Excessive sweating of the palms and soles frequently leads to social embarrassment and is a cause of inquietude and annoyance in many. The hands and feet may literally drip with sweat and can be a source of disability at work, play, or studies. There may be considerable variation in daily patterns of sweating depending on such factors as stress and time of the day.
The disorder frequently begins in childhood or at puberty and has no known racial or sexual predilection. In some patients, the disease can be familial. The disease may persist indefinitely although there is a tendency for spontaneous improvement with age. The course, however, is unpredictable for an individual patient.
Hands and feet soddened with excessive sweat may predispose patients to contact dermatitis, pompholyx, pitted keratolysis, or dermatophytosis