Excessive sweating is a symptom of hyperhidrosis, a medical disorder that affects the sweat glands.
The soles of the feet have a high concentration of these glands, therefore they are more likely to be impacted by excessive perspiration.
Although there are various home therapies for hyperhidrosis, a more serious problem will almost certainly necessitate expert help.
Let’s look at some of the treatment options for dealing with excessive foot sweating.
Iontophoresis
Electrotherapy and its influence on excessive sweat secretion are at the heart of iontophoresis’s mechanism of action.
A typical iontophoresis foot treatment session goes like this:
- The patient is asked to sit in a chair barefoot.
- The feet are immersed in a water-filled therapy tub.
- A control device sends a very mild electric current into the basin.
An iontophoresis session typically lasts 20 to 30 minutes.
Patients who use it for 8 to 12 weeks with one session per week usually notice an improvement.
Iontophoresis provides a number of advantages, such as:
- It causes few side effects
- It is efficient
- It isn’t complex
- It is of minimally invasive nature
While having advantages, it also has certain drawbacks:
- Treatment sessions can last a long time.
- It must be administered multiple times to be truly effective.
- It is not suitable for pregnant women or persons who have a pacemaker.
Foot care
In general, proper foot hygiene helps to prevent the spread of disease and infection.
Excessive foot sweating, on the other hand, makes this process more difficult and, if left uncontrolled, might even cause issues.
Consider the following conditions:
- Nail fungus (onychomycosis)
- Blisters on the toes or heels
- Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis)
- Bacterial infections
- Plantar warts
You should consider getting professional foot care to avoid these problems.
Foot care in a podiatry clinic comprises the following services:
- Foot baths and emollient treatments
- The application of creams that are not available in pharmacies
- Medical cutting or thinning of toenails
- The removal of annoying corns and calluses
While this treatment focuses on the difficulties of excessive foot sweating, it also benefits the patient’s general plantar health.
Botulinum toxin injection
Botulinum toxin injections aren’t normally the initial therapeutic option, and they can’t be done by a podiatrist.
This subcutaneous injection, on the other hand, may be beneficial when excessive perspiration does not respond to standard treatments.
Botox blocks neurotransmission to the sweat glands in this way, which significantly reduces excessive sweating on the foot.
Botulinum toxin infiltration offers the following advantages:
- Its effect lasts for several months
- It shows high efficiency by significantly reducing sweating
- The procedure is less invasive than surgery
As beneficial as this sort of treatment is, it does have certain drawbacks:
- It is expensive
- It requires a fairly painful local anesthetic
- It can sometimes be painful after the procedure
- It is possible that it causes hyperhidrosis in another area of the body
To be effective, a botulinum toxin injection must be administered correctly.
We thus advise you to seek medical advice before the treatment.
Antiperspirant shoes
Seeing as using footwear that is unsuitable for the feet contributes to increased sweating, it makes sense to pay attention to this as part of the treatment of plantar hyperhidrosis.
A podiatrist may recommend shoes that match the following criteria for a patient who suffers from excessive foot sweating:
- They’re either open or ventilated.
- They don’t suffocate the feet.
- There are no synthetic or rubber stiffeners in them.
- They’re made of supple leather or canvas, which wicks away moisture.
The podiatrist can also recommend absorbent and antimicrobial insoles or foot orthoses to help the patient’s treatment even further.
Taking anticholinergic medication
Generalized hyperhidrosis is treated with prescription medicines.
Glycopyrollate and propantheline, when taken orally, act on one of the neurotransmitters that causes excessive sweating.
The overall excessive sweat production is thus reduced, thanks to this method.
Anticholinergic medications are only used sparingly in persons who exclusively have plantar hyperhidrosis.
Here are some of its most notable negative effects:
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Constipation
- Headache
- Sleepiness
- Sleep disturbances
PiedReseau offers practical solutions to excessive foot perspiration
Hyperhidrosis affects more people than you might imagine, including amateur athletes, young professionals, and teenagers.
Thankfully, there are a variety of options available to help you deal with the issues brought on by this condition.
A podiatrist is the most important medical practitioner to consult if you’re suffering from excessive plantar perspiration.
They can customize your treatment based on the severity of your ailment and your way of living.
Do you have a problem with sweaty feet that you can’t seem to solve? Don’t hesitate to make an appointment with your local PiedReseau clinic!