A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME – aka Plantar Hyperhidrosis / sweaty feet

Among the important functions of our skin is to assist in getting rid of the excess heat from our body. This is accomplished by evaporative cooling (the sweat evaporates taking with it heat extracted from the body). When there is excess sweating or it is retained on the body, the sweat accumulates; this is called hyperhidrosis. Sweat ordinarily does not produce an odor. If the sweat stays on the skin too long, it can contribute to the growth of bacteria and the breakdown of skin chemicals. This bad smelling sweat is called bromhidrosis. The first condition can be a simple annoyance to you and the second can be an annoyance to those around you, especially in a oriental food restaurant.

RISKS OF SWEATY FEET:

Sweaty feet can also have a harmful effect on other aspects of your foot health too. The excess sweat can act as a chemical vehicle and solvent extracting chemicals from the linings of your shoes. These dissolved, shoe chemicals can cause skin rashes (contact or allergic dermatitis). The sweat can also lead the more rapid deterioration of your shoes.

Most importantly, the sweat also significantly changes the environment inside your shoes to not only dark and warm, but also damp — the perfect environment for certain yeast, mold, fungal and viral infections of the skin. Sweaty feet are thus more like to develop skin rashes, yeast infections, athletes foot, fungus toenails and warts (common or plantar). If you have any of these conditions, then controlling your hyperhidrosis is very important for treating these concurrent problems.

YOU CAN DO IT!:

Here is some helpful advice which you can follow if you have a problem stemming from or worsened by excess perspiration (sweating) of your feet.

HYGIENE is the first and simplest factor which must be addressed. If the feet, toes and toe webs are not well cleansed regularly and kept dry, sweat will accumulate, and foot odor and infections can result.

The feet, toes and toe webs MUST be “cleansed” well, NOT just rinsed off. Use a surgical-grade antibacterial soap such as Betadine® Skin Cleanser (VERY drying; not to be used if allergic to iodine!) or Hibiclens®, or their generic equivalents, available at your pharmacy. “Deodorant” soaps are NOT enough to control bacteria. Cleansing means gently cleaning with a washcloth and then lathering up the feet again with one of the antiseptic soaps and allowing that lather to sit on the feet for a minute before washing it off. Then it is important to thoroughly dry the feet and webs, if necessary with a “hair” drier.

FOOT ENVIRONMENT is the second, obvious area to focus on. We usually encase our feet in closed, tight, shoes which are often made of non-absorbent materials, such as patent leather, plastics, vinyl, and rubber. Frequently shoes are glued together instead of sewn. Do NOT were cotton socks in closed shoes (compared to sandals). Cotton socks in winter, outdoors, can make your feet cold and likely to get frostbite. Cotton socks in closed shoes guarantees hotter, wetter feet!

Whenever possible, wear shoes which closely match the shape and contours of your feet and toes. Limit the use of “stylish,” “designer” shoes. Wear shoes that fit properly; be measured for them before buying; and allow plenty of room in the toe box. If you cannot easily wiggle your toes in the shoe, it is too tight. Wear shoes with uppers made of leather, not impervious. Gortex is great for venting excess perspiration. NEVER wear the same shoes two days in a row; use shoe-trees between uses. Allow your shoes to DRY out a full day before wearing that pair again.

Powder your feet, toes and webs (NOT the shoes) with a good foot powder such as ZeaSorb® (which contains micro-fine cellulose) before donning your socks or stockings. In cool or cold weathers, a thin pair of polypropylene or acrylic socks worn under more absorbent socks of acrylic-wool blend will keep the feet drier. A medium-bulk acrylic sock would be a good substitute for the preceding combination. Cotton socks should be AVOIDED, especially in closed shoes! They are absorbent BUT they hold your own sweat against your skin – there to cause problems! Wear only clean socks – daily. If you have a significant sweat problem, change you socks or stocking half-way through the day, re-powdering your feet when you do.

At the end of the day, wear sandals, zorries or flip-flops around the house. Where appropriate go shoeless with or without a pair of fresh, clean socks. (Caution: may be slippery on tile and wooden floors and stairs!) AVOID foam-filled, terry cloth (usually cotton uppers) slippers.

STRESS makes you Sweat!
Perhaps the most difficult factor to control is the stress in your life. The more “tension” you are under, the more you are likely to have sweaty feet. Modifying your behavior and your psychological environment (at home and at work) to lessen excessive stress will help you control sweating. This is an ongoing task which you must confront, hopefully with the cooperation of the people you have to deal with. Professional guidance may help.

What more can be done?

Several other tools and techniques can help to lessen the problem of sweaty (and smelly) feet.

Soaking your feet in (yes!) regular tea (which contains the astringent tannic acid) daily can be helpful (though it may “stain” your feet). Wiping you feet, toes and webs with rubbing alcohol a couple times daily (or at least before going to bed) may be helpful too; allow it to dry thoroughly. In addition to a towel, consider drying your feet carefully with a hair drier (with heat off in summer and, if safe, on in winter).

For a severe sweating problem and cracking between the toes, place a wick of gauze in each of the web spaces, extending onto the top and bottom of the feet. These can be cut from a cotton gauze pad or from a roll of soft-woven gauze.

Rx: If simpler methods are insufficient, using prescription strength antiperspirants (NOT deordorants!) may be needed. DrySol® or Xerac-AC® is applied nightly to DRY/dried feet(above) and washed off in the morning several times each week. These strong preparations work so well that professional guidance is advised. If your own efforts don’t seem to be working, then call us and come in to see me! We will do our best to help you achieve a better level of foot health. We look forward to serving you, your family and friends for this and other foot and ankle concerns.

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