Archive for hands sweat
‘Tis the Season For Social Anxiety Fa la la la…
Posted by: · on November 30, 2010 | CommentsWell, it is official now that Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and the newer kid on the block Cyber Monday have all passed… Holiday Season 2010 is Here. Yay.
Bring on the Holiday parties, frenetic shopping, office parties (I hear they are making quite the Comeback this year). Not to be a Scrooge, but for many of us with hyperhidrosis, ‘Tis the Season to dread.
Parties, for other people, are opportunities for fun and something to be anticipated. Parties for us are something we pretend to get excited about. We fake a smile with our arms glued to our sides. Cold drink complete with sweating ice cubes clutched in right hand, thankyouverymuch. Cursing inwardly the stupid STUPID decision to wear red satin…
Sound familiar?
OK, well if you’re a guy, I do hope the red satin part is not a memory for you… not that there’s anything wrong with that (Jerry Seinfeld reference 
)… My point, and I do have one– wait, do I? Oh yes, the point is… I get it. Have lived it, too many times to want to count. And I would like to give you a little pep talk and a couple of pointers.
Please don’t feel like a freak standing there feeling all awkward at a holiday party. Put the stupid-ass sweating in its stupid-ass place and have fun anyways. Don’t give hyperhidrosis the power to ruin your evening.
Look around the room and if misery loves company, consider that statistically, you are probably not the only person present with hyperhidrosis. Three people in a hundred– and that number is conservative (IMO). You could even play a little game with yourself. Such as, Guess the Sweater (and I don’t mean knitwear).
Dress appropriately– wear the appropriate foundation wear. Guys, undershirts are made that will conceal the sweat and keep you comfortable! Check out my article on Men’s Undershirts. Ladies, there are dozens of options for you. So many, in fact, that my article on Women’s Undergarments is too long for my liking– but I wanted to show you just how many options you have. You can really wear any neckline, sleeve, or color. The feeling of confidence just knowing you are wearing something that will manage the sweat will actually make you sweat LESS. Unless it’s like 95 degrees in the room or something. In which case everyone else will be sweating, so who cares? See? Misery does love company.
If you find yourself sweating, say so. Yes, that’s right. Say. So. Casually. It totally takes the edge off and you get a little sympathy, to boot. I swear. The key is to be really casual about it. When you put it out there, you feel better, and often it will make the sweat production slow down.
So have fun, kiss someone under a bunch of dead leaves, clutch your sweating drink in your sweating hand, and thumb your nose at hyperhidrosis.
Hyperhidrosis and Heredity: Does My Child Have It?
Posted by: · on November 22, 2010 | Comments
You may be aware that hyperhidrosis is hereditary. Or you may be like I was and be blissfully ignorant of this sobering fact. By the time I learned of the possibility that my children could inherit my hyperhidrosis, my family was complete. Believe me, more than complete– we have five kids!
I have received messages from a number of people (mostly women) who are really struggling with their fear of passing hyperhidrosis on to their children– existing, future, and in utero. A few people questioned whether they should have kids at all because they would not want their kids to suffer as they did. One expectant mother told me she lay sleepless in bed many nights after learning her child was a girl and being convinced that a girl would have a harder time living with hyperhidrosis, should she be afflicted with it.
What could I say to these worried parents and would-be parents?
I felt for them, of course I did. Strangely, I did not share their fears. My oldest children clearly did not have it; two of them are teens and still showing no signs of HH. I did not give it much thought; perhaps this is because no one else in my family had it when I was growing up and suffering in isolation and shame. It isn’t as if hyperhidrosis runs rampant in my family.
So, my response to these anxious folks was sincere and sympathetic, running along the lines of… “Your child, if she has hyperhidrosis, will have something going for her that you did not have: a mother who understands and will advocate for her…” and “…Educate yourself on every possible treatment and find a good doctor who understands how to treat hyperhidrosis…” You know, the best advice I could think to give. From my ivory tower.
Until Movie Night.
Cuddled on the couch, watching Alice In Wonderland with my girls… My husband was away with our three sons. I don’t know about your sweat patterns, but to me, a hallmark of hyperhidrosis is sweating during an exciting movie. It must be the whole adrenaline, fight-or-flight response mechanism. I touched a bare foot during a chase scene. It was slick. Checked hands: wet. Hyperhidrosis.
