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Sweaty Feet

Pinkie_Sal | Aug 13, 2010 |

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Sweaty feet, also known as Plantar Hyperhidrosis is a condition wherein the feet sweat excessively. This also occurs to most people who have sweaty hands. The sweating of the foot can be as severe as in the hands. Having this trouble is very annoying as it can affect a person's social activities. Excessive sweating of the feet can make wearing sandals and shoes difficult. This also can lead to the development of fungal infections and foot odor.

Wearing shoes makes it difficult for the sweat to evaporate. With the feet damp with sweat, it is a good place for the bacteria to grow and multiply. These bacteria then make the feet secrete fatty acids. These fatty acids are what causes bad foot odor. Also, with the feet enclosed in the shoes, it makes the moisture warm. This warm and moist environment makes the fungi that cause Athlete's foot to grow.

The main reason that you can have smelly and sweaty feet is wearing the wrong kind of footwear. There are shoes that are made of materials that do not allow sweat to evaporate, thus the feet stay wet. These are the shoes that are made of synthetic fabrics or plastics. Even synthetic socks can cause the same trouble especially if they are very tight.

Sweaty Palms and Feet

The gene that causes excessive sweat will manifest in the palms before the problem occurs with the feet. That is why hand sweating is considered a precursor. The reason is that the sweat glands in the hands mature faster than the sweat glands in the feet.

Here are the treatments for sweaty feet that doctors recommend most:

* Botox

This solution is also being used to treat sweaty armpits. This is not a comfortable process as there will be more than thirty fine needle injections to the skin and the soles of the feet. Opting for this kind of treatment will require the patient to take some days off from work as it will be painful for them to use their feet for a while.

* Iontophoresis

This treatment to stop sweaty feet is done by bathing the feet in a tap water with small amount of electric current passing through. This process takes up to 40 minutes. There will be some tingling pain that will be felt and possible skin irritation. This method should not used for pregnant women and those with heart conditions. Iontophoresis can be time consuming because of the frequent follow up sessions at first, which may be every 3 days, but it will decrease to once every four weeks toward the latter treatments. Those who can afford the equipment can buy and perform the treatment in the convenience of their own homes.

* Sympthectomy

This sweaty feet remedy treatment specifically targets and destroys the nerves that control the sweat glands on the feet. However, this operation is not recommended as it promotes impotence and has a negative impact on women's sexual function as well.

* Anticholergenic

This process involves the use of a drug that inhibits the function of the nerves that controls sweating. This process is effective, however it can cause some side effects like blurry vision, dryness of the mouth, sedation and constipation.

* Bare Foot Therapy

There's another theory that has been put forth to explain why people have a sweat problem with their feet. The idea is that wearing socks and shoes are completely unnatural. Primitive man didn't have the same problems as we do because he was bare footed. Feet were meant to be rough and callused, exposed to the elements and free to breathe without being constricted in sleeves of cotton and left to incubate in straight jackets of genuine fake leather. Sweaty feet may simply be a natural rejection of an artificial convention that we force onto ourselves just to fit into society. Bare foot therapy is a return to primitive roots and it solely (pun intended) consists of living everyday life barefooted. Many people who have tried this radical therapy have had their sweaty feet problems disappear. It is very effective yet, impractical. There is more to the theory and that is shoes, while meant to protect our feet, have caused us to walk with more force than we would have if we were barefooted. This puts excessive pressure on our knees and ankles and may be a significant source of joint and ligament degeneration. Podiatrists have developed foot gloves to remedy such problems. These rubber gloves provide the much needed protection to your soft feet, yet they are thin enough to provide the feeling and gait of barefoot walking.

To avoid having smelly and sweaty feet you need to address the sweaty feet causes, namely your socks and shoes. Keep them clean and tidy. Observe proper personal hygiene, as this will keep everyone on the right track of healthy, odorless and beautiful feet. If all else fails, consider bare foot therapy.