Hand sweating or having sweaty palms is medically referred to as Palmar Hyperhidrosis. It is
a condition wherein the hands perspire profusely. Quite notably, it is also in the hands where the
symptoms of hyperhidrosis are most apparent.
While most of the instances of hand sweating are minor, it can still affect the overall lifestyle
of a person suffering from it. Hand sweating usually starts during childhood, continuing until puberty
and early adulthood stages. For some patients, it goes away naturally. However, others will have
to go through a series of treatment therapies just to cure the disease.
Hand sweating is usually an inherited disease, and it differs in severity. The milder cases of
sweaty palms may not cause any problems as far as the functionality of the hands is concerned. It
does not pose to be a problem with one's social relations either.
However, there are instances wherein the person literally drips sweat from their palms,
enough to be distracted and embarrassed by the situation. This is stage two of the hand
sweating problem. In some people, hand sweating is so severe that the more conservative methods
of treating the disease prove to be ineffective. This is the worse case of hand sweating that could
happen to you.
Sweaty palms can be caused by emotional and mental stimuli as well. People who
get nervous and agitated usually acquire sweaty palms up until the ordeal is over. Those who are
in the state of fear and anticipation may get their hands perspiring uncontrollably as well.
The symptoms of sweaty hands are very obvious. First, there will be beads of perspiration forming in the palm of your hands. You can wipe it off as much as you like, but newer sets of sweat beads will form and the process will just repeat itself. The hands may get very pinkish or discolored in the process. This is the direct result of the sodium in the sweat as well as the other minerals and solutes present in it.
There are different methods to cure hand sweating. The choices range from topical treatments
to more obtrusive methods such as acupuncture, injections, and surgery.
Topical treatments include powders, lotions, and creams that intend to stop sweat from breaking
out on the skin. While some of these types of medication are successful, its length of
effectiveness can be very short. They are considered temporary cures for hand sweating because they
only work for as long as three hours after being applied on the skin.
Acupuncture is an old Chinese way of treating diseases. It is still being used
today and is actually an alternative form of treatment for people who don't want to undergo the
more obtrusive methods of curing diseases such as sweaty palms. There are certain acupuncture points
that can be pierced or applied pressure to so that the body's sweating mechanism can be regulated.
The most obtrusive mode of treatment for people suffering from hand sweating is surgery. The procedure
is called thoracic sympathectomy. This procedure has been developed and used for over 50 years now.
It also has improved greatly over time. This is the reason why a lot of people started using it
as a permanent solution to their hand sweating problem.