Sweating in the palm of the hand is a manifestation of significantly more sweating in the palm than in other parts of the body, which falls under the category of ‘sweating’ in Chinese medicine. Hand sweating is a common clinical symptom that not only causes a great deal of inconvenience and trouble in life, but also causes sweaty hands. Patients tell me that because their palms are frequently wet, they are uncomfortable to shake hands with others, affecting social interaction, and even the items they’ve held will be soaked with sweat, making them embarrassed. Sweat will also damage the skin of the palms, leading to palm peeling and, in severe cases, eczema.
The mechanism that causes sweaty hands
The hands and feet are the body’s extremities, and according to Chinese medicine, there are many different causes of sweaty hands. However, one of the more frequent causes is connected to the spleen and stomach since the spleen governs the body’s muscles and limbs.
Since the spleen governs our muscles and limbs, they serve as our bodies’ primary sources of nutrients for these body parts. When the spleen and stomach are functioning properly and the muscles and limbs are receiving enough nutrition, the muscles will be elastic and robust, and the limbs will be strong and powerful. In contrast, when the spleen and stomach do not operate properly, the muscles and limbs do not receive adequate nutrition, which is reflected in the form of muscle emaciation and weakness, as well as soft and weak limbs.
So how do sweating hands relate to the spleen’s role in governing the muscles and limbs?
In addition to transporting nutrients to various parts of the body, including muscles and limbs, the spleen and stomach have the function of transporting and transforming body fluids, that is, they are responsible for absorbing and transporting fluid in the body, as well as regulating and promoting body fluid metabolism. If the function of the spleen and stomach is impaired, the production, distribution, and excretion of fluid in the body is affected, leading in sweat expelling concentrating in the limbs and causing abnormal sweats in the hands and feet.
Causes of sweaty hands
1. Stomach cold and deficiency syndrome
Poor spleen and stomach function, along with a chilly diet and constant exposure to low temperatures, will impair the spleen and stomach leading to insufficient Yang Qi, and inability to consolidate bodily fluid, causing an outflow of the fluid that results in sweaty hands and feet.
Common symptoms include sweaty palms, poor appetite, and a dread of chilly temperatures.
2. Heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach
Eating too much hot and irritating food can induce heat accumulation in the body, causing internal damage and obstructing the spleen and stomach’s function to regulate the metabolism of bodily fluid, leading in fluid outflow, particularly in the limbs, resulting in sweaty hands and feet.
Common symptoms include sweaty hands, hot sensation in the palms, dry mouth, irritation, and dry stools.
3. Damp Heat in Stomach and Spleen
Irregular meals and the habit of eating greasy fried food impairs the function of the spleen and stomach to regulate and transport body fluid forming dampness. This dampness and heat in the body combine to form damp heat, forcing sweat to be discharged in the palm of the hand, resulting in sweaty hands.
Common symptoms include sweaty and sticky palms, bitter in the mouth, mouth dryness but no desire to drink water.
4. Deficiency of Heart and Kidney Yin
In general, after a long illness and physical weakness, excessive worry or upset caused by emotional disorders will consume blood (yin) in the heart, insufficient blood (yin) in the heart cannot nourish the kidneys and insufficient yin fluid in the body leads to deficient heat, causing the body fluid to leak out of the hands and feet, resulting in sweaty hands and feet.
Common symptoms include a feverish sensation and sweating in the palms and soles, waist and knee pain, irritability, and insomnia.
5. Disharmony of Ying and Wei Qi
Disharmony of Ying and Wei Qi is a manifestation of Yin and Yang disharmony in the body, with Wei Qi being the Yang qi that defends the body’s surface and Ying Qi being the Qi with nourishing properties that travels in the veins and is intimately associated to blood. Wei Qi is in charge of controlling the opening and closing of skin pores, whereas Ying blood is in charge of nourishing the limbs and internal organs. Wei Qi loses its ability to contain and consolidate fluid as Yang Qi weakens, and sweat pours forth on its own, forming sweaty hands.
Common symptoms include sweating and clammy palms, with sweat trickling down from palm, fatigue, and paleness.
Typical foods to eat to improve sweating hands
- Stomach cold and deficiency syndrome
Warm foods, such as ginger, cumin, cinnamon, are appropriate for patients with stomach cold and deficiency syndrome.
- Heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach
Patients with heat accumulation in the spleen and stomach should eat foods with heat clearing and spleen strengthening properties, such as bitter gourd, celery, bamboo shoots.
- Damp Heat in Stomach and Spleen
Patients with damp heat in the spleen and stomach must strengthen the spleen and remove dampness, so foods like tangerine peel (Chenpi), Chinese barley, and red adzuki beans are suitable for them.
- Deficiency of Heart and Kidney Yin
Patients with heart and kidney Yin deficit need to nourish their hearts and kidneys, and can usually take foods with nourishing properties such snow-white fungus, longan, and lotus seed.
- Disharmony of Ying and Wei Qi
Patients with Ying and Wei Qi disharmony should rectify the Yin-Yang imbalance by eating more Codonopsis ginseng, red dates, and bleating wheat, which nourish qi and strengthen the spleen.
此文章还有以下语言版本：
简体中文 (Chinese (Simplified))
