What to do if your hands are sweating, and why it happens
The content of the article:
- Forms of pathology
- Why palms sweat
- Diagnostics
-
What to do for men and women if their hands are sweating
- Medical antiperspirants
- Subcutaneous botulinum toxin injections
- Physiotherapy procedures
- Sympathectomy
- Correction of the emotional background
- Video
Palms sweat - why does this happen and what to do? This phenomenon may be a consequence of an increase in ambient temperature, fever and some pathologies, as well as indicate the presence of palmar hyperhidrosis.
For the treatment of hyperhidrosis of the palms, different methods can be used, depending on the severity of the symptoms
This type of disease occurs much more often than others and is characterized by increased sweating in the area of the hands from the side of the palms.
To improve the patient's quality of life, various methods of therapy can be used, and in the most severe cases they resort to surgical intervention.
Forms of pathology
According to the severity of the course, the palmar form of hyperhidrosis can be mild or severe. In mild cases, sweat is released in small amounts and does not cause perceptible discomfort.
With a severe course of pathology, sweating is so increased that the watery secretion secreted by the glands flows from the skin in trickles, and all objects to which a person touches become wet. This negatively affects his social adaptation and significantly limits the possibilities of professional implementation.
Why palms sweat
Possible reasons why palms sweat a lot may be:
| Cause | Characteristic |
| Excessive activity of the sympathetic nervous system | Most often, disturbances in the functioning of this body system lead to an increase in the production of watery secretions in the hands and / or feet. Their development may be associated with genetic pathologies, hormonal disruptions, as well as taking certain medications. |
| Vegeto-vascular dystonia of constitutional genesis | This form of the disease can cause the development of palmar hyperhidrosis even in an infant. Often, such a violation is inherited. |
| Puberty, menopause |
Increased sweating throughout the body, including in the palms, may be the result of hormonal changes in adolescents during puberty. From the age of 45, the palms of women most often sweat due to the onset of menopause. In both cases, hyperhidrosis is temporary, which means it completely disappears when the hormonal background is restored. |
| Pathology of the peripheral endocrine glands | The release of thyroxine, steroids, catecholamines, insulin and other biological substances into the blood, associated with dysfunction of these glands, can be externally expressed in increased sweating in both adults and children |
| Organic brain damage | With such lesions, neurogenic disturbances of thermoregulation are noted, and their consequence is sweating of the palms. |
| Neurosis | Against the background of stress or strong emotional upheaval, patients with neuroses may experience increased sweating. |
| Dermatological diseases | Vitiligo, blue nevus, psoriasis and other dermatological pathologies can lead to the fact that in the area of the palms a watery secret will constantly appear |
| Genetic diseases |
Palmar hyperhidrosis can be one of the symptoms of erythromelalgia (Weir-Mitchell disease), Brunauer syndrome, or Touraine polykeratosis |
These include:
- increase in ambient temperature;
- severe fright, excitement and stress;
- frequent consumption of onions, garlic, coffee, spices, alcohol and other products containing extractives.
Diagnostics
If increased sweating occurs, you should seek help from a therapist or dermatologist to establish the true nature of its origin and clarify the diagnosis. In addition to an external examination, the doctor conducts a detailed survey of the patient, during which he finds out if any of the family members have a similar problem, how long ago the pathology arose, and whether it was preceded by emotional upheavals or stress.
If hyperhidrosis is severe, you should consult a doctor
In order to make the diagnosis as accurate as possible, the patient is given a referral to such laboratory tests as:
- blood test: general, biochemical, to determine the level of glucose, for the presence of hidden infections (hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, syphilis), for thyroid hormones;
- general urine analysis.
Suspicions of idiopathic hyperhidrosis occur in cases where, in addition to sweating, no other symptoms are found, and all indicators in blood and urine tests are within normal limits. Whereas, for example, with violations of the functioning of the autonomic nervous system, changes in body temperature, tachycardia, bradycardia, pallor of the skin and changes in the blood picture will be noted.
Laboratory studies in combination with a thorough history taking and patient interviewing allow to identify the cause of the pathology development and select the most effective conservative or traditional method of treatment.
What to do for men and women if their hands are sweating
Frequent hand washing with soap, antiseptics, alcohol wipes, talcum powder, or starch can help temporarily get rid of hand sweating.
Primary hyperhidrosis, depending on its severity, can be treated using different methods.
Medical antiperspirants
The composition of special antiperspirants, creams and powders includes metal salts (aluminum or zinc), tannins, formalin and other components that, if used correctly and regularly, can effectively get rid of sweating for a period of 2 to 10 days.
With increased sweating, the use of medical antiperspirants is effective
Subcutaneous botulinum toxin injections
Treatment consists in injecting Botox into the area of the sweat glands, which blocks secretion for an average of 6 months. The main disadvantage of this procedure is its high cost.
Physiotherapy procedures
Galvanic collar according to Shcherbak, iontophoresis, pine-salt baths and electrosleep make it possible to consolidate the achieved effect from the use of therapeutic agents for a longer period.
Sympathectomy
Sympathectomy is recommended for patients with severe disease. Surgery removes the nerve trunk inside the chest, which sends a signal to the sweat glands to secrete secretions.
This prevents the signal from reaching the glands and solves the problem of excessive sweat production. It is important to take into account that the likelihood of developing compensatory hyperhidrosis is high.
Correction of the emotional background
If the patient is disturbed by fears, frequent stress, anxiety and depression that do not go away, it becomes necessary to take tranquilizers, antidepressants and sedative medications in addition to the main methods of treatment.
Video
We offer for viewing a video on the topic of the article.
Anna Kozlova Medical journalist About the author
Education: Rostov State Medical University, specialty "General Medicine".
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