Medical Problems of sweaty feet

While Sweaty feet is a social embarrassment, the more important problem of sweaty feet is the medical portion of it. Sweaty feet can cause a few skin problem which should be treated. They are listed below.


Fungal Infection
This is commonly known as athlete's foot. The most environment provided by the sweat gives rise to a nice medium for fungus to grow. Tinea (fungus) then grows typically at the webspaces. This gives rise to a characteristic odour. Treatment is with anti-fungal agents. Good feet hygiene cannot be over emphasised.

Cornybacteria Infection
This bacteria infection thrives in moist environment and typically grows on the soles of the feet. They also cause a smelly odour and is often confused with fungal infection. Treatment is with antibiotic creams and good feet hygiene.

Abrasions and Blisters
The sweat causes increase friction withing the shoes and this often leads to abrasion and wear and tear. Wearing socks tends to help but the socks can worsen the sweatiness of the feet.

These are just 3 common medical problems of sweat feet. If you think you might have them, visit a doctor for some advice.

Medical Treatment of sweaty glands and sweaty palms

Medical Treatment for hyperhidrosis

1) Antipersirant
There are many different formulation but aluminium chloride is the most commonly used. This is particularly effective for the sweaty armpit but less so for the sweaty palms the anti-perspirant gets washed off easily.
Continue use for 3 to 5 days increases the effectiveness. The downside to it is that some people are allergic to this or are sensitive to the formulation.

2) Botox Injection for sweaty palms

Recently FDA has approved the use of botox to treat sweaty palms. The effect can last 3 to 9 months and has been shown to be effective. The drawn back is that it is expensive and a jab in the wrong place can injury arteries or nerves, causing numbness of the hands. The upside is that it is a fast and easy office procedure.

Medication for sweaty palms, feet and armpit.
Anticholinergic drugs like oxybutynin has been shown to help in sweaty glands. But the side effects are many and includes drowsiness, visual symptoms and dryness in the mouth and other mucus membranes

No other medication has been shown to be effective in hyperhidrosis.

Medical Causes of Sweaty palms and feet

Sweaty palms and sweaty feet is a result of overactive sweat glands and is a common problem. While most of the time this is benign other than the inconveniences of sweaty glands, sometimes this may indicate a medical problem.

Isolated sweaty palms is usually a dermatological condition. But there are other possible causes of sweaty palms and feet. These includes thyroid diseases, acromegaly, phaechromocytoma or even hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Menopause itself can cause hot flushes leading to increase sweating..
Heart attack can cause cold sweat(diaphoresis) and so does severe pain.
Cancer can cause sweating and tuberculosis infection typically causes night sweats.

How can you tell if you could be having any of these conditions?
If you sweaty glands are an isolated condition, it is likely to be benign. If you experience other symptoms, they could indicate a medical problem for your sweaty palms.
The list of symptoms includes:

• Weight loss or gain
• Pain
• Change in bowel habit
• Fainting
• Giddiness
• Palpitations
• Feeling anxious
• Fever

The list is not exclusive but should you have any of the above stated, please kindly see the physician.

Sweaty Palm Treatment: tap water iontophoresis

Sweaty palm affects people in their sporting life, social interaction and even in their work. Imagine not daring to hold the hands of the cute guy dating you because you hands are wet with sweat.

One of the only few proven treatment for sweaty palms is Tap Water Iontophoresis. Essentially, the person places his palms and feet into 4 trays of tap water, each with a conducting plate conducting small amount of electric current. The current runs through the body from the hands to the feet or vice versa.

This causes the nervous system of the skin of the palms and soles to lose their sensitivity to body triggers and therefore sweating in these areas are decreased.

The treatment is usually over 15 to 30 mins each time and repeated 1-2 weekly depending on the severity of the sweaty glands problem.

Please only do this a approved medical center as this involves electrical current and the use of sub-standard equipment or the lack of monitoring may result in electrocution.

Sweaty Armpit Advice

Sweaty armpit causes problems of odour. This is affect social interaction subtly. This is especially people generally feel embarrassed to tell you that you have bad odour. You could be going around with people avoiding you but without you knowing.

If you have sweaty armpits, please make sure you put on deodorant daily.
There are 2 types of deodorant. The anti-perspiration type is useful for mild sweaty glands cases. For the more severe once, you need to combine the anti-perspirant one with a anti-bacterial one to prevent odour from forming.

There are generally no side effects to using deodorants.

Sweat Glands

The sweat gland contains 2 portions. There is a deep part beneath the dermis called secretes the sweat. The more superficial portion consist of a duct to reaches to the surface the the skin to secrete the sweat

There are 2 main kinds of sweat glands, the eccrine and apocrine sweat glands. The Eccrine sweat glands are found all over the body and secretes sweat to aid in cooling the body.

The apocrine sweat glands are found in the axilla and perinium region of the body. These form little function in cooling is is believed to be the more primitive type of sweat glands by some people.

An sweaty palm embarrassment

Sweaty glands runs in my family in a certain way. My parents do not have any sweaty hands. But my elder sister has sweat hands so bad sweat drips continuously down her hands. My younger sister has such bad sweaty hands she has to bring a face towel into all the examinations she takes. Therefore, my sweaty glands condition pales in comparison to them.

I remember an incident when I was 16 year old. I was participating in a 3 days event "United Nations Mock Conference" where I was part of a mock United States delegates set to discuss several "world changing" resolutions. Things were going pretty well and I was garnering pretty much support by the end of the 2nd day.

At the end of the conference, there was this gal from a particular girls school who came to me and introduced herself. She asked for my number which I gave and offered to shake my hands. Because my hands were sweaty at that point, I couldn't bring myself back to shaking her hands and I said " Sorry, my hands are sweaty". We smiled and parted.

The next day, when we were voting for a resolution, the crucial vote came from that particular girls school and it went against us. Obviously we were mad and bewildered as they have been on pretty good terms with us.

I subsequently heard from a common friends that the gal who wanted to shake my hands thought I was being arrogant by refusing to shake her hands. Quoting verbatim " I offered my hands and he ACTUALLY rejected it"

Nowadays, I carry a hand towel in my pocket which I will secretly clean my hands before shaking hands. I've learnt the lessons of rejecting an handshake, particularly a women's one. For hell hath no fury like a woman's wrath.

Hyperhyidrosis

All skin contains sweat glands. When these glands forms an excessive amount of sweat, this is called hyperhidrosis. The skin becomes soggy, white and moist.

Excessive sweating of the hands are distressing. The patient's hands are persistently wet and so are things that they touch. This is particularly embarrassing in social circumstances when hand shaking is unavoidable.

Axillary hyperhidrosis causes the armpit area to be soaked with sweat. This often allows odour forming bacteria to thrive and causes an offensive smell.

Sweaty feet allows fungus to grow in a moist environment and therefore causes athlete's feet. This is not merely a smelly condition, but causes extreme itch to the sufferer.