Suddenly, all my well-meaning advice-from-on-high meant nothing. I cried my eyes out and felt like a hypocrite. The irrational and overwhelming guilt made the tears fall faster. She will have to live with this because of ME. I GAVE THIS TO HER. The fact that it was simply genetics and thus out of my control and not actually my fault meant absolutely nothing to me.
After awhile, I began to think back on all the little signs I had willfully ignored: the clammy hands a few random times, the moist socks… I had told myself, “Kids tend to be sweaty…” And this is true. I do think sweaty hands and feet in young children can be normal and not a sure sign of hyperhidrosis. I may well be mistaken about my daughter. I would love to be wrong, of course.
Since that night a few months have passed and I have watched for more episodes. There have been a few. Happily, a few times I expected to feel sweat, there was none. I even have admitted to myself that another one of my children can have clammy hands once in awhile, and I am trying to accept the possibility that he may have it too.
Since the initial shock, I have gained a sense of perspective. I have reminded myself of the advice I offered to others, and have tried to be OK with it. I have attempted to quiet the guilt. My head knows it is not my fault. My heart wants to blame someone, and it may as well be me.
Someday, if my children are diagnosed with hyperhidrosis, they may be angry with being dealt a sweaty hand. They may want to blame someone: me. I must anticipate this and understand. Before I find myself in this position, I must forgive myself, accept it, and get ready to be their best weapon.
And The Truth Shall Set You Free
Posted by: · on October 26, 2010 | CommentsThis is my first blog post in awhile; my computer’s hard drive sadly died! I felt as though I had lost a limb while waiting to get back online. While I was in Offline Land, I had an incredible experience that I would like to share with you. I rarely talk about my life unless it involves my hyperhidrosis, so let me explain a bit of background pertaining to the circumstances of this experience…
I am a practicing Catholic and so grateful to have my faith. My faith journey has been profoundly influenced this past year by a women’s retreat I participated in last November. Wanting, well, needing to continue the journey after that incredible weekend, I joined the team that would host this year’s retreat. I was blessed to bond with a team of amazing women over this past year and was inspired to contribute to the retreat experience by way of “giving a Witness”. Giving a Witness means that I would be sharing my life experiences and struggles, describing how my faith has defined those experiences and how that faith has helped me through times of trouble.
Throughout these many months I have struggled with whether or not I would have the courage to face a room of 40 or so women, many of them strangers or (worse!) acquaintances, and be open and honest about having hyperhidrosis. I agonized whether it would be relevant, too uncomfortable, too personal… too hard. Finally, I gave it over to God. Duh, I should have done that to begin with, right??
So… Sunday morning, I stood at a podium and spoke of my life. There were other difficulties to describe that were also of a personal nature and very emotional, but the moment when I said, “All my life, I have had a problem with sweating…” the feelings that came over me were nearly indescribable.
I explained that I felt like an outsider all my life, that I was convinced until recently that God could not possibly love me if He had made me this way; that there were 178 million other people in the world who were afflicted with this just like me. I described the shame that ran so deep as to be nearly impossible to erase.
And I looked around that room, and what did I see in the eyes of those women reflected back at me? Tears for my pain, empathy, love, and acceptance.
Two of those women approached me and confessed they have it, too, and asked me if I could help them. Many others embraced me with words of support and admiration.
What was I so scared of? I write about hyperhidrosis every day. It is not so very difficult to be open on the faceless, anonymous world of the Internet. I have gotten used to the general indifference and/or ignorance of hyperhidrosis online. Being public about hyperhidrosis in the flesh and blood real world posed a completely different challenge for me.
The closing Mass was held in a room where we all sat together. By the closing song, we were all standing, swaying, belting out “How Great Thou Art” along with Carrie Underwood… holding hands. Well, I wasn’t. I was laughing, fully in the moment filled with joy, with my arm around the shoulders of one sister and the grip of another’s lovingly on my wrist. And it was awesome.
I waited my whole life for a moment like that. And it did not disappoint.
