Don't Sweat It!

                Being a performer, I am used to hearing about my fellow actors’ pre-show nerves and the tendencies that come along with them. Among the butterflies in the stomach and the near unconsciousness, there are some people who sweat when they get nervous; most of the time it is on their hands. When we talk about it I just go along and say that I get clammy hands before a show as well. This is the first time that I have ever said otherwise.

                The other week, over my Thanksgiving Break, I was watching a docu-series, True Life. True Life is a series on MTV that films real people and tells their stories. On the episode that I was watching, it was following two young girls, who suffer from “embarrassing medical conditions”. Krystal, one of the girls, has a condition called Hyperhidrosis. As I was watching and she began to describe the symptoms, I don’t know if it was the Hypochondriac inside me but, I found myself connecting with the symptoms she was describing.

               I did more research on the condition that she had and came to the conclusion that I do indeed have this condition. Hyperhidrosis is basically excessive sweating. Kind of gross right? Most people don’t even realize that they have this condition. I have what is called, palmar hyperhidrosis or excessive hand sweating. This is the most common and troublesome form of hyperhidrosis. People with palmar hyperhidrosis have cold and clammy hands that sweat excessively. So, basically I have non-stop clammy hands. Because my hands sweat a lot, my skin on my fingers peels a bit more than normal.  This condition is not the most pleasant thing in the world, but it could be worse.

                Though there are treatments for this condition, I don’t think I will pursue any of them. This condition hasn’t affected my life as much as it does to most. The first step in this whole process was accepting that I do have this condition, and here I am, telling the world. So if I happen to exchange a handshake with you some day and you find that my hand is unusually clammy, I honestly can’t help it. This condition is not something that I can control and I am not sure what exactly triggers it, if anything. In the small research that I have done, some sources say that it is sometimes onset from overstimulation, so nervousness, but I do not get nervous, so it is most likely something that is not triggered by stimulus. So, stay dry. If you can’t help it, don’t sweat it. (Information received from International Hyperhidrosis Society)