Repeat after us: Sweating is normal.
Of course, some of us sweat a little more than others, and often at inopportune times.
Or you go to shake a new colleagues hand, only to realize your palm is dripping.
Overly sweaty hands and feet could be a sign of hyperhidrosis.
Of course, sweat can be a good thing.
National Library of Medicine.
The name hyperhidrosis may be new to you, but if you have it, you know somethings up.
People who suffer from hyperhidrosis sweat a lot.
The hands and feet have more sweat gland density than any other part of the body.
Sweat can be triggered by plenty of things, like stress, anxiety, heat, or exercise.
Thats within the realm of normal.
Theres not a super firm line about when sweaty hands go from an annoyance to a condition.
Two of the biggest factors arehow much you sweat, and how much it affects your life.
Basically, for someone with hyperhidrosis, the same triggersstress, heat, exercisecause a whole lotmoresweat.
The sweating with hyperhidrosis is severe enough that it impairs your normal activities,S.
Max Vale, MD, a dermatologist atUW Medicine, tells SELF.
That could mean that sweat is visible even when youre not exerting yourselfsomething a doctor will be checking for.
The excess moisture can also cause the skin to feel extra soft or peeled.
Frequent issues with skin infections like athletes foot can even become a problem.
What causes sweaty hands and feet?
Thats called secondary hyperhidrosis.
High blood pressure rarely has symptoms.)
But many people have primary hyperhidrosis, which has no known cause.
One thing that we do know is that the sweat glands themselves are not the problem.
The nervous system is communicating an exaggerated message to the sweat glands, Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says.
Excessive sweating can affect you physically and emotionally.
It can make people self-conscious and more nervous.
As weve mentioned, it can also take a toll on your skin.
Excessive sweating on the skin may cause skin irritation, infections, and skin breakdown, says Dr. Pol-Rodriguez.
Another reason to see your doctor?
If your sweaty hands and feet are affecting your mental health.
How to keep your hands and feet from sweating so damn much.
In that case, the first line of defense against sweat is our old standby: antiperspirant.
Aluminum chloride is a form of salt that works by temporarily blocking sweat gland ducts.
If your sweating is situationallike during a work presentation or when eating spicy foodDr.
He also suggests avoiding the groin and face for the same reason.
If these over-the-counter antiperspirants still arent working for you, its probably time to talk to a dermatologist.
They may prescribe an even stronger aluminum chloride antiperspirantusually in the 20% concentration range.
This is a medical condition and it is treatable, Dr. Pol-Rodriguez says.
You dont just have to put up with hyperhidrosis.
