Is Hyperhidrosis taken seriously?

[8888]

Hyperhidrosis= Excessive sweating

I feel that it is not seen as a problem by most Doctors, The Doctors I have seen either say there are people with worse conditions(yes there are but HH whilst not physically painful can be mentally and emotionally devastating) or the Hyperhidrosis sufferers favourite "Everyone sweats"

That is what one Doctor said to me that "everyone sweats" and I happen to just sweat more, whilst I can agree I sweat more, a lot more than others I don't agree that's that just the end of the reason and believe there's much more to it. Sweating in -C weather whilst sitting down is not just more sweat than a normal person it's something severly wrong.

So is Hyperhidrosis actually classed as a disease or just a spectrum on which some people sweat more than others?

As of April 2013 does anyone know of any research into Hyperhidrosis? with the aim of either a cure or a treatment which works well enough so life does not have to be dictated by Sweating.
:question:

 

[Solo Dolo]

I wonder the exact same things. those who do not suffer from HH, I fear will always underestimate the devastating effects that HH can have on people. My life is ruined because of it.

 

[BlackPuma]

I personally don't have Hyperhidrosis, but I heavily sympathize with people that do, and take the issues that they (and you) go trough very seriously. Especially in this time where things like physical neatness and image are hugely significant.

As for on topic, sorry, no I don't know of any research. But for what it's worth, I just wanted to let you know your struggles aren't joke/ignore material to all people that don't suffer from it.

 

[ukchick]

I wonder the exact same things. those who do not suffer from HH, I fear will always underestimate the devastating effects that HH can have on people. My life is ruined because of it.

Completely agree...

 

[8888]

I personally don't have Hyperhidrosis, but I heavily sympathize with people that do, and take the issues that they (and you) go trough very seriously. Especially in this time where things like physical neatness and image are hugely significant.

As for on topic, sorry, no I don't know of any research. But for what it's worth, I just wanted to let you know your struggles aren't joke/ignore material to all people that don't suffer from it.

Hi BlackPuma,

Thanks for your kind words, it gives me hope that others can be kind to people with problems that they did nothing to cause.

 

[Englishman]

No way is it taken seriously. I recently visited a GP and they were at a loss of why it was bothering me so much. I literally broke down in tears and the doctor looked so perplexed... I don't think there's any research going into hyperhidrosis, not of my knowledge anyways, I really hope they come up with something soon though. I can't bare to live my life like this much longer!

 

[laure15]

Some people don't take it seriously. My mother for example can't seem to understand how embarassing it is to have HH, even when I told her about the ridicules and laughters that I've endured from others.

 

[HH]

Hyperhidrosis can have a devastating effect on your mental health/well-being that people who don't suffer from just don't understand. It may not seem like much to others...'hey, it's just sweat', they say.... but when it's just pouring out of you and you have to go to extreme lengths to hide it i.e. avoid touching objects, changing your shirt several times in the day etc and doing this day after day it wears you down emotionally and can have serious effects on your overall mood and outlook on life.

When I started suffering from palmer hyperhidrosis I'd never felt so low in my life. I think at one point I was probably suffering from a very mild form of depression which was no fun at all. That's when I started reading posts on this forum about hyperhidrosis and basically just took matters into my own hands (pardon the pun) regarding treatments. All I wanted to do was sleep so I didn't have to deal with this awful/embarrassing/horribly disgusting condition.

Thankfully there're treatments available but there's still a lot of research that needs to be done in the medical field regarding hyperhidrosis.

 

[Hellhound]

What? I always thought it was considered a condition. I didn't think a doctor would say something like that. Wow...

 

[aries86]

I don't think it is taken seriously by many. I think people tend to generalize the idea of sweating as not bad because it is something that all people experience to a degree but not as much as HH sufferers. I've come to believe that most people can't fathom sweating all the time no matter how hard they try.
However, most dermatologists do understand it. My advice would be to ask about it prior to making an appointment. When I call dermatologists that is the first thing that i ask before I make the appointment. If they don't have any expertise in HH I won't even go to them. I can't imagine going to a dermatologists and them thinking this is normal. That would be insulting....and yes there is quite a bit of research from what I've seen on HH. There is information on studies available online, but I would also recommend looking through the archives of this site and other HH sites. It is very insightful to look at info from other HH sufferers, its like doing research on your own.