Sweaty Feet - Information

 

Sweaty feet often starts in adolescence and there is a tendency for the problem to run in families. Affected people may have excessive sweating isolated to the hands or feet, or more commonly to both. Occasionally facial sweating or upper lip sweating also occurs. The scalp, armpit and trunk tend to have more normal sweat patterns (i.e. they sweat when you're hot in order to regulate body heat).

Hyperhidrosis can be either what is called Essential or Primary. Essential Hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating of the hands, active and feet, although not life threatening, can lead to significant personal difficulties. Many people with this diagnosis are embarrassed to shake or hold hands; they soak papers at school and work and often wear gloves or avoid public exposure altogether for fear of embarrassment. The true incidence is unknown because many people have never mentioned their symptoms to their doctor.

Plantar sweating or sweating of the feet is not a body heat regulating mechanism and is more often associated with being nervous.

Remember, sweaty feet can also lead to embarrassing odor that can be pretty pungent to others that have to put up with it.