Hyperhydrosis....yep I have that

Hello: My name is Andreea and I have hyperhidrosis. I'm sure you are thinking what in the world is hyperhidrosis? If you have it you know all too well what it is. If you don’t then you may be clueless about this condition. So let me explain what it is.

 According to the Mayo Clinic.org Hyperhidrosis (hi-pur-hi-DROE-sis) is excessive sweating that occurs even when the temperature isn't hot and you're not exercising. In some people who have hyperhidrosis, the sweat literally drips off their hands. Hyperhidrosis usually affects the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and underarm.

So basically Hyperhidrosis is the official medical term but it’s basically summed up as being extra sweaty. It is hereditary and it affects different parts of the body. In my case it is centralized to my hands, feet and underarms. Doctors are unsure why people have it or what exactly causes it. It is related to the way a person’s mind processes fear, stress and anxiety.  I know it may seem so simple…. It’s mind over matter, right? Well not exactly.  For people who have hyperhidrosis it’s not so simple and once the sweating starts it’s something you can’t really control.

I just want to let you know how big of a deal it is for me to share this with the world. There was a time in my life when I would have never ever, ever ,ever in a thousand years considered writing about this condition. I wanted to pretend it didn't exist because I felt abnormal and I was afraid I would be teased about it. I spent a large portion of my life miserable over “what-if” scenarios related to my sweating. I let this fear paralyze me for a really long time.  At one point I was afraid of trying new things because I was so afraid someone would find out. Talk about being paranoid…yes that was me.

I have been extra sweaty my entire life.  I mean from the time I was born. I remember when I was really young I was a sweaty little thing. I remember my granny trying to pull socks over my little sweaty feet.  Sometimes I would sweat for no apparent reason.  I would be watching cartoons and my hands would just start sweating. When I was in school, I would wet up my notebook paper. I would have to fold up another piece of paper and put it under my hand so that I wouldn’t wet up the entire page. It was bad and pretty embarrassing. My gosh, let me tell you, my hands would literally drip with sweat.

The thought of holding hands was the worst! It made me so nervous. The sweating would take over and I couldn't really control it at all. I would get so anxious at the thought that someone would notice and mention it that I would sweat even more. It was a vicious cycle!  One time I acted like a complete weirdo and almost ran out of a church service because the girl next to me had to hold my hand and I didn’t want her to find out.  The worst part is that I wasn’t a child at the time. I was in my late 20’s! OK it’s safe to say over the years I have made a complete fool of myself to say the least. I have learned ways to manage it and I‘ve learned things that work to help.  But ultimately the sweating is still there; it’s just part of me.

There are treatments for this condition such as Botox or surgery. These options are super expensive and the results are not guaranteed to last. I’m not really getting into treatment options here.  But I will say this, when I became a Christian and truly believed in God’s healing power, I was like great, Lord please take this sweaty thing away. God decided not to take it away and that’s OK. Please understand me, if God never chooses not to heal me of this. I’ve decided I will still praise Him! This means His grace will strengthen me and enable me to live with it. It may not be God’s plan to take this away from me but it is His will I talk about it and share my experience with others. 

I want to talk about this because I want you to avoid all the stress I went through over this. Every person on this earth has something they wish they could change. You are not alone! The devil had me convinced I had to live on an island and I had to pretend to be perfect so no one could ever find out about this huge flaw. The devil is a complete liar! Of course it seemed 20 times bigger in my mind because it was “my” insecurity. That’s the thing about insecurities; whatever bothers you about yourself can be blown completely out of proportion because it is so personal to you.  In reality, most people don’t really think it’s that big of a deal when they find out about it.

I am 31 years of age and I am finally learning how to accept things about myself and my prayer is this blog will inspire you to do the same no matter your age. Now that I'm finally learning to love me for me, flaws and all, I often wonder why it took me so long!

 If you sweat excessively please know that you’re not alone. Please don’t let it stop you from trying things and meeting new people. We all have something and sometimes there are many things we wish we could change about ourselves. But it’s OK that’s what makes you, you. It’s the quirky things about us that make us special. Maybe your issue isn’t sweating and it’s something different. Stop thinking about it as the worst thing in the wold and use it to encourage someone else! Talking about hyperhidrosis was truly difficult for me. Now that I'm able to talk about it God is freeing me from the shame and fear over it and for that I’m grateful!