Hyperhidrosism

Hyperhidrosis has taken over my life and leaves me in constant anxiety of physical contact. But what is ‘hyperhidrosis’? Hyperhidrosis is a condition that causes people to sweat excessively in their hands, feet, face, chest, armpits and groin. The condition doesn’t always have a specific cause but is usually triggered by anxiety, certain medications, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), hyperthyroidism and infections.

Hyperhidrosis doesn’t have an on or off button, for me, it can start at any given time and can be fairly embarrassing if you’re not at home. I find it the most difficult when I go for a job interview, the day will always be going great too! That is until I go inside and see the big boss. This is when sweat begins to flood out as if God is doing Noah's Ark 2.0 (and let me tell you, that is NOT fun). ‘Big boss’ will come over as if on key and then the thunderclaps and clouds begin to go grey! The big boss brings up his hand for the dreaded handshake! I would like to take a moment to say that I am not overreacting, anxiety was giving me a thumbs-up. When the big boss put out his hand I start shaking and I always feel so impolite but I say ‘yep that’s me...But I can’t shake your hand...I have hyperhidrosis’ and at which point the big boss is like ‘what is that’ and I am mentally slamming my head against the wall. I proceed to inform them about my sweaty life to which I’m usually greeted with a friendly smile, which is great! But also very unprofessional on my behalf and often leads me to not getting the job. Sad man-hours.

If this sounds familiar then I have great news for you, there are ways to treat hyperhidrosis - it's always best to consult your GP and if you’re in the U.K. See if the treatments can be done on the NHS;

1.  Medication that reduces sweating
   
2. Iontophoresis. This is a treatment that sends a weak current of electricity through a wet pad to stop the sweating.
   
3. Botox injections for sweating under the armpits (this can not be done on the NHS).
   
4. Surgery (to remove sweat glands, though this can be dangerous as you will no be able to send signals to your brain that you’re being hurt!)
   

If you’re unsure on whether you have hyperhidrosis then you should definitely consult your GP because if you’re anything like me, you’re probably sweating while reading this article. If you'd like some advice on Hyperhidrosis then feel free to message us!


-Cody

​