For individuals suffering from palmar hyperhidrosis, any hand sweating remedies that offer even a glimmer of hope are worth trying. That’s because palmar hyperhidrosis is excessive sweating in the hands (sweaty palms), a condition that can make the life of a sufferer almost unbearable. Even in the mildest of cases, excessive hand sweating is socially uncomfortable because individuals feel as though they cannot touch other people. When they do make contact with their hands, they can clearly see the uneasiness, and sometimes outright offense, of the other person.
In more persistent and aggressive cases of palmar hyperhidrosis (sweaty hands), common tasks such as using a computer, opening a jar, or even using a doorknob can become very difficult. When excessive sweating in the hands is severe, patients usually must carry around a handkerchief or rag so that they can dry their hands before using them. Any hand sweating remedies that can mitigate some of these issues are a welcome relief to sufferers of this condition.
Causes of Excessive Hand Sweating
Although research is still inconclusive, many doctors suggest that palmar hyperhidrosis probably has a genetic link in most cases. It is often triggered by anxiety, stress, or confrontational social issues. It is also possible in some people that the onset of excessive hand sweating is the result of some sort of systemic disease or possible injury to the spinal column or other part of the nervous system. Regardless, treatments that focus on the triggers of excessive sweating in the hands tend to be most effective.
Surgical Hand Sweating Remedies
The most successful of the surgical remedies is known as Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS). The procedure involves making small incisions in the patient’s arm pits, introducing air into the chest cavity, and then using a serious of tiny cameras and customized medical instruments to shut down the sympathetic nerves in the spinal cord that are responsible for excessive sweating. This surgery is done under general anesthesia and has proven to be largely safe and effective.
Although ETS has shown the greatest success rate among surgical hand sweating remedies, there are some risks. There have been reports of some patients experiencing a “dead feeling” in one side of the body after the surgery. Other patients have reported that the surgery had the opposite effect, causing their hyperhidrosis to be even more severe. These cases are rare, although they do exist.
Two other surgical procedures still being developed for excessive hand sweating include Botox and a laser surgery to destroy the offending sweat glands. These two procedures have reached the stage of testing in human patients, and both hold promise. Botox has already proven to be successful in combating excessive facial sweating, while the laser surgery has been shown to be successful in treating armpit sweating.
Nonsurgical Hand Sweating Remedies
Nonsurgical remedies can be divided into two categories: medical and natural. Medical remedies are classified as those using drugs or other medical procedures to control the excessive sweating. Among the most common is a hand lotion containing aluminum chloride. Aluminum chloride has long been used in antiperspirants because of its proven ability to slow down the production of perspiration. For sufferers of palmar hyperhidrosis, a more powerful lotion offers more protection than the standard antiperspirant and is not seen by others once it dries.
Other medical remedies include oral medications, and electronic-based therapy known as Drionic, biofeedback and acupuncture, beta blockers, and anti-anxiety drugs. All of these methods do have their drawbacks, and none of them provide complete relief on their own. Most of the time these treatments are combined in a regimen that works for each individual patient.
Natural, or home remedies include oral supplements, creams and lotions, and relaxation techniques. Proponents of natural remedies cite centuries of historical use among ancient civilizations that treated health issues holistically. A long list of plants and herbs are already clinically known to provide some benefits in stopping excessive sweating. These all-natural hand sweating remedies can be found across the Internet, in health food and supplements stores, and through holistic medical practitioners.
