself down is also not enough to keep the sweat at bay.
It becomes necessary to completely adjust your lifestyle due to fear that your sweaty palms and soles will rear their head halfway through the day. You have an episode of extreme excessive sweating at least once every week.
You also get extremely sweaty even when you’re not doing anything. Cool weather also doesn’t stop you from sweating. You may even perspire heavily even while you sleep.
Do these situations sound familiar? You may already have palmar and sole hyperhidrosis.
If you have been experiencing excessive sweating of the hand and feet for more than six months now, it’s best to seek professional treatment.
How can you treat excessive sweating of the hands and feet?
Fortunately, you have various options to choose from when it comes to managing excessive sweating of hands and feet. Depending on the severity of your condition, treatment may range from a lifestyle change to a medical procedure.
Natural Remedies
You may explore natural remedies, such as soaking your hands and feet in tea, applying coconut oil, or using apple cider vinegar. These solutions help eliminate bacteria and tightens your pores.
Topical Treatments
Topical treatments are also an option. You may ask your primary healthcare provider to give you prescription antiperspirants strong enough to manage hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet. They contain aluminum chloride, which blocks your sweat glands.
Minor Medical Procedures
For extreme cases, you may undergo medical procedures that help get rid of excessive sweating of the hands and feet.
Iontophoresis is a noninvasive way of treating sweaty hands and feet. In this procedure, your doctor submerges your hands or feet in water. He then uses the iontophoresis device to send a mild electrical current through your skin’s surface. It thickens your skin and blocks the flow of sweat.
Another quick fix is Botox, which prevents the release of chemicals that signal the sweat glands to activate. However, you’ll have to regularly go to the doctor every four months or so to maintain its results.
miraDry is another solution that relieves hyperhidrosis, although it only works on excessive underarm sweating.
Surgery
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS surgery is also an option. But since it’s an invasive and risky surgery, it should be your last option. It can also cause complications, like compensatory sweating in other parts of the body.
While excessive sweating of the hands and feet may be inconvenient, always remember that you have a variety of solutions that can help you control them. Schedule a Free Consultation with our board-certified plastic surgeon here in Face+Body Cosmetic Surgery to explore all your treatment options.
