Is there any treatment for sweaty hands and feet?

Sweaty hands and feet disease is a very common condition among young people today. Although this condition is not dangerous, it causes many inconveniences and hinders the patient's work. So how to get sweaty hands and feet? Is there a way to treat sweaty hands and feet completely? Let's find out through the following article!

Symptoms of sweaty hands and feet due to autonomic dysfunction include:
Palms and feet are often wet and cold, skin is peeling, pale, feet have a bad smell, In severe cases, sweat can often be seen dripping on the palms of the hands and feet; Sweaty hands and feet most often start in childhood or adolescence and it lasts a lifetime. At puberty, the condition of sweaty hands and feet tends to be heavier, can sweat in many other places such as head, face, armpit,...; This disease is often inherited, in your family, there are often parents who also sweat a lot; This disease causes sweaty hands and feet both in winter or in cool weather; Your hands and feet will sweat more when you are stressed and anxious, scared or angry. Sweaty hands and feet disease is not harmful to your health, but it has a great impact on your life such as:
Make it difficult for you to hold objects, write or perform tasks requiring manipulation in your hands, It affects your career opportunities. Negative psychological effects, making you afraid to interact with others, always in a mood of anxiety, stress, loss of confidence and limiting social relationships. It can easily cause you to get a fungal skin infection, causing itching, blisters, peeling skin and an unpleasant odor.

Just like other skin areas, in our palms and soles there are many sweat glands, which will excrete sweat according to signals from the autonomic nervous system. When the body is hot or stressed, the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system will signal the sweat glands to secrete more strongly to lower the body temperature.
In people with sweaty hands and feet disease, the amount of sweat secreted in the palms and feet is more than necessary, due to the nervous system malfunctioning, the sympathetic branch is overexcited and activated. Sweat glands secrete continuously without the need of the body. Medicine calls this condition hyperhidrosis.
People with hyperhidrosis can sweat at any time, even in winter, palms and feet are always wet, sticky or worse, sweat is small. drops that interfere with daily life and lose confidence when communicating.

Currently, there are a number of ways to treat sweaty hands and feet that are being applied commonly:
Antiperspirants for external use: This is a topical antiperspirant used to apply topically or spray on the skin containing topical antiperspirants. The main chemical composition is aluminum salt. When the drug comes into contact with the skin, sweat will dissolve and pull these aluminum salt particles into the pores, forming a plug that seals the sweat ducts, preventing it from escaping. Antiperspirants can last for 24 to 48 hours, depending on the type. Before applying antiperspirant you should wash and dry your hands and feet, should use the medicine at night, if sweat is still out, you can reapply during the day. However, antiperspirants can cause skin irritation, burning, thickening, or redness with regular use. While very handy, using an antiperspirant is only a temporary measure to help stop sweating, so you should only use it when absolutely necessary. Oral antiperspirants: If you've used topical antiperspirants but they don't work, your doctor may prescribe an oral medication. Commonly used drugs are anticholinergic drugs such as Oxybutynin, Glycopyrrolate, Propantheline... or beta blockers such as Atenolol, Metoprolol... Both of these groups of drugs are more potent because they inhibit the nervous system. sympathetic . Oral medication to treat sweating hands and feet also inhibits sweating throughout the body, the effect of the drug lasts for 4-6 hours after taking. However, you need to be careful and follow the doctor's instructions when taking these drugs, because it can cause side effects such as urinary retention, constipation, dry mouth, arrhythmia, low blood pressure , blurred vision, dizziness... Herbal treatment for sweaty hands and feet: If you are concerned about the side effects of western medicines, then using herbal products to treat sweaty hands and feet is a safe choice. , more benign. This method is also appreciated for its good antiperspirant effect and long-lasting effect. In which, there are a number of herbs that have been scientifically researched to prove their effects such as Thien Mon Dong, Hoang Ky, Son Thu Du, ... According to research by the Institute of Medicinal Materials - Bundelkhand University, India, shows that Tianmen Dong has a stabilizing activity on the autonomic nervous system, helping to reduce sympathetic nervous system excitability similar to anticholinergic drugs, this is the key point to being able to control sweating. limbs optimally.

Ion electrophoresis: Ion electrophoresis is a method of using a device called an electrophoresis machine, it works on the principle that the sweaty skin area is exposed to water with a low intensity electric current. (about 10 – 30mA) is passed to temporarily disable the local sweat glands. You will put your hands and feet in the electrophoresis tray containing water, the time for each electrophoresis is 20-40 minutes. At first, it is necessary to treat 3-4 times / week, then when the amount of sweat decreases, then gradually reduce and maintain 1 session / week. However, ion electrophoresis can cause side effects such as itching, excessive dryness of the skin, or electrical burns... People with epilepsy, heart disease, implanted pacemakers or metal devices during surgery The body cannot use ion electrophoresis and this solution only provides temporary improvement in sweating. Botox injection method: The botox substance is botulinum toxin A which is divided into many small doses and injected in turn into the soles of your feet and palms. Botox will inhibit the sympathetic nervous system locally, preventing the release of Acetylcholine, thereby reducing sweating. Some side effects may occur when injecting botox such as local pain, swelling, difficulty moving limbs or temporary muscle weakness, blurred vision... Each course of botox injection is effective for about 4-6 months, When the drug wears off, it needs to be re-injected. However, this is a rather expensive method, the cost ranges from 4 to 10 million VND/1 injection, so not all patients can use it. Sympathectomy: Sympathectomy is indicated for people with hyperhidrosis. In the past, doctors also used this method to treat sweaty feet, but because it causes impotence, urinary incontinence, etc., it is no longer applicable. With this method, the surgeon will perform thoracoscopy to remove 2 sympathetic ganglia chains located from the thoracic vertebrae L2 to L4, which is the place where the signal is received between the sympathetic nervous system and the thyroid gland. sweat in hands. Sympathectomy is an effective treatment for sweating hands, however, it has a higher risk, after surgery you may experience such as: Compensatory sweating (50-90) %), hemorrhage, infection, chest pain, pleural effusion, arrhythmia, eyelid drooping...

When applying the above methods of treating sweaty hands and feet, to better control sweat, you should note:
Limit the use of alcohol, coffee, caffeinated beverages; Avoid eating hot spicy foods, limit the use of hot spices such as chili, pepper, garlic...; Always keep a relaxed spirit, don't stress and stay up late; Drink enough water from 1.5 - 2 liters/day, increase the intake of fresh vegetables and fruits; You can soak your hands and feet with guise leaves, green tea or salt water... this will help reduce perspiration better; Should wear sandals, sandals or canvas shoes, open-toed shoes to allow the feet to breathe. Avoid wearing tight shoes, synthetic plastic shoes cause foot congestion. Choose socks made of cotton and bamboo fibers that absorb sweat well and change socks daily. So it can be seen that up to now, we have not had a definitive cure for sweaty hands and feet. The above treatments are only temporary and may encounter some side effects during use, so you need to consider before choosing.