couple of questions

[pinkie]

Hey, I am new, I have HH in the palms and feet. I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me.

1)I read online somewhere that HH can worsen with age. I remember having mine at around 11 or 12, and it definitely has gotten worse (I am now 19). My question is, when the article says it generally gets worse with age, is this just referring to a change at puberty, or does it still continue to get worse? As bad as it is now, I am dreading being older, as I can only imagine in horror what it would be like for it to be worse than it is now.

2) I was looking for advice on dealing with HH when it comes to the opposite sex. What are your experiences with women, or men, and HH? How do you tell them? Any tips on telling them the news so they react the most positively? After telling them, assuming they take it okay, what is the physical part of the relationship like (not trying for anything graphic here, just like out in public)? Do you just never touch eachother, is she okay with you touching her, or do you keep a towel nearby to wipe your hands on, or have some other way of managing physical contact?

Since it wouldn't be fair not to ask for your advice without giving mine, I have to say that in my experience, if you treat it like a big deal, she will too. The best way is actually just to wait for her to mention it so you can tell her,"yeah, my hands are always kind of cold and sweaty. I can't figure it out" and then move on. Doesn't always work but better then making too big a deal out of it. There were a couple of times when I told them, and made a deal out of it. The first girl just told me it wasnt that big of a deal, and the second one seemed like she was trying to be nice, but the relationship didnt go anywhere after that. I also avoid touching when my hands are really just freezing and drenched, and usually try to touch them on clothing.

3)When shaking hands, or anyother kind of physical contact, and someone makes a comment, do you have any funny phrases to take the heat off? For example, the other day I was playing some football(soccer), and this guy was sweating like crazy. Someone said something, in good fun, but this guy just said "you're just jealous you don't have your own personalized cooling system". I loved that, and I might want to try it out, if it fits with having sweaty hands in the situation.

4)Do you find that your hyperhidrosis seems to follow a daily clock? Mine seems to always be fine in the morning until around 8 when it kicks in hard, gets better around noon, and I won't bore you with the rest of the schedule as you get the idea. This might be a product of a routine, and I am just usually in the same places at around the same time, but does anyone else have this?

5)For feet and hands, does everyone have cold hands and feet, or do some people just have sweating? I find that the temperature of my hands is more related to how nervous I am feeling, etc... The sweating can worsen when I am nervous, but the cold definitely gets a lot worse when I am nervous.

This opens up a few more questions about cold hands/feet. For those that treat HH, does your treatment affect both the cold and the sweat, or just one? Which do you find more annoying, or more stifling?

I actually have more questions, if you can believe that, but I am asking a tall order already. Thanks for reading if you did, and answering if you do, and I apologize for being a newbie who wrote a super long post, and for possibly repeating questions others already asked.

 

[surfsider]

Hey man welcome, i have hh of the hands and feet and im almost 22. Like you it has gotten worse since i noticed it out of high school. For me my feet are worse than my hands thankfully my feet will get cold and sweaty but my hands don't usually get cold and sweaty just sweaty mainly on the fingers. I think we fall in to a trap of negative thinking that makes it worse Also my hh is fine too early in the day then gets a lil worse and improves a lil a night and its never a constant thing although im always thinking about it in the back of my mind.

I would say my condition is moderate my hands can be perfectly dry for a large part of the day but nerves and the weather play a contributing factor. Whenever i hold on to objects for awhile i get this anxiety that my palms are sweatying or starting to which in turn makes it worse. I recommend something called Hydrosal gel for the hands. I've rubbed this into my hands for the past 2 years at night time and its helped a lot. I also just ordered a iontophoresis device which hasn't showed up yet but I hope works or helps.

I've spent countless hours researching this condition and its treatments and it seems that iontophoresis is the best for hands and feet although i have yet to try it. I think HH is genetic somewhat because my younger sister has it but not as bad or she doesn't think about it as much or let it effect her cus she's still young at 14. But neither one of my parents or grandparents have it so its strange. I think that this condition should stabalize in the 20's that's according to doctors i've asked. Also i've read that it improves for many people in their 30's and later on. Just think if we were out in the wilderness isolated from people do you think we'd care or even worry about sweating? So this is obviously something aggrevated by social pressures.

ETS surgery doesn't seem to be the answer and it only cures sweaty feet 50% of the time or less and i've even heard that for some its made it worse plus other compensatory sweating elswhere in the body. our main focus should be to control this and find what triggers our anxieties/ sweating not to cure it exactly because sweating is something we all do and need to do. I hope this helps.

 

[Luna222]

When it comes to the opposite sex, I don't see any need to tell them. I have been with my boyfriend for 3 and a half years and he doesn't know about my HH. He's noticed that I get sweaty more than him, but I just laughed it off and said I was just a sweaty betty. So I think you're right, it's best not to make a big deal of it. I can see how telling someone you have this horrible sweating condition would be a bit weird for them, but if you act like it's nothing they'll think of it that way too.

