Most persons who frequently experience sweaty palms don’t suffer from any health issues. However, there is a medical disorder called hyperhidrosis (pronounce it: hye-pur-hye-DROE-sis) that can make people sweat profusely in their armpits, feet, palms, and other areas of the body.
Hyperhidrosis typically starts around puberty in sufferers. Alcohol, some medications, hormones, spicy meals, stress, and medical disorders like diabetes are just a few of the factors that might cause excessive sweating. The good news about hyperhidrosis is that there are a variety of treatments available to doctors.
Palmar hyperhidrosis, often known as sweating palms, can have a variety of causes, such as anxiety, thyroid disorders, menopause, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and several prescription and over-the-counter medications. Palmar hyperhidrosis can also be brought on by benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors.
Palmar hyperhidrosis affects 2% to 3% of the general population and is a subset of focal hyperhidrosis in which specific parts of the body are affected. Palmar hyperhidrosis typically refers to sweaty palms but also includes sweaty soles of the feet.
The cause of palmar hyperhidrosis can be categorized as follows:
Emotional Causes which include stress, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and nervousness can cause sweaty palms. Strong emotions can trigger the sudden release of acetylcholine into the bloodstream. This, in turn, overexcites postganglionic nerves, causing the spontaneous release of sweat.
Endocrine Causes: The endocrine system is responsible for the regulation of hormones in the body. This includes hormone-related conditions like, Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), Hypopituitarism (underactive pituitary gland), Diabetes, Menopause, Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), Pregnancy, Acromegaly, Postoperative compensatory sweating.
Neurological Causes include conditions that directly injure nerves or cause the progressive loss of certain nerve cells in the brain, such as: Parkinson’s disease, Spinal cord injury, Stroke, Complex regional pain syndrome.
Infectious Causes: Any infection that causes fever can interfere with the temperature thermostat of the brain (called the hypothalamus) and cause hyperhidrosis.
Drugs and Alcohol which include Alcohol, Insulin, Opioids (especially when abused), Prozac (fluoxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Sinequan (doxepin), Elavil (amitriptyline), Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Sweaty palms affects both sexes equally, but females may be more likely to seek treatment for it.
Treatments can include:
1. Using antiperspirants on the palms to help block the sweat glands.
2. Anticholinergic drugs, which help block neurotransmitters responsible for producing sweat.
Source: Ghana/MaxTV/MaxFM/max.com.gh/Belinda Quansah
