Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment for Hyperhidrosis of Hands and Feet

Some people often have symptoms of excessive sweating in their hands and feet. This situation will actually cause some mental distress to their appearance, and will also hurt their emotions, making them very inferior. Sometimes patients can also try to use traditional Chinese medicine to improve the symptoms of excessive sweating in their hands and feet and make their condition stronger.

Systemic hyperhidrosis is difficult to control, and the focus is on treating the underlying disease associated with it. Palmoplantar hyperhidrosis is mainly treated locally. Treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis is often less effective than treatment of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis.

1. Medication

(1) Commonly used antiperspirants for external use include 20%-25% aluminum chloride solution, 0.5% aluminum acetate solution, 3%-5% formaldehyde solution, 5% alum solution, and 5% tannic acid solution. Excessive use of topical medications can cause local dryness, mild chapped skin or severe irritation.

(2) Internal medication for systemic hyperhidrosis is mainly used to treat the related primary disease. Sedatives (phenobarbital, amobarbital, secobarbital, chlormezazone, etc.) and low-dose antianxiety drugs (diazepam, hydroxyzine, doxepin, etc.) are effective for emotional hyperhidrosis. Larger doses of anticholine drugs have the effect of inhibiting sweat secretion, which can cause unbearable dry mouth, so they tend to be eliminated.

(3) Physical therapy: tap water ion electrophoresis therapy, suitable for patients who have failed local (palms, soles, axillae) topical treatments. Patients with pacemakers are prohibited from using this product. Superficial X-ray irradiation can inhibit sweat gland secretion and is only suitable for patients with severe palmoplantar hyperhidrosis who have failed other treatments.

(4) Local injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) is often used to treat palmoplantar and axillary hyperhidrosis. Generally, the antiperspirant effect is obvious 5 to 7 days after the injection and can last for an average of 9 to 12 months.

2. Surgery

Selective resection of the second to fourth thoracic sympathetic nerves has significant effects on hyperhidrosis of the palms, axillae, chest and face, but is not suitable for patients with plantar hyperhidrosis. Moreover, surgery can lead to permanent anhidrosis and compensatory hyperhidrosis in other parts of the body, so it should be used with caution. For those who only have excessive sweating in the armpits, the most active sweat glands in the armpits can be selectively removed. This method has a definite therapeutic effect.

It often first occurs in children or adolescents, often has a family history, and tends to subside naturally in adulthood. The main areas of excessive sweating are the palms, soles, armpits, and perineum, followed by the tip of the nose, forehead, and chest. The palms and soles and armpits are the most common, and the skin may be soaked and turn white. Excessive sweating may be short-lived or persistent, more obvious during mood swings, and has no obvious seasonality.

Excessive sweating on the palms and soles is often accompanied by cold hands and feet or cyanosis, and the soles may produce a special odor due to the decomposition of sweat. Excessive armpit sweating usually does not have an odor, unlike body odor. Excessive sweating on the tip of the nose, forehead and chest is often related to irritating foods, and often occurs when eating spicy foods, hot coffee, hot tea, or drinking strong alcohol. It is also called gustatory hyperhidrosis.