 

[JP81]

When it comes to the opposite sex, I don't see any need to tell them. I have been with my boyfriend for 3 and a half years and he doesn't know about my HH. He's noticed that I get sweaty more than him, but I just laughed it off and said I was just a sweaty betty. So I think you're right, it's best not to make a big deal of it. I can see how telling someone you have this horrible sweating condition would be a bit weird for them, but if you act like it's nothing they'll think of it that way too.

You don't really have a choice but to tell them if you start getting HH treatment products in the post though.

 

[k98_man]

Alright Pinkie, I'm only a year younger, so I'm sort of in the same boat. Let me try to help you out the best I can (which isn't very much). In fact your post was rather enlightening for me as well. :wink:

I have HH in the palms, feet and axillary so I'm not only restricted to touch, but also what I wear.

For 1) I'd say it worsens with age to a point from what I've heard. Teenage years are among the worst, but it can sort of level out after that I think. It depends on your job though. If you have a highly social contact job or stressfull one, you may not get the same results.

Well for telling the opposite sex I just let it come up in conversation. I've never dated (but I've never really tried) from the combo of the fact that I have HH, plus I am really not interested in 80-90% of the girls at my school (rich, preppy, cheerleader types dominate the ranks here...). I do remember once talking with a girl who was very thrilled with my piano playing ability and wanted me to play for her next time I visited. I mentioned, yeah I would love to, but my hands are often sweaty. She mentioned she understood and that happens a lot when people are nervous, even her. I told her, it's not just because of anxiety, I have this disease, and told her about it. She replied simply "I think a lot of people have that. It's nothing you can help, so it can't be helped!" She was very understanding.

I don't really have any funny phrases, but my friends have plenty for me. They're all fine with it and know about it so we give backwards highfives and stuff on the football (soccer) field. Sometimes they call me "lube-au-naturale" for reasons I'm sure you can guess :lol: :wink:

I think mine follows somewhat of a daily block, but mainly because we have routine. For example, I get up and go to school etc. etc. which makes me sweat.

I agree with the cold hands thing. Sometimes mine aren't cold, but I think they're only cold because sweating IS a cooling mechanism. For people like us, whose body doesn't know when to stop this mechanism, the sweat cools down our hands beyond normal level.

Hope it helps and good luck

Hey, I am new, I have HH in the palms and feet. I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me.

1)I read online somewhere that HH can worsen with age. I remember having mine at around 11 or 12, and it definitely has gotten worse (I am now 19). My question is, when the article says it generally gets worse with age, is this just referring to a change at puberty, or does it still continue to get worse? As bad as it is now, I am dreading being older, as I can only imagine in horror what it would be like for it to be worse than it is now.

2) I was looking for advice on dealing with HH when it comes to the opposite sex. What are your experiences with women, or men, and HH? How do you tell them? Any tips on telling them the news so they react the most positively? After telling them, assuming they take it okay, what is the physical part of the relationship like (not trying for anything graphic here, just like out in public)? Do you just never touch eachother, is she okay with you touching her, or do you keep a towel nearby to wipe your hands on, or have some other way of managing physical contact?

Since it wouldn't be fair not to ask for your advice without giving mine, I have to say that in my experience, if you treat it like a big deal, she will too. The best way is actually just to wait for her to mention it so you can tell her,"yeah, my hands are always kind of cold and sweaty. I can't figure it out" and then move on. Doesn't always work but better then making too big a deal out of it. There were a couple of times when I told them, and made a deal out of it. The first girl just told me it wasnt that big of a deal, and the second one seemed like she was trying to be nice, but the relationship didnt go anywhere after that. I also avoid touching when my hands are really just freezing and drenched, and usually try to touch them on clothing.

3)When shaking hands, or anyother kind of physical contact, and someone makes a comment, do you have any funny phrases to take the heat off? For example, the other day I was playing some football(soccer), and this guy was sweating like crazy. Someone said something, in good fun, but this guy just said "you're just jealous you don't have your own personalized cooling system". I loved that, and I might want to try it out, if it fits with having sweaty hands in the situation.

4)Do you find that your hyperhidrosis seems to follow a daily clock? Mine seems to always be fine in the morning until around 8 when it kicks in hard, gets better around noon, and I won't bore you with the rest of the schedule as you get the idea. This might be a product of a routine, and I am just usually in the same places at around the same time, but does anyone else have this?

5)For feet and hands, does everyone have cold hands and feet, or do some people just have sweating? I find that the temperature of my hands is more related to how nervous I am feeling, etc... The sweating can worsen when I am nervous, but the cold definitely gets a lot worse when I am nervous.

This opens up a few more questions about cold hands/feet. For those that treat HH, does your treatment affect both the cold and the sweat, or just one? Which do you find more annoying, or more stifling?

I actually have more questions, if you can believe that, but I am asking a tall order already. Thanks for reading if you did, and answering if you do, and I apologize for being a newbie who wrote a super long post, and for possibly repeating questions others already asked.