Hyperhidrosis Memories: First Reader Shares a Memory
Posted by: · on September 28, 2010 | CommentsEarlier today I invited you readers to share your memories of hyperhidrosis…
Rising to that challenge is my friend Melissa, who shares a very poignant memory, which she calls…
Type Cast
.
Anyone want to go next???I do, I do!Although it’s not my earliest memory, it’s definitely one that stands out in my mind.
Fifth grade.
Typing class.
I remember the cardboard cases slid over our hands to assist with developing proper typing strokes without relying on looking at the keyboard.
While most kids were fixated on peeking, I was relieved I had something to mask the beads of sweat accumulating into puddles on each and every key.
I was too shy to carry a towel to wipe it down before the next class came in.
“Ewww, Melissa the keyboard is all wet!”
The look of horror on their faces.
One little boy in particular was always pointing it out – the beauty of assigned seating.
Seven years later he apologized in writing when he signed my senior yearbook.
— Melissa Stromblad
An Open Letter About Hyperhidrosis in Children
Posted by: · on August 25, 2010 | CommentsEarlier this month, I came across an article published in a medical journal that addressed the issue of anxiety in children, advising what pediatricians should be looking for. While the article was written for the medical community and not “lay” persons such as myself, I naturally felt the need to add my two cents.
Having been a child who suffered in isolation, I felt I had a different perspective to offer. You can read the article here and you will see that the author (who is, from what I understand, a top professional in her specialty) goes into great detail about using screening tests and other tools to determine whether a child suffers from anxiety disorder, panic attacks, or even OCD. I firmly believe an “anxious” child should be screened for hyperhidrosis, as well. Here is an excerpt of what I wrote:
“….I am writing to you because I wanted to share another perspective on anxiety in children and adolescents.
I am a stay at home mother of five children who range in ages 5-15. I also have started a website recently about primary hyperhidrosis. I hope it is not presumptuous of me, but I wanted to let you know that I suspect that at least some children– particularly adolescents– who present as anxious may actually be anxious due to hyperhidrosis. As I’m sure you already know, hyperhidrosis often appears during puberty, which is most certainly a bewildering, upsetting, and embarrassing experience.
I write about hyperhidrosis because I have had it since early childhood. I grew up with the slow realization that I was different from everyone else I knew. As I grew older, the subliminal message that sweating is shameful and disgusting (thank you, advertising campaigns of the 1970′s) became ingrained in me and I regarded myself in that light. By the time I was 13, I was anxious and desperate to make it stop. I was also too utterly ashamed to tell a soul about it. It never occurred to me that I had a disorder; I was simply convinced that I was a freak and as such, utterly worthless. This, despite the fact that I was the adored youngest child of a large, close-knit family.
One night, after sweating uncontrollably throughout Urban Cowboy (who does that during a movie??), I had had enough and was caught by my older sister rifling through medicine cabinets, determined to commit suicide. I tried to explain why I was so distraught; I finally spoke of my shame and the source of it. They (my parents and adult older siblings) brushed it aside. They determined, despite my protests, that I was suicidal due to some other family dynamics which had indeed created a tense atmosphere in our home. Of course that was a factor in my anxiety, I do know and acknowledge that. But I also know that I was an adolescent with nowhere to turn, dealing with an issue that was bigger than me. I never spoke of my sweating again until I was in my early 30′s and heard the word “hyperhidrosis” quite by accident.
I am telling you this because I know that my experience is not unique. I also know that for reasons I cannot understand, the fields of psychiatry/psychology seem to be rather oblivious to the severe damage hyperhidrosis wreaks on the self-esteem of people who are like me. Perhaps the reason is that “we” are so ashamed that we suffer in isolation and fail to explain the source and depth of our pain. It is not “just sweating”. It is the pain of being different, of not being in control, the fear of discovery through the senses of touch, sight, and smell. It is every day.
People who don’t suffer from this really, truly, don’t “get it”. Sadly, many therapists could ease this pain and are utterly uninformed and thereby make it worse. I had a wonderful therapist (an LCSW) whom I admire in every other respect, but who told me that it was all in my head; that I could completely control it with meditation and therapy. I now know how wrong he was, and I wasted a lot of time and energy on something that was not helpful.
