Brief Answer:
“Hyperhydrosis”; chemical treatment/sympathectomy

Detailed Answer:
Hello,

Welcome and thanks for posting your query to the forum.

I can understand your concern for excessive sweating of palms and soles since childhood. It is quite distressing sometimes when there is unwanted sweating especially over palms and soles.

Medically we call your condition as “Hyperhydrosis”.

To tell you simply- our skin contains numerous different kind of glands, one of these important glands are oil and sweat glands which are present all over the body. All this is to maintain the body temperature and the inner core of body according to outer temperature by sweat glands an to maintain moisture on body surface.

On palms and soles, specifically only the sweat glands are present and there are no any oil glands. So the function of keeping moisture is maintained by sweat glands only. It is variable from person to person to secret high or less amount of sweat according to his or her own genetical tendency, young age group, warm or hot weather condition and certain times stress or emotional states.

You can get that basically it is a physiological state and not a disease per say. THis is basically controlled by our nervous system and speciafailly by our spinal cord and its ganglion (point of meeting of nerves). For hands it is controlled at cervical level (at neck region) and sole at sacral region ( lower back).

Nevertheless there are very few options available for the same. For excess sweating in palms there is permanent treatment by surgery which is known as cervical sympathectomy. It is the removal of the point from where there is stimulus to secrete more sweat over palms. It is one of the best and permanent method which gives relief in sweating of palm and is basically done by neurosurgeons. You can consult a neurosurgeon for same.

For feet the surgical treatment is not applicable and therefore you have to rely on the simple chemical treatment only. There is no any permanent medical or drug treatment which can reduce the sweating at its best.

I quite often see patients taking one or the other medication but these medications have its own side effects.

In my patients I suggest few important points. The most important of all is trying different of chemical products and no any oral medications:

1. Alum can be used for foot bath. After proper soaking your feet in warm water, rub alum over the feet for 10 minutes.

2. You can use Vinegar for foot Baths - Take half cup of vinegar in a bucket or tub partially filled and dip in for 20-25 minutes

3. You can use baking soda in place of alum or vinegar in the same way as for vinegar.

4. A simple Salt Water Soak can do wonders in sweat and smelly feet. Be careful if you have any open cuts or sores on your feet. So do not follow it if you have any open abrasions.

5. Wear cotton socks and change it in every 3-4 hours.

6. Wear shoes or sleepers with cotton base. Change them frequently in day. Expose the shoes and sleepers to direct sunlight and open air.

7. Do Yoga and relaxing exercises to reduce stress. Stress is one of the very important cause of sweating.

You can judge for the surgical treatment or other measures according to the feasibility of the condition.

I hope the informations will help you. I will be glad for any further queries.

With good health wishes,

Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology

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Brief Answer:
"No sweat lotion" or Dricolor.

Detailed Answer:
Hello young man,

Welcome again and thanks for your swift follow up.

Regarding your further queries- Driclor contains aluminum salt in it which makes skin drier on temporary basis. In my patients with your kind of problem I suggest to use simple alum as it contains almost same aluminum salt as in Driclor.

You can use alum at home or otherwise in outdoors you can use "No sweat lotion" or Dricolor.

All of these can be used safely and there is no side effects of any of these.

I hope the informations will help you. I will be glad for any further queries.

With good health wishes,

Dr Sanjay Kumar Kanodia
MD- Dermatology

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