Excessively Sweaty Feet: A Look At Your Treatment And Management Options

Do your feet always feel wet and sweaty, even on cool days? You may have a condition called hyperhidrosis, in which the sweat glands in certain areas of the body are over-active. Sweaty feet are not just annoying; they can lead to issues like blisters and fungal infections. So, it's important to take action to manage your sweatiness and perhaps even undergo treatment to permanently alleviate your excessive sweating.

Management Options

To keep your feet drier on a daily basis, try the following:

Wearing open shoes whenever possible. Keep a pair of sandals under your desk to slip on whenever possible,  and only put your closed shoes on when you have an important meeting. Whenever you're not at work, flip flips or sandals should be your mainstays.

Choosing socks made from wicking material. Cotton socks may be comfortable, but they're terrible for sweaty feet since they trap the moisture next to your skin. Look in a sporting goods store for socks made from wicking material. If you buy plain black ones, they should even look suitable with your dressier outfits.

Dust your feet with cornstarch. An expensive foot powder will work fine, too, but most of these are just scented cornstarch. The cornstarch will absorb some of the sweat to keep your feet drier when you must wear shoes.

To help prevent fungal infections and blisters that are commonly caused by sweaty feet, try:

Sanitizing your shoes after each use. Buy a disinfectant made specifically for shoes, or just use a Lysol spray. This should kill fungi and bacteria between uses, reducing your risk of an infection.

Alternate between shoes. If you wear the same ones each day, they may not have a chance to dry between uses, meaning you'll start off with wet feet almost immediately and increase your risk of blisters and infections.

More Permanent Treatment Options

If keeping your feet dry becomes too much of a hassle, consider talking to a podiatrist like those at the Mid Nebraska Foot Clinic about these two major treatment options:

Sweat gland removal. There are laser-based surgical devices that can essentially zap the sweat glands in your feet so that you sweat a lot less. Most patients require several treatments before they notice a decrease in sweating, and there is some minor swelling and discomfort after the procedure.

 Oral medications. Prescription drugs such as benztropine and gabapentin can be used to reduce your sweating overall. These won't just stop your feet from sweating – they'll reduce the amount of sweat released by your entire body. If you tend to be sweaty overall or are not a candidate for sweat gland removal, your podiatrist may recommend this treatment.

If you have sweaty feet, do your best to manage your symptoms in order to prevent infections and blisters. But know that if management fails, there are more serious treatment options out there.

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