People who don’t have hyperhidrosis might not understand the daily challenges that come from living with an excessive sweating condition. So, let’s talk about a few.
Prefer to read this instead? Here’s the transcript from my video, and you can also read more about my trip to film this patient perspective video on hyperhidrosis.
Growing Up With Hyperhidrosis
The most bothersome part about hyperhidrosis growing up I would have to say would just be the way I felt inside. I always had this sweaty inner monologue that made me feel like I wasn’t good enough and that I had to hide who I was. It’s not my fault that I have excessive sweating, but it’s hard to hide because it’s a physical condition that physical manifests on my body. So things like the prom, I always worried about ruining my fancy satin dress. I remember before we would go out for a dance on the dance floor, I would literally clutch the tablecloth of the table where we were sitting right before I got up to go dance because I was so worried about ruining my dress.
Hyperhidrosis Triggers
I feel like my hyperhidrosis gets worse the older I get, and I think that’s partly because I’m placed into more triggering situations like job interviews, networking events. Public speaking or being up on stage for something that’s business related, I feel like it definitely gets worse because I’m also required to wear dress clothes, business attire, and that type of material isn’t always sweat friendly. I’m much more comfortable in jeans and a cotton shirt or a flannel shirt versus a polyester business suit or pantyhose or something like that.
There are lots of different things that trigger me to sweat more, things like networking, job interviews, public speaking. I try to use the trick in networking situations where I will hold a cocktail glass in my right hand that has ice in it.
When I meet someone, I will switch the glass from my right to my left hand so that they are tricked into thinking that my wet hand is from the glass and not because I have hyperhidrosis.
Another trigger for my sweaty hands happens when I’m writing. Isn’t it ironic that as a writer I have sweaty hands? I love hand writing letters despite how much my hands drip, and I love stationery and pens. One of my favorite types of paper to write on is actually waterproof and made from stone, which means the ink doesn’t smear and the edges of the paper don’t curl up. Sweaty high five! I really like the imSTONE Paper Journal Notebook for writing with sweaty hands.
Health Problems That Can Be Caused by Hyperhidrosis
I’ve experienced a few complications due to my hyperhidrosis. When I was in high school on the track team, I was obviously running and sweating a lot, and so I would develop athlete’s foot quite often which I usually treated with over-the-counter creams and powders. And then if people who have groin sweating, which I do sometimes, that can develop yeast infections as well.
Video footage is courtesy of Pharmacy Times Continuing Education (PTCE) and is from their continuing medical education activity titled “Examining Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating): A Managed Markets Update on New Treatments, Featuring a Patient Perspective” and was featured as a supplement in the December 2018 edition of the American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC).
Disclosure: The stone paper I mentioned above is sponsored by Wikibuy. All opinions remain my own.
