Foot Sweat

When it comes to sweaty body parts, your feet bottoms are tops. In just one day, a normal foot – with more than 250,000 sweat glands in each - can produce more than a pint of sweat.

While it is normal for feet to perspire, plantar hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating of the feet, occurs as a result of an overactive sympathetic nervous system. People who suffer from plantar hyperhidrosis are more prone to bad foot odor and experience conditions like athlete’s foot, blisters, and fungal infections of the toenails, etc. It’s believed that excessive sweating may be brought on by stress, emotions or exercise, but it can also occur spontaneously.

The excessive moisture of the feet also ruins shoes, so they must be purchased more frequently. Suffers also feel the need to wear closed shoes all the time because it’s almost impossible to wear sandals with this condition, which creates a cycle of more sweating, since closed shoes provide less ventilation. The excessive sweat makes the feet slip in and out of sandals and open-toed shoes, which is why closed shoes are preferred.

Besides having limited shoe options, plantar hyperhidrosis sufferers may find themselves unable to participate in activities that require them to be barefoot, either because of embarrassment of the wetness and odor, or because of physical risk of sliding, etc.

Here are some tips to reduce feet sweat:

• When purchasing shoes or socks, look for cotton or other absorbent fabrics. Be sure to avoid nylon or other manmade fabrics because it can actually trap and create odors.
• When wearing sandals or open-toed shoes, avoid shoes made with plastic, rubber or fake leather, which can cause feet to sweat even more.
• Use absorbent shoe liners, which are made specifically for closed-toed and open-toed shoes.
• Use the Certain Dri® Feet Protection System™ – Certain Dri® FEET Moisture Control Pads and Certain Dri® FEET Microsponge® Powder – to minimize feet sweat and fight odor.