Why Do People Get Sweaty Palms?

Excessive sweating of the palms, known as palmar hyperhidrosis, potentially impacts social touching, writing, and being able to grip equipment or necessary items. Treatment, depending on the cause and severity, can include stress management, antiperspirants, medication, and surgery.

Normal

• Emotional events often result in palms sweating.

  Palms contain eccrine glands that help regulate heat. The eccrine, or sweat, glands release moisture sometimes, such as during physical exertion and high humidity or heat. Stress and anxiety also result in sweaty palms because of the flight or fight reaction, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system.

Excessive

• Palmar hyperhidrosis causes excessive sweating during normal situations. According to Cedars-Sinai, the condition often begins in childhood. Excessive sweating also occurs without any apparent cause for people with palmar hyperhidrosis.

Causes

• Often, the causes for excessive sweating remain unknown. According to the Mayo Clinic, for unknown reasons primary hyperhidrosis occurs during emotional situations and may affect a person's hands, feet, armpits, face, and head. Medical conditions causing secondary hyperhidrosis can include genetic factors, infections, cancer, spinal cord injury, and neurological conditions.