My Hands Are Always Sweaty, Why?

There two kinds of hyperhidrosis: Primary and Secondary.

Primary Hyperhidrosis: Also referred to as focal hyperhidrosis, it results in excessive sweating of the hands, face, underarms, and feet. The reason for primary hyperhidrosis is usually not apparent. If an individual suffers from primary hyperhidrosis, excessive sweating can be triggered by a number of things such as certain drugs, alcohol, spicy foods, hormones and stress.

Secondary Hyperhidrosis: Also referred to as generalized hyperhidrosis, it results in excessive sweating in a larger area of the body or all over the body and is usually caused by a medical condition such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, pregnancy, obesity, lymphoma, gout etc. or due to some medicine.

Some Quick Remedies

• Wash your hands often. Washing your sweaty hands more often can help you keep them dry. Wash them when sweat starts bothering you and dry them thoroughly with a washcloth or towel.

• You can use plain water to avoid drying of the skin on the back of your hand.You can use alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you can’t wash your hands. A small amount of alcohol can help in drying up the sweat.

• Carry a package of paper towels or cloth and wipe your hands before situations when you need to shake hands with someone.

• Cool off your sweaty hands. Your hands may get sweaty when you are overheated; hence, cooling them off can be an effective and quick remedy. Place your hands in front of an air conditioner or a fan so the moisture can dry and the production of sweat is slowed down.

• You can sprinkle some powder on your sweaty hands. The powder will absorb the sweat temporarily. This tip especially comes in handy when you are doing certain activities such as jumping rope or lifting weights or completing tasks that need a tight grip. You can use either baby powder or corn starch or baking soda.

Lifestyle Solutions

• Avoid items that lead to more sweating of hands. Keep your hands free of items of clothing and products that stop air flow. Whenever possible, avoid the following: mittens, gloves and other products that cover your hands; Petroleum-based skin products and lotions. Petroleum jelly helps seal in moisture and prevents sweat from drying. The same applies to coconut oil and other oils used cosmetically to hold moisture in skin.

• Use an antiperspirant on your hands. You can use an unscented “clinical strength” antiperspirant that contains aluminum zirconium, which is found to be effective by many individuals. You can also use prescription-strength antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride hexahydrate, which is a stronger chemical-ask your doctor regarding the same.

• Stay relaxed. The trigger of excessive sweating in hands is stress and anxiety in many cases. Do meditation, yoga or any other activity to help reduce your stress and prevent excessive sweating.

• If you sweat when you think about certain problem, which is bothering you, think about a solution and take it head-on. Talk to a counselor if you require help.

• A quick remedy to sweating related to anxiety is to sit on a seat, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. Try calming your mind before you start your day.

Medical Treatments

• Various medical treatments can be tried to find answer to the question why are my hands always sweaty?

• You can try iontophoresis. During iontophoresis, your hands are kept under water while an electrical current is passed through the water. Though you may feel a tingling sensation, there is no pain felt during the procedure. Iontophoresis temporarily prevents sweating of hands. Home iontophoresis kits are also available. You can consult your doctor and purchase one so that you can use it at any time.

• Oral medicines referred to as anticholinergics stop sweating of hands as a side effect, therefore they are sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat excessive sweating of hands. There are side effects of anticholinergics such as dry mouth.

• Botox injections, which are commonly used to reduce wrinkles on the face or plump up the lips, may also be used in blocking the nerves, which produce sweat. However, injections may cause pain and provide only temporary solution to the problem.

• Consider getting surgical treatment. The surgical procedure, referred to as sympathectomy, involves removing a nerve from the chest surgically, thereby, disrupting the nerve signal, which controls the sweating of the body. However, surgery should only be considered as a last resort as in more than ½ of the cases who have undergone surgery the body compensates by excessively producing sweat in another area. If you are considering the procedure, get it done by an experienced doctor.

I had this problem of sweaty hands forever. In school, I am made fun of for sweaty and cold hands. In my dance class, my hands look different from others as they look mostly purple/red. I try to hide my hands in any possible way I can.

I am 16 years of age and I suffer from sweating from hands. I am very much stressed about this problem. I want to know the cause of sweating of hands and feet so that I can find a cure to this problem. I find it very embarrassing to tell people that my hands are wet.

I am 21 years of age and a Musical Theater major. I have had great problem with sweating of hands my entire life. It is so embarrassing to do scenes with sweaty hands. In dance classes, my hands form puddles on the floor.