“Doctor, my hands sweat like they have got their raincloud. Is there a cure?”
That’s how my Monday started.
The patient, a 21-year-old engineering student, looked perfectly fine—except he wouldn’t let go of the tissue paper crumpled in his palm. “If I shake hands,” he said, “people assume I am nervous. I am not. It’s just… sweaty palms. All the time.”
This was not the first time someone asked me about sweaty hands and feet, what we medically call palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis.
Now let’s talk honestly. Excessive sweating might sound like a cosmetic nuisance, but for many, it’s a social and psychological speed breaker. Job interviews, weddings, public speaking, even holding a partner’s hand—sweaty palms can ruin the moment.
In Ayurveda, we don’t just call it “sweating”; we recognise it as Sveda, a mala or metabolic waste derived from Meda dhatu (the fat tissue) and carried by Svedavaha srotasa, the body’s sweat channels. And when these channels get blocked, overexcited, or imbalanced—hello Atisveda (excessive sweating), goodbye peace of mind.
Let me explain this with one of my favourite analogies: Imagine your body is a city. Now, Sveda is the sewage. It needs to be produced in a balanced way and drained correctly. If the sweat ducts go into overdrive, it’s like the city’s drainage system getting flooded after just a drizzle. You’re left drenched and uncomfortable.
Why does this happen?
There are two culprits: Pitta dosha and Vyana vata. Think of Pitta as your internal thermostat and Vyana vata as the distribution network. When Pitta is aggravated—due to hot weather, spicy food, stress, or hormonal imbalance—it pushes Vyana to over-distribute heat, triggering excessive sweating. Ayurveda considers even emotions like anxiety, fear, or anger as vitiating factors.
Primary hyperhidrosis (the type with no known medical cause) is associated with overactive sympathetic nerves, particularly in the palms and soles. Stress makes it worse. Certain deficiencies—such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, or magnesium—can exacerbate it. So yes, low B12 levels may be a silent player, especially in vegetarians and stressed techies living off filter coffee and instant noodles.
One of my teenage patients once told me, “Doc, my hands sweat so much, my exam paper looks like I dropped it in water.” She wasn’t exaggerating. The ink smudged, the paper wrinkled—and the invigilator asked if she was crying. She wasn’t. Her palms wouldn’t stop sweating.
What do we do?
In Ayurveda, we look at it like this:
1. Balance Pitta – This involves using cooling therapies, both internal and external.
2. Unblock the Svedavaha srotas – similar to clearing city drains.
3. Calm the nervous system – Because emotional sweat is still sweat.
I often recommend Usheera Hima (a cold infusion made with vetiver roots)—a simple, elegant remedy with cooling, sweat-reducing properties. A clinical study showed significant improvement in palmo-plantar hyperhidrosis after 30 days of daily use.
Vetiver cools the system (Sheeta virya), balances Pitta, and has gentle sedative effects. It’s the Ayurvedic cousin of chamomile, but with roots that smell like summer rain on parched earth.
Then there’s Udvartana—a dry herbal powder rub that not only exfoliates but also reduces sweat, odour, and fat. One patient who regularly applied Lodhra, Nagakeshara, and Ushira powder mix said, “Doc, for the first time, I could wear sandals without slipping inside them.”
Internally, I use mild bitter herbs like Guduchi, Chandana, and Yashtimadhu to calm the fire. At times, I ask them to sip coriander seed decoction or fennel-infused water throughout the day.
For emotionally triggered sweating, calming the mind is critical. I’ve seen Brahmi, Ashwagandha, and Shankhpushpi work wonders—sometimes more than SSRIs. A short daily Pranayama session helps. An IT manager once told me, “My hands still sweat in meetings—but inside, I feel calm now.”
What about diet?
Avoid spicy foods, sour pickles, black tea, and excessive onion and garlic. Add cooling foods, such as coconut water, soaked almonds, mint, cucumber, and ghee. Salt intake needs moderation, especially that extra pinch on chaats. And caffeine? Well, think of it as petrol on the Pitta fire.
Some patients ask, “Can I cure this naturally?” Here’s my answer: You can manage it. With consistency and awareness, many reduce it by 70-80%. Some even forget they had it.
The most significant shift comes when they stop worrying about what others think of their sweat. After all, the body is just trying to regulate. It’s not betraying you—it’s broadcasting imbalance.
There was this teacher who once said, “I stopped carrying a hanky. I carry confidence now.”
That’s the goal.
In Ayurveda, healing is never just about drying the symptom. It’s about realigning the system—Doshas, diet, mind, emotions, and even the environment.
Sweat isn’t shame. It’s your body’s way of saying, “Listen.” Ayurveda helps you hear it.
