Smelly, sweaty feet can make you feel isolated and embarrassed in groups of people and even in your own home. Often the excessive sweat is caused by a condition called hyperhidrosis, which affects 1 percent of the population, according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. By understanding your condition and finding ways to manage your sweaty feet, you can feel more confident about the state of your soles.
Cause
The cause of chronic sweaty, smelly feet can be hyperhidrosis, a condition where the body overproduces sweat. Certain things can exacerbate the symptoms, including stress, non-breathable footwear and certain creams and lotions. Focal hyperhidrosis, which affects the feet, may have a genetic component as well, the Mayo Clinic notes. Hyperhidrosis can be treated via prescription drugs, therapy and even surgery if necessary.
Symptoms
The symptoms associated with focal hyperhidrosis include sweaty feet and smelly feet. You may also experience sweating in other areas of your body, like your hands or armpits. Hyperhidrosis symptoms are severe enough to interrupt the quality of your daily life, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons notes. The sweat may permeate your socks or cause social complications.
Testing
In order to diagnose your sweaty, smelly feet as hyperhidrosis, your doctor may perform certain tests. One test involves applying iodine to the feet. After the iodine is dry, starch is then sprinkled over the area. The starch turns the iodine blue where excess sweat is present, Medline Plus notes. Your doctor may acknowledge your problem with smelly, sweaty feet, yet avoid diagnosing your problem as hyperhidrosis until a clearer connection with social situations and other triggers is present.
Prevention
Knowing your trigger situations can help you avoid being the person in the room with the smelly feet. If certain social situations make you nervous, or you experience sweaty feet at a certain point in the day, you can learn to avoid or manage those situations. Sometimes, sweaty feet can be a symptom of cheap shoes or synthetic socks. Try switching to cotton socks and better, more-breathable shoes to see if they make a difference in the condition of your feet.
Treatment
If simple lifestyle and stress management tactics don't seem to affect your sweaty feet, visit your doctor to talk about treatment options. Prescription strength antiperspirant for the feet can help stop sweat, anticholinergic drugs can prevent the overstimulation of sweat glands and even Botox can help seal off excessively active sweat glands to help you find relief from your smelly, sweaty and embarrassing feet.
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