How to Cure Sweaty Palms

The medical term used to describe sweaty palms is palmar hyperhidrosis. It is one such condition in which the sweat glands that are present in the hands produce excessive sweat continuously. Sweat is produced in our body by the sweat glands when it is necessary to regulate the temperature of our body. It is required when the body is doing some physical labor, is under very high temperature, or sometimes because of stress in mind. Under such circumstances, our body tends to get stimulated and the sweat is released to bring back the normal body temperature. In case of sweaty palms, even in absence of any of these reasons the palms remain wet. Before we learn about how to cure sweaty palms, let us discuss the underlying causes of sweaty palms.

Causes of Sweaty Palms

The exact reason behind sweating palms has not yet been ascertained. However, most experts believe that it could be caused because the sympathetic nervous system becomes hyperactive. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for controlling different activities of our body such as the release of chemicals like adrenaline in our body, release of sweat from the sweat glands, squeezing of blood vessels, etc. When the nervous system fails to function normally, these functions get activated at improper times. The other probable cause of sweaty palms is ganglia. It is a condition of accumulation of some fluids in the wrist joints. Many researchers opine the root cause of sweaty palms can be confirmed with more in depth studies.

How to Cure Sweaty Palms?

Several options of treatment for sweaty palms are available, but most of them fail to cure the problem permanently. Some of them have some side effects too. Here we shall discuss all of them in detail.

Application of Ointments or Antiperspirants
When the condition of sweaty palms is mild or moderate, doctors prescribe a specific type of antiperspirants deodorant which is to be applied on the palms. Prior to applying this deodorant, the hands have to be dried up thoroughly. Apply it at night before going to bed and let it stay on the palms overnight, and wash it off with plain water in the morning. At the start, it is applied daily and later as the deodorant starts working, it has to be applied twice or thrice a week till the time the problem is solved. It may cause slight irritation and staining of clothes. Use of regular deodorant should be stopped during the treatment. If the skin of the palms is too thick, then it may not work effectively. A medicated powder is also available which can help in making the sweaty palms dry. Some people have got good results after applying 20% aluminum chloride based ointment regularly.

Iontophoresis
This is an effective procedure to stop sweaty palms. Here, mild electric current is applied on the palms with the help of a special device which prevents the the sweat glands from producing sweat. For this, the palms are kept under water and electricity is transmitted through the device with a mild intensity. Gradually, the intensity is made high and the patient gets a stinging sensation. This treatment is continued till the sweating of palms reduces. For obtaining the desired results, it has to be done for one and half hours every day on each palm. Later frequency of the treatment is reduced to once a week or once a month. The drawback of the treatment is that it is expensive and takes a lot of time before it shows any results.

Injections
Botox injections have often shown good results in case the problem of sweaty palms is mild. Botox consists of a protein which when injected on the palms makes certain muscles of the palms inactive. As a result, release of the chemical acetylcholine that stimulates sweating decreases. The duration of the treatment is almost of 2 - 3 months. However, the effect of botox injection is temporary and has to be repeated after regular intervals of time. Many people shy away from this form of treatment because it gives a lot of pain and is expensive too.

Medication and Surgery
Doctors prescribe some anticholinergic drugs that need to be taken orally which can decrease the release of the chemical acetylcholine on the palms and reduce sweating. It has to be taken once daily till the sweat is under control. These drugs have been found to have some side effects as well. Lastly, there is a surgical procedure too for curing sweaty palms. It is known as Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy surgery, where the sympathetic nerves responsible for producing sweat are removed from the palms. Discuss the consequences of the surgery with your surgeon before you put your palms under the knife.

If you would like to know how to cure sweaty palms naturally, then I can suggest another very simple method that can prevent sweaty palms. Take 3 - 4 tea bags and boil them in a quart of water. Let it cool down and then soak your palms into it for half an hour. The tamic acid present in the tea acts as an excellent antiperspirants and is a good cure for sweaty palms.