Published 7 April 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1166
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b1166

Practice

A Patient’s Journey

Hyperhidrosis

Julie Halford, specialist nurse , adviser 1,2, Laura Hunt, patient3, George Millington, consultant dermatologist 4

1 The Hampshire Clinic, Old Basing RG24 7AL , 2 Hyperhidrosis Support Group UK, 3 London, 4 Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Norwich NR4 7UY

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

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

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.

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 . . . [Full text of this article]


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