How many pediatricians are missing this diagnosis? Hyperhidrosis has no definitive cure, but a referral to a dermatologist for medical treatment and a referral to an informed psychologist could make a world of difference to a child who is drowning in shame.
I have carved out a wonderful life, but I wonder what my life would have been like if I had not been convinced I was a freak for 33 years of it….”
I should have added that my family did try to help me through that rough period by sending me to a psychologist. If that psychologist knew that what I had was a medical disorder and had diagnosed me with hyperhidrosis, it would have saved me from a great deal of pain and self-loathing. Sad to say, I believe very little has changed since the early ’80′s in that regard. The same oversights are likely still occurring all over the world.
Recipe for a Good Old-Fashioned HH Episode, Post-ETS
Posted by: · on July 11, 2010 | CommentsIf you ever thought that undergoing ETS would end the good ol’ fight-or-fight emotional sweating episode, read on, my friend. As I have said in a few messages here and there, but need to say Loud and Clear right here on the blog, please do not assume that having ETS will cure you from Hyperhidrosis. Sure, there may be some lucky individuals who have had sympathectomies that have mild compensatory sweating, dry feet and dry hands, but I believe that they are in the (lucky) minority. Compensatory Sweating still occurs for most of us, and its patterns and frequency are all over the board, from what I can guess. For me, it hasn’t been bad, but I am still vulnerable to the occasional nasty, unforeseen attack.
Today, I got zapped. Here’s the recipe for my…
Old Fashioned Sweating Episode
- 1 linen top likely to show moisture
- 1 pair olive khaki pants guaranteed to show sweat
- ADD 2 cups of Extra Virgin Idiocy in assuming this would be a safe choice for Church in the middle of July
- WHISK together, with a Dash of Arrogance that I no longer Need to Worry About These Things
- FOLD into mix:
- 1 missing 9 year old child whom husband, responsible for bringing the Rest of the Children to Mass while you drop off youngest child to birthday party, mistakenly leaves alone at home
- 1 heaping Tablespoon of Angst that said child is Hysterical at Home, Alone (while Freaked Out Husband leaves to fetch her)
- 1 well-meaning Usher at Church that asks you to Bring Up the Gifts!!!
- 6 cups Severe Anxiety that the Entire Congregation will have an Unobstructed View of Damp…ahem…Pants as you walk up the aisle bringing up gifts
- ADD to this,
- 2 more people, aforementioned husband and child (amused by events rather than hysterical), crowding into the pew accompanied by waves of Body Heat
- MARINATE in mounting Panic and typical Fight-or-Flight Trapped Feeling whilst sweat pops out literally Everywhere, including HANDS that are NOT supposed to SWEAT anymore…
- COOK for approximately 40 minutes in Warm and Humid Church
……and Voilà! You have one fully formed, rich, decadent Post-ETS, Put-You-Right-Back-in-Your-Place Sweating Episode!
Oh, and in case you were wondering…..Yes. I did bring up the Gifts, all the while holding up an imaginary Middle Finger at my Hyperhidrosis (yes, Imaginary, it was Church!). And, no, the moisture was not showing as I had (silently) convinced myself it would during that 1/2 hour I was supposed to be worshiping.
FYI, on a serious note: ETS disconnects the nerve(s) that make you sweat in your hands (and underarms and head, depending on the specific surgery)— depending on the technique, whether they are cut, removed, clamped, or merely snipped (as mine were), the surgery does not re-set your overactive Sympathetic Nervous System. Your sweating may end up being more under control, as mine is, because the absence of hand sweat (or blushing) lowers the anxiety and the triggers that normally cause an episode are no longer usually there. But Science has not come up with anything that cures the basic malfunction that is responsible for Primary Hyperhidrosis: an abnormally overactive Sympathetic Nervous System.
In short, our thermostats are broken! Every “cure” that we try out, every treatment, really just ranges from Band-Aids to duct tape. Sometimes these things don’t work; often they do, but with the occasional glitch. …or zap…!
