hyperhidrosis

hyperhidrosis hy·per·hi·dro·sis [hahy-per-hi-droh-sis] noun Pathology

abnormally excessive sweating

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I knew this word, but had forgotten it until I read the definition and then I remembered the first time I ever saw it. I was in junior high and had developed an embarrassing condition of my palms profusely sweating; oh, not all the time, but mostly when I was holding hands with a girl. (or before a test or a ballgame or trying to explain to my dad why I hadn't done the chores he had wanted me to do.) I found the symptoms and this term looking through a medical encyclopedia while trying to find out what was wrong with me.  Looking back now, I realize I didn't have hyperhidrosis, but suffered from the same anxiety and shyness most other teen boys did. Teenage angst, the wet kind.

Still, I did perspire a lot.  Sometimes during a basketball game after shooting a free throw, someone would slip on the pool of sweat that had dripped off of me while standing there taking the foul shot.  I would also sweat through shirts on a warm day, leaving visible circles under my arms.   I'd try my best to hide them by not raising my arms more than an inch away from my body, but I'm sure I then looked like a sweaty Frankenstein. I also had problems with sweaty, stinky feet, but getting on the other side of puberty and starting to wear cotton socks mostly solved that problem.

I still sweat a lot, though.  I've learned to put a bandanna or handkerchief in my pocket before starting some strenuous activity or otherwise I'll be blinded by the sweat rolling off my forehead into my eyes if I don't stop frequently and mop my brow and head.  I don't think that's "abnormally excessive sweating" but is actually a healthy and normal bodily function.

Several years ago, I went to the doctor for an unrelated matter and shook his hand after we had talked.  I had been more than a little anxious worrying about what might be wrong with me and was relieved that it wasn't what I had thought it might be.  My hands were clammy and damp and the doctor noticed.  "You have sweaty palms much?" he asked.  I admitted I did when I was overly anxious.  He scribbled something on a prescription pad and told me that would help.  I went to the pharmacy and got the prescription filled; the vial was full of little blue pills.  I didn't recognize the name, but took them for a day before calling a friend who had a "pill book" that listed most medicines.  She knew what they were when I spelled out the name...I had to spell it out, because I wasn't sure how to pronounce "Xanax".  "You'll like them." she assured me, telling me almost her entire family took them.  Hmmm...pretty mellow family, I thought, guess I'll keep taking them.

Yep, was no sweat taking them...no worries, not a care in the world, actually.