Food Sweating Treatment, Foot Sweating Remedies

Sweating is a normal bodily function, which regulates internal temperature and keeps us cool. Some people however suffer from excessive sweating, which can be a very unpleasant and embarrassing condition. Excessive sweating comes in two main forms, generalized sweating which occurs over the whole body, and is usually linked to an underlying medical condition such as thyroid problems, and focal sweating, which is random excessive sweating on specific areas, such as the hands, armpits, face and feet. Focal sweating has been linked to genes, and people who suffer from this are thought to be genetically predisposed to having an over sensitive thoracic sympathetic chain, which is the system responsible for regulating sweating. This means that sweating is triggered randomly, even when there is no physical need.

Sweat glands are most heavily concentrated on the palms and soles of the feet, up to 600 per square centimetre. Therefore excessive sweating in these areas can be very unpleasant, as sweat can literally drip from the body. Excessive foot sweating is called planter hyperhidrosis and can occur alone, or in conjunction with excessive palmar hyperhidrosis (hand sweating). Planter hyperhidrosis can be an unpleasant problem because we generally wear shoes, and this can create a perfect, dark, warm and damp environment for the growth of bacteria. Although sweat itself does not smell bad bacteria that live naturally in our bodies, such as corynebacteria and micrococci, break sweat down and in doing so release fatty acids and waste materials that have a pungent and very unpleasant scent. People who suffer from foot sweating find that wearing shoes can make their feet very smelly and sweating may even be marked enough that people feel unable to wear sandals or go barefoot.

Although planter hyperhidrosis is considered a genetic condition there are some triggers that can increase the severity and duration of the symptoms. Synthetic footwear, such as plastic shoes and nylon socks do not allow the feet to breathe, and so trigger the sweat glands to release sweat. Extreme temperatures, either very cold or very hot can make you sweat abnormally also. In some cases people have found that some foods, especially spicy foods, can trigger foot sweating.

Fortunately there are some treatments available for planter hyperhidrosis. Firstly you should try some simple steps to ease mild symptoms. Always wear natural fibre socks and shoes that will allow the feet to breathe and soak some of the moisture away from your skin. Wash feet at least twice a day and dry thoroughly, to remove bacteria and prevent infection. This will also help prevent other conditions such as athlete’s foot from forming. There are various foot deodorants and antiperspirants available from pharmacies, which can help reduce the appearance and odour of sweating.

If you suffer from more severe planter hyperhidrosis then there are also some more permanent treatments available. Iontophoresis can be carried out by doctors or physiotherapists and involves treating the feet to a small electrical charge, which works to numb the sweat glands and reduce over activity. This is an ongoing treatment, and in the beginning will need to be carried out at least twice a week with sessions lasting approximately half an hour.

Botulinum toxin injections (Botox) can be useful in treating planter hyperhidrosis, and involve a number of small injections into the soles of your feet in order to numb the nerves that trigger sweat glands to excrete fluid. This can be an expensive and sometimes uncomfortable treatment, as you may need up to 30 injections in one area, and will need to be repeated every 4-8 months.

There are surgical options also available for the treatment of hyperhidrosis, and although these can offer a more permanent solution, they can be prove difficult for treating planter hyperhidrosis because of a number of complications. A lumber sympathectomy involves a small incision into your abdominal area, through which the nerve chain that stimulates sweat glands in the feet are clamped or severed. This is very effective, but it has been shown to have a risk of impairing sexual function, particularly in men. Curettage is a method that involves making small incision into the skin, and then scraping away the sweat glands, but the skin on the soles of the feet can sometimes prove difficult to heal from this sort of operation.