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Hyperhidrosis

Skin and Nail Conditions· Also known as: sweaty feet, excessive sweating of the feet, plantar hyperhidrosisUpdated Nov 2026

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At a Glance

Hyperhidrosis is sweating well beyond what your body needs to cool down, and it happens even when you are resting. When it affects the soles of your feet, it is often called sweaty feet. About 3 in 100 people in Australia have excessive sweating. The main symptom is constantly damp feet, socks and shoes. Most often no cause is found. Simple steps, such as an antiperspirant and good sock and shoe habits, can help. It usually needs ongoing management rather than a one-off fix.

What is it?

Hyperhidrosis means sweating a lot more than your body needs. Sweating is normal when you are hot or exercising, because it helps cool you down. With hyperhidrosis, the sweating is excessive and hard to control. It also happens at rest, whatever the temperature, and it can be unpredictable.

It most often affects the armpits, the palms of your hands, the soles of your feet and the face, but any part of the body can be involved. When it affects your feet, many people simply call it sweaty feet.

Sometimes there is no obvious reason for the sweating. It can also be caused by another condition, or be a side effect of a medicine.

Who does it affect?

Sweating a lot for no clear reason is fairly common. About 3 in 100 people in Australia have excessive sweating. About 5 in 100 people in the United States, Germany and Sweden have excessive sweating. These numbers are rough, because they differ by country and by how sweating is defined. None of them is for sweaty feet alone.

It usually starts in childhood or the teenage years, and most often appears between the ages of 14 and 25. The soles of the feet are affected in 10 to 40 per cent of people with this kind of sweating.

It often runs in families. Up to around two thirds of people with it may have a family history, though the exact figure is uncertain. Genes can play a part, along with physical and emotional stress.

Signs and symptoms

Sweaty feet affect both feet equally. For some people the sweating is mild. For others it is severe and constant. The sweating stops when you are asleep.

It can help to notice and describe the pattern: where you sweat, how often, and whether it happens at rest or at night. A health professional can use this to assess the pattern.

What causes it?

For most people with sweaty feet, no cause is ever found. This is called primary hyperhidrosis. It is thought to come from overactive sympathetic nerves. It usually affects a limited area, such as the soles, palms, armpits or face, and it is the same on both sides of the body.

Emotion plays a big part. The sweat glands on your soles respond mostly to emotion, so stress and worry can bring on sweating. Hot weather can make it worse, and so can tired or strained feet, or a problem with the structure of the foot. Negative emotions may follow from sweating and in turn make the sweating worse.

Sometimes sweating has another cause. This is called secondary hyperhidrosis. It can start at any age and may affect larger areas of the body, not just the feet and hands. Causes include diabetes, an overactive thyroid, and damage to the nerves in the spine or the rest of the body.

Medicines can also cause it. In adults, most newer antidepressants, including both SSRIs and SNRIs, raise the chance of excessive sweating. Fluvoxamine, bupropion and vortioxetine do not seem to raise the chance of sweating.

How is it diagnosed?

Diagnosis usually comes from a conversation and an examination. A doctor or health professional will ask where you sweat, whether both sides are affected, when it began, what sets it off, how often it happens, whether it happens at night, and whether it runs in your family. They will also check your medicines, because some can cause sweating. Primary hyperhidrosis is usually diagnosed once symptoms have lasted at least 6 months. There is no single agreed test.

Some features can point to an underlying cause: sweating at night, on one side only or over much of the body, fever, feeling unwell, palpitations (a pounding or racing heartbeat), or starting at 25 or older. Sometimes the cause is serious, so don't assume sweaty feet are harmless. For weight loss or chest pain, see the 'When to see a podiatrist' section. For weight loss or chest pain, see the 'When to see a podiatrist' section.

Treatment

Looking after it at home

Wear socks that soak up moisture, such as wool, cotton or a mix, and change them at least twice a day, washing them before reuse. Rotate your shoes and let each pair dry between wears. Choose leather or other shoes that let air in, and avoid boots.

Treatment from your podiatrist

An aluminium chloride antiperspirant is usually the first treatment, and prescription-strength products are recommended for most people. Apply it to clean, dry skin at night and wash it off in the morning. It can be up to 80 per cent effective for mild to moderate sweating, but may work less well over time and often irritates the skin. If that happens, stop or cut back and ask for advice.

Iontophoresis passes a mild electrical current through water to the skin and is worth considering for the soles. Report any cuts, possible infection or skin conditions there first, as treatment may wait until they heal. It isn't suitable for everyone, including people with a pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, irregular heartbeat, pregnancy, uncontrolled epilepsy or recent wounds there. Check with a doctor or the treating service first.

Other options

If these steps aren't enough, or sweating is affecting your mood, see your GP. Botulinum toxin, anticholinergic tablets and other procedures need a doctor's assessment, and the tablets carry side-effect risks. Botulinum toxin may help underarm sweating. How well these treatments work on the feet isn't yet clear.

Surgery

Surgery is a last resort. Sweating elsewhere in the body afterwards is common and affects nearly half of people who have surgery.

Recovery

Sweaty feet usually need ongoing care rather than a one-off fix. Antiperspirants often have to be used long term to keep sweating down. Plan for that, and every so often check how well your routine is working.

Living with heavy sweating can wear you down. Heavy sweating often affects people's social life, wellbeing and emotional health. Anxiety and low mood are also common. Notice whether stress or low mood make your sweating worse, and mention this to a health professional.

If sweating is affecting your mood, work or social life, see your GP or another health professional. Support for anxiety or low mood can go alongside treatment for the sweating.

Preventing it

Wearing loose clothing is part of self-care for sweating. Try to avoid tight clothes and synthetic fabrics such as nylon. It isn't yet clear whether anything stops sweaty feet from coming back, so think of these habits as day-to-day self-care rather than a guaranteed way to prevent it.

When to see a podiatrist

When to book

Book an appointment with your podiatrist if:

you have athlete's foot, or cracked or soggy skin between your toes or on your heels

When to get help sooner

Call your local emergency number if:

you suddenly become short of breath, have chest pain or cough up blood

See your GP soon if:

you have lost weight without trying

Frequently asked questions

Should I stop my medicine if I think it is making me sweat?

No. Don't stop or change a prescribed medicine on your own because of sweating. Talk to the doctor who prescribed it, or to your GP. They can look at whether the medicine is the cause and what your options are.

How often do I use aluminium chloride antiperspirant, and what strength?

A common strength is 20 per cent aluminium chloride hexahydrate. Products of 10 to 25 per cent are also used. It is put on at night just before sleep, every 1 to 2 days as you tolerate it, until symptoms improve. Then use it as needed. Wash it off in the morning.