VHI’s Dr Bernadette Carr: sweaty feet and croup

My husband’s feet have a tendency to sweat. In the last six months it seems to have got worse and I think it has worried him. Have you any suggestions?

This must be very distressing for your husband. Excessive sweating where you sweat more than normal is very common and tends to affect the palms of the hands, scalp, groin, armpits and soles of the feet. It may not happen all the time and the severity can vary. It affects both female and male equally, and up to two thirds of people with this condition have a family history.

Anxiety (even anxiety about sweating), spicy foods and heat can trigger excessive sweating but often there is no obvious trigger. As your husband has experienced an increase in sweating over the last six months I would advise him to make an appointment with his GP, who can examine him and rule out any underlying medical condition as the cause.