Cold and sweaty hands and feet is common complain among many people. It is more of a nuisance as a person feels quiet embarrassed to shake hands with someone if his hands are draining with sweat. Similarly, he may also find it difficult to wear shoes when his feet sweat too much.
It can be a way your body may be reacting to outside temperature. Sometimes sudden fear and anxiety may also produce such transient coldness and perspiration. But if your hands and feet remain constantly cold and sweaty there may be some medical condition that needs to be ruled out. For knowing the cause and further treatment, you must consult your doctor.
Causes Of Cold Sweaty Hands And Feet
Cold hands and feet or excessive sweating is not uncommon and in majority of cases and the underlying reason may not be life threatening. Often the cause may be associated with fear and anxiety that may be transient.
Thyroid disease can cause change in your metabolic activity and one of the symptom it manifests is excessive sweating in hands and feet. Together with sweating your hands and feet may also become cold and clammy. If overactive thyroid is the underlying cause, there will be some other accompanying symptoms too such as loss of weight, palpitation in chest, thickened skin, hair loss, diarrhea alternating with constipation etc.
If thyroid is normal, then the other cause can be a condition called hyperhydrosis. It is a hereditary disorder in which a person may have excessive sweating in his palm and soles. Too much of perspiration can lead to cold hands and feet. When your nerves become overactive it triggers the sweat gland to produce excess of sweat.
Cold or sweaty feet and hands can be a sign of menopause. Hot flushes are common during menopause. Other reasons are low blood sugar, infectious diseases causing fever as in case of malaria and tuberculosis.
Home Remedies For Cold Sweaty Hands And Feet
Cold or sweaty hands and feet can be due to reasons as minor as transient anxiety and fear to more serious problem related with thyroid gland. Hence the first step for the physician will be to find the underlying reason for his patient. He will rule out medical causes. For this he may recommend blood test to find the thyroid hormone level.
In case if there is some abnormality in thyroid hormones, he will recommend medicines to correct the level of hormones. The conventional treatment for hypersiderosis is prescription medications and topical sprays that will help to stop excessive release of sweat from sweat glands.
Several home remedies are also worth trying.
- Cornstarch: Mix cornstarch and baking powder and keep it in a bottle. Sprinkle the mixture on area that is excessively perspiring. Both have natural ability to absorb sweat and moisture and also neutralize foul odor.
- Lemon Juice: Mix lemon juice with baking powder. Apply the prepared paste on hands and feet that are too sweaty. Wait for 10 minutes and then wash your hands and feet. Lemon acts as a deodorant and baking powder helps to reduce sweating.
- Cold feet and hands with sweating can be due to low blood sugar. If it is so, drink one glass of milk or coffee mixed with sugar. You can also take one teaspoon of sugar. This will help to shoot up the blood sugar level.
- In case of anemia that causes cold feet and hands, eat foods that have rich source of iron. Green vegetables, lean meat, egg, fish, pumpkin, tomatoes, pistachios, raisins etc are good source of iron.