05 Nov 2020

The Holy book describes the body as a unit though it is made up of many parts.

This has proved to be undisputable fact as when one of these many parts is not well, it affects others.

It is therefore important not to  take anything happening to one’s body for granted presuming that it has happened to many other people. Often, one would hear people jokingly saying ‘o nkga dinao’.

But this could be a sign of serious illness called hyperhidrosis.  

A rib-cracking story that has done the rounds is that of a man who had been booked for causing public nuisance following an altercation with fellow bus passengers who had taken offence at the stink emanating from his shoes and socks that he had taken off. 

Upon refusing to put the malodorous items in his bag or throw them out, the enraged passengers, the bus driver and a conductor onboard a bus operating between Lobatse and Kanye route took him to the police station in Lobatse. 

Interestingly, the man also filed a complaint against fellow passengers, alleging that his socks did not stink and that they had quarreled with him for no reason. While this was a cause of misundertsanding between the passengers, none of them considered the fact that  this could have been an underlying illness this particular passenger was not aware of.

Hyperhidrosis appears to be more common among men than women, and more common in young adults than older adults.

A Public Health Medical Physician and former President of Botswana Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Network, Dr Orapeleng Phuswane-Katse told BOPA in an interview that people whose feet sweat excessively often also have problems with excessive sweating of the palms.

Dr Phuswane-Katse said hyperhidrosis seemed to be an inherited problem as no one knew why it occured and most people sweat during extreme temperatures or when they become warm.

She said the most common symptom of hyperhidrosis was feet that sweat excessively and in some instances some people sweat so much that their feet may slip around inside their shoes.

“The feet may also have a whitish, wet appearance; sometimes foot infections are present as well where constant wetness breaks down the skin, allowing infection to set in resulting in foot odor,” she said.

Dr Phuswane-Katse said those suffering from hyperhidrosis may also experience emotional stress and worry regarding foot odor and sometimes they undergo sweat related anxiety and isolation could be particularly severe among teens with sweaty feet which interferes with one’s daily life a condition called plantar hyperhidrosis.

Regarding diagnosis, she said most often excessive sweating of the feet is diagnosed based on one’s reporting of symptoms and a physical examination of the feet.

She said a podiatrist (foot and ankle surgeon) could also do a starch-iodine test to confirm the diagnosis, stating that first an iodine solution is applied to the bottom of the feet and after the solution has dried, cornstarch is sprinkled over the area, the treated area turns blue if excessive sweat is present.

On the treatment Dr Phuswane-Katse said treatment options are tailor made as per the symptoms of an individual, stating that over the counter or prescription roll-on antiperspirants may be applied directly to the feet and botox injections can temporarily control excessive sweating of the feet which lasts for about six to nine months.

She stated that severe of hyperhidrosis may be treated with a surgical procedure called sympathectomy which interrupts the nerve signals that tell the body to sweat excessively.

Dr Phuswane-Katse said the most effect way is to practice good foot hygiene such as washing feet daily with an antibacterial soap more specially between the toes and dry the feet thoroughly, then apply foot powder or an antifungal powder to the feet.

She said it is also a good idea to change socks during the day, advice victims to always keep an extra pair of socks at work or school to enable them to change mid-way through the day.

The physician advised that a technique called iontophoresis, which uses water to conduct a mild electrical current through the skin, has been found helpful for people with hyperhidrosis. ends