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Cure for Sweaty Hands

Sweating is the body's way of maintaining a constant internal temperature and is a normal healthy process. In a small percentage of people, this mechanism goes into overdrive, leading to excessive sweating unrelated to physical exertion, a condition called hyperhidrosis. It can occur in four areas, but when it occurs with the hands, it's known as palmar hyperhidrosis. Symptoms include sweat, which can literally drip down the hands, followed by periods of excessive dryness, and a cold and clammy feeling most of the time. Fortunately, there are tests and treatments that can help.

  1. Causes of Sweaty Palms

    • Palmar hyperhidrosis is classified as either primary or secondary. Although there is no obvious cause for primary palmar hyperhidrosis, several health conditions can result in secondary hyperhidrosis, some potentially serious, which is why you should check with a doctor and be tested to rule out these conditions. If you are diagnosed with primary, then there may be a strong genetic predisposition that is triggered by emotional causes like anxiety, nervousness, anger and fear.

    Non-Invasive Treatments

    • If your physician feels that there is an emotional trigger, then counseling and biofeedback may be the best solution. If you find that intense physical exertion and/or heat exacerbates the condition, then you may have to avoid them. You should avoid caffeine (and other stimulants like energy drinks), alcohol and narcotics, as these can all contribute to the condition. If you are diagnosed with diabetes, then a diabetic or low-glycemic diet can help. You can keep a food diary to see if there are food triggers; if so, you'll need to avoid them as much as possible. You can also try using an antiperspirant compound like aluminum chloride on the palms, which can reduce sweating.

    Drugs & Surgery

    • Your doctor may prescribe anticholinergic drugs, although these have side effects. In some cases, Botox can be effective, or ionophoresis can be used (in which medication is injected into the tissues beneath the skin by electronic transport of ionized drugs in solution). In the most extreme cases, which aren't helped by any of the methods above, then surgery may be required. The first is an outpatient procedure called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS), in which the surgeon locates the sympathetic nerves along the back, just behind the ribs, and cuts or clamps the sympathetic nerves of the ganglion through two small incisions below the armpit area on each side of the chest. A new procedure, called percutaneous sympathectomy, uses a flexible needle at the third vertebra and threads it into the sympathetic junction to inject phenol. In a study in Belgium, 47 of 50 patients were cured on the first attempt, and the other three after a repeat procedure. Note that both of these surgical procedures have potentially dangerous side effects.

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