Here’s an obscure fact: Researchers1 say that up to 20% of people are averse to even the word “moist.” So, what would be worse than shaking hands with someone whose hand is sweaty and moist?
Easy. It’s actually being the person whose hand feels sweaty and moist.
Imagine how difficult it must be to offer one’s hand in friendship, only to realize that it might be considered off-putting.
Sweaty hands are a form of hyperhidrosis, defined as excessive perspiration that is not necessarily tied to thermoregulation (heat or stress). Five percent of the global population deals with this condition. Most often, hyperhidrosis affects the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, and the underarms.
It’s embarrassing, and it’s equally uncontrollable for the sufferer.
A Hyperhidrosis case in point: Calc carb 30
In my practice, I met with a very young child who was embarrassed — and I mean, soooooo embarrassed — about having sweaty hands. Why? Well, in her kindergarten, the young students had to hold hands to walk from place to place. She was in a panic that someone would notice her hands were always wet.
My goodness, that’s a high social mountain to climb for a tiny one in kindergarten. Heck, I’m sure sufferers of any age can relate to that concern of being ridiculed or ostracized.
Conventional treatments run the gamut from destroying the sweat glands with electricity or microwaves, prescription topicals, prescription pharmaceuticals and even Botox injections.
However, we successfully addressed this youngster’s condition with the first homeopathic medicine that comes to my mind when considering hyperhidrosis: Calcarea carbonica (Calc carb) 30, twice daily, until very much better.
This choice makes perfect sense. When one reads up on hyperhidrosis, there appears to be a component of calcium assimilation and depletion. Calcium management is right up Calc carb’s alley.
Now, the distinguishing factor for choosing Calc carb is that the hands feel clammy. Indeed, there’s generally no odor … just a clammy, moist feel. (Oops. There’s that word again. My apologies.)
Calc carb can also be a good consideration for hyperhidrosis on the head, neck, chest and feet. For instance, if a baby’s scalp sweats while nursing, or they wake from a nap with soaking-wet hair, we would also consider Calc carb employed in the same manner. This alone is not cause for administering a homeopathic because it’s not a pathology, but it offers a clue to consider Calc carb for other conditions.
This medicine was a perfect fit because Calc carb is also a great remedy for someone prone to frequent colds. So that clinched it: This child did, in fact, suffer from colds more often than most.
Indeed, the prudent use of Calc carb addressed both the child’s clammy hands and their propensity to catch colds.
Social disaster averted, while overall health was bolstered. Win-win.
Hyperhidrosis in the hands and/or feet: Silicea 6X
However, Calc carb is not our only consideration. If excessive perspiration also occurs on the feet, or if it has a sour odor, we might look more pointedly at Silicea 6X, two to three times a day, depending on severity, until very much better.
What do I mean by “very much better”? Well, it means the condition has diminished enough that it’s no longer a bother or has disappeared completely. When the condition is no longer the uppermost thing on the sufferer’s mind, it’s time to halt the medicine and observe. Should the condition recur, simply resume the medicine schedule that previously worked until it abates again.
If, after giving the remedies their due (six to eight weeks for a chronic condition), there is no improvement whatsoever, then one might consider pivoting to another appropriate medicine.
To that end, I will discuss two more homeopathic medicines for hyperhidrosis in this week’s Memo to Mighty Members.* We’ll look at excessive perspiration during menopause, and also discuss a remedy for hyperhidrosis that specifically occurs in the armpits with an accompanying odor.
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Warmly,
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References:
- Cheydleur, K., Oberlin College. (21 August 2015) “Why ‘Moist’ Makes us Cringe” https://www.oberlin.edu/news/why-moist-makes-us-cringe