“A Patient’s Journey”: A First-Hand Look at Early Childhood Onset Hyperhidrosis and Iontophoresis
Posted by: · on June 29, 2010 | CommentsMany of you will find pieces of this story to be sadly familiar. Those of us who have Hyperhidrosis can relate similar heartbreaking childhood experiences. Laura’s journey and her description of her treatment of choice, Iontophoresis, allow us to see how this oft-ignored treatment really can make a difference for some.
Please note that the practice of using oral meds in the Iontophoresis solution is not a common one either in the United States or in England, which is where Laura lives.
This paper was sent to me by Hyperhidrosis UK (http://www.HyperhidrosisUK.org), and I am posting it here with their written permission. This paper was previously published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Practice
A Patient’s Journey
Hyperhidrosis
By: Julie Halford, specialist nurse , adviser 1,2, Laura Hunt, patient3, George Millington, consultant dermatologist 4
At age 5 this patient was offered limited and unpleasant treatments for her hyperhidrosis. Now an adult, she describes how iontophoresis has greatly reduced the symptoms of her conditions.
Hyperhidrosis and its management have been a huge part of my life since I was 5 years old. As I nervously awaited being reprimanded for doing something typically naughty, I noticed the sweat on my hands. More than being clammy, they ran with sweat, and as I cupped them the sweat rested in pools in my palms. I remember feeling embarrassed, frightened, and fascinated by the sight. Ever since, my life has consisted of finding increasingly cunning ways of trying to hide my embarrassing secret.
Getting through the childhood and teenage years
In a world where many debilitating and life threatening conditions exist, it may seem ridiculous to consider hyperhidrosis as a condition that can affect self esteem and an individual’s social development and identity. But it can and does, and it has certainly had a huge impact on my life. As a tactile, friendly, confident person, I had to change all my natural inclinations to disguise my hyperhidrosis for fear of discovery and the inevitable reactions of disgust and ridicule. Simple childish games and other day to day tasks required careful “coping” methods—for example, sports; turning brass door knobs (which were the only kind in my primary school); writing essays in summer; gesticulating when talking (which I do very naturally); wearing sandals; going barefoot; and shaking hands. In short, things that most people do without a thought all routinely caused me great anxiety, and I developed elaborate stories to excuse myself as there was often no way of participating and disguising my condition. If you have ever experienced revulsion as someone touches your hand or notices how damp they are, you can begin to understand how mortifying it can be when it occurs.
As a teenager, when we all want to fit in and we develop our sense of self, my body image and self esteem were damaged by my loathing of my condition and therefore of my own body. My love of dance had to be sidelined; I couldn’t take part in classes barefoot as I would slide all over the floor and leave puddles. I carried on with my singing and acting but cultivated ways to hide my hands when on stage and be apologetic to fellow actors I had to touch. Relationships were very difficult. I couldn’t hold hands, couldn’t be as tactile as I naturally am, and was frightened to become close to someone for fear they would find me revolting.
How iontophoresis has changed my life
My family has always been very supportive and reassuring; my father, having had the condition as a child, grew out of it in adulthood. They encouraged me to see our general practitioner, who was mildly sympathetic and prescribed Anhydrol Forte and other aluminium chloride products to apply topically overnight. These were helpful and did bring me some normality and relief, but they were very unpleasant to use and by no means wholly effective. When I moved to London at 22 to study at university, I thought I would make one final attempt to seek medical help and saw my new general practitioner. He was extremely helpful and suggested a referral to the Dowling Day Centre at Guy’s and St Thomas’s Hospital for iontophoresis.
The only previous option that I had found during my internet research was sympathectomy surgery, which seemed rather horrific. Iontophoresis entails the patient’s hands or feet being placed on a metal plate and gauze in two trays containing glycopyrronium bromide solution and water, or just water if preferred. The plates are connected to a machine generating varying degrees of electrical current, which is passed through the plates, effectively facilitating a circuit through the body (for example, left hand to right hand). This process is then repeated with the current flowing in the opposite direction.
Tap water does not work for me, so I need the glycopyrronium bromide solution; but I understand that tap water works for about 85% of people who use iontophoresis, and that this is the normal practice throughout the UK in many dermatology departments. If people do not get a complete cessation of sweating with tap water alone, then they are switched over to the solution.
