Please welcome Mike, age 54, from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada to the sweaty tribe. He is a brave soul with hyperhidrosis who has chosen to share his sweaty story on mylifeasapuddle.com. Going public about our sweaty secret can be scary, but using our sweaty voices is the bravest thing we will ever do.
Mike lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and has hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating)
On what areas of your body do you experience hyperhidrosis?
My armpits, hands, and feet (axillary, palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis)
How did you discover that your excessive sweating is a recognized medical condition?
l actually first heard the word hyperhidrosis from watching a commercial on TV for Carpe lotion. After all these years of not knowing, it had to be on a Carpe lotion commercial! Then I started an online search for that word and came across Maria’s blog all about hyperhidrosis.
How does your hyperhidrosis impair your daily life?
Well, my favorite season of the year is winter because I lose too much water in the summertime when it is hot and I am weak all the time. There are no social gatherings because I avoiding the meeting people part.
I don’t go to church anymore because of the constant shaking and holding hands. It was a nightmare when I was a kid and had to go to church.
RELATED: That time I dripped puddles onto the ground in my church’s small group
One thing I do notice is I go through socks faster than the average person because they are wet and get holes quicker.
Do you avoid certain things because of your sweating?
Yeah, I avoid any kind of social interaction like funerals, weddings, holiday get-togethers.
Do you find that hyperhidrosis affects your mental health? If so, in what ways and how do you cope?
It turns me into a loner type of person. I take antidepressants.
What treatments for hyperhidrosis – if any – have you tried?
Carpe lotion is the closest I have come to getting the sweating down.
RELATED: Sweaty? Try these treatment options for hyperhidrosis
Is anything working for you to help you cope with your hyperhidrosis?
Living with someone who knows about my condition helps a lot.
What’s the worst thing about your hyperhidrosis?
Not being more sociable.
What do you think is the biggest misconception when it comes to hyperhidrosis?
I think the biggest misconception is that people just plain and simple think that people who are sweaty are that way because they are nervous.
RELATED: We’re not sweating because we’re nervous, we’re nervous because we’re sweating
What would you like to see in the future when it comes to treatments for hyperhidrosis?
Something that will kill the sweat glands in certain areas.
If you could tell the world only one thing about hyperhidrosis, what would it be?
Hyperhidrosis can destroy parts of your life. More people should be aware of this.
Anything else you’d like to tell us about your sweaty story?
I know firsthand that most doctors I have seen are not educated enough on this disorder. For 40 years of my life growing up, I was always told I had an anxiety problem.
Do you have a sweaty story?
Do you have hyperhidrosis? If you’d like to be featured, please fill out the form on my Contact Me page. In the subject line, enter Guest Post. Not a writer? No worries! I can edit your story, send you questions to answer to create one, or you can record a video.
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