Sweaty Palms

Sweaty Palms (Palmar Hyperhidrosis) or as it is otherwise known as excessive hand sweating is a clinical condition where there is excessive hand sweating beyond the physiological need. This problem that has functional and social implications affects about 1½% of the population. When it is severe drops of water are literally coming out of a person's palms. The problem starts usually at an early age and in the majority of the cases it continues throughout life. This excessive hand sweating affects both on the social and the functional level. It can be detrimental to younger kids because of the constant harassment and misunderstanding by their peers. Later on in life simple tasks such as driving, use of computers, drawing and writing are very much problematic for those patients. Many physicians, parents and patients thought hyperhidrosis was connected to some mental health (stress, etc) issues. It is not because hyperhidrosis (including excessive hand sweating) can happen at any given time including normal day to day situations that involve no stress.

As in any other medical problem conservative treatments should be tried first to deal with excessive hand sweating. Medications are available as well as lotions or electrical instruments to try and alleviate this problem. (See alternative hyperhidrosis treatments). Statistically the severe cases of excessive palm sweating are rarely helped with the above listed conservative treatments.

Surgical approaches for this problem have existed for the past 60-70 years. Improvements in the surgical techniques which include fiber optic methods enabled us to offer a surgical solution to treat this clinical presentation of excessive hand sweating. Not only did the surgical technique improve but also refinement of the actual procedure made the operation better. The method is known as endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy and it is performed on a outpatient basis. The operation is very successful in eliminating hand sweating.

Learn more at Dr. Reisfeld's Hyperhidrosis page

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy for excessive foot sweating known as plantar hyperhidrosis is not as successful. Fortunately a new technique known as lumbar sympathectomy is now offered to patients on whom the endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy did not improve their excessive foot sweating.