The treatment feels different depending on the sensitivity of the individual. I am very sensitive to the electric current and the solution, and I experience most of the known side effects, such as extremely dry and sore mouth and throat and dizziness, usually up to 24 hours after treatment. I also use Vaseline on my wrists and cuticles to prevent burning. The sensation is like placing your hands on an electric fence. It is often uncomfortable and sometimes painful, although I am particularly sensitive. It is not known precisely how iontophoresis works, but it seems to be extremely effective in blocking the sweating temporarily.
Although the glycopyrronium bromide solution provides total relief in localised areas as well as the entire body, it also prevents serious physical activity for 24 hours after a treatment as it blocks the body’s ability to control temperature fully. Iontophoresis gives me relief from hyperhidrosis for about five days, with a steady decline in effects thereafter. I usually have my treatment once a week to maintain the effects.
Through the guidance, warmth, and support of the dermatology nurses, iontophoresis changed my life. It gave me, for the first time ever, total temporary relief from my hyperhidrosis. In short, I felt normal, as though a black cloud had been lifted. For the first time, I could wear sandals, enjoy a summer’s day, hold hands, touch someone on the arm, sit with my hands in my lap, enjoy formal occasions, and shake people’s hands without dread. These examples may all sound inconsequential, but they revolutionised my life.
Professionally, the improvement in my confidence for auditions and performances as a singer and actress has been immeasurable. It has been difficult, given my sensitivity and the side effects, to plan my time around my iontophoresis and arrange treatment times around concerts, rehearsals, and anything involving physical activity. However, the treatment has such positive benefits, both to my life and to my self esteem, that it makes any difficulties worth the inconvenience. Thanks to it and to the support of groups such as Hyperhidrosis UK, I can begin to see my hyperhidrosis as a condition I manage, not as a condition that manages me.
The clinician’s perspective: Click to read
1 The Hampshire Clinic, Old Basing RG24 7AL , 2 Hyperhidrosis Support Group UK, 3 London, 4 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich NR4 7UY
Originally published: Published 7 April 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1166
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1166
A Review of Klima Surefoot Spray and Kiehl’s Anti-Perspirant Cream
Posted by: · on June 25, 2010 | CommentsTwo products I have been testing are Klima Surefoot Spray 
Klima Surefoot Spray 
Your are advised in the directions to rub it into your toes and everywhere to ensure coverage– the bonus to doing that is that now it’s on your hands too! Double duty, though I’m sure the manufacturer would argue that you should be using the Hand Spray. I have felt no adverse side effects. I do feel as though this product has controlled several episodes during some hot days, although I have had some sweat break through while wearing it.
Do either of these antiperspirants completely eliminate sweating episodes? NO. I’m no expert on sweat patterns, but I have noticed that there seem to be three types of sweating episodes: heat-triggered, emotional, and no-reason-whatsoever. Emotionally triggered episodes as well as those episodes brought on by overheating tend to be more forceful– on my body– and sometimes the sweat can muscle right through the superficial blockages the antiperspirants provide. I’ve got Kiehl’s on right now and as I was picking up my daughter from camp, it was pretty stuffy in the school lobby and my feet did start up. However, once I got into air conditioning, it stopped and it hasn’t come back– I can feel that I do have some protection. This is pretty hard to describe! I have come to believe that especially in the summertime, some protection makes me feel better than having nothing on at all… uh, you know what I mean
You know when you are relaxed, minding your own business, and you start to sweat for no reason? (If you really have hyperhidrosis, your answer is YES) I believe that products like this– “Topical Treatments” as I call them on my site– these products can really help prevent those particular sweating episodes. This type of sweating episode usually does not produce as much sweat– for ME– so having on a topical treatment such as Kiehl’s, Klima Surefoot Spray 
Look: these products are not a cure for Hyperhidrosis, at least for most of us. I don’t really believe there is any one thing that makes Hyperhidrosis go away– not even ETS. The best most of us can do is to try different things, usually in combinations, to manage it. Once you have the mindset that you are controlling Hyperhidrosis and Hyperhidrosis is not controlling you, life looks a whole lot better. Even in the hot, sweaty days of Summer!
