When do hands sweat

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Mar 1, Issue. Am Fam Physician. Who gets sweaty hands and feet, and why? How is this problem treated? Several treatments are available.

Read the full article. Get immediate access, anytime, anywhere. Choose a single article, issue, or full-access subscription. Earn up to 6 CME credits per issue. Purchase Access: See My Options close. Best Value! This response has nothing to do with indoor or outdoor temperature or your level of physical activity. Some people shrug off mild hand sweating as a minor concern.

When sweating is caused by an underlying problem, you may have other symptoms. See a doctor if sweating is accompanied by chills, chest pain, nausea, lightheadedness, or a fever. Antiperspirants are commonly associated with underarm sweating, but these are also effective for stopping perspiration in different areas of the body, including the hands. If you have problems with excessive sweating, apply antiperspirant to your hands to reduce wetness and clamminess.

Antiperspirants work best when you apply them at night because it gives your hands more time to absorb them. These products work by signaling your body to stop sweating. Examples include:.

Baking soda is a quick and inexpensive way to reduce sweaty hands. Most people have a box of baking soda in their kitchen or bathroom. The effectiveness of baking soda on cleaning and whitening teeth is well-known, but you may not realize how baking soda functions as an antiperspirant and deodorant.

Because baking soda is alkaline, it can reduce sweating and make sweat evaporate quickly. Mix a couple teaspoons of baking soda with water to create a paste.

Rub the paste over your hands for about five minutes and then wash your hands. Here are two options:. If you have hyperhidrosis, organic apple cider vinegar can keep your sweaty palms dry by balancing pH levels in your body. You can wipe your palms with apple cider vinegar. Leave it on overnight for best effect. You may also want to include 2 tablespoons in your daily diet. It tastes better with honey and water or with a fruit juice. Apocrine glands open into the hair follicle, leading to the surface of the skin.

Apocrine glands develop in areas abundant in hair follicles, such as on your scalp, armpits and groin. Sweating is your body's mechanism to cool itself. Your nervous system automatically triggers your sweat glands when your body temperature rises. Sweating also normally occurs, especially on your palms, when you're nervous. The most common form of hyperhidrosis is called primary focal essential hyperhidrosis. With this type, the nerves responsible for signaling your sweat glands become overactive, even though they haven't been triggered by physical activity or a rise in temperature.

With stress or nervousness, the problem becomes even worse. This type usually affects your palms and soles and sometimes your face. There is no medical cause for this type of hyperhidrosis. It may have a hereditary component, because it sometimes runs in families. Secondary hyperhidrosis occurs when excess sweating is due to a medical condition. It's the less common type. It's more likely to cause sweating all over your body. Conditions that may lead to heavy sweating include:. Hyperhidrosis care at Mayo Clinic.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version.

This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Hyperhidrosis hi-pur-hi-DROE-sis is abnormally excessive sweating that's not necessarily related to heat or exercise.