Profuse Sweating

This story by Zakir Hussain ran through New York Times News Service on May 10, 2005. It focused on how profuse sweating can affect family life, work, and self-confidence in ways other people rarely see. The article also showed how often hyperhidrosis was overlooked even when symptoms were severe. That wider context helps explain why so many readers still relate to it.

How severe sweating affected Sophia Parente

Each time Sophia Parente held her 5-year-old son Vincent's hand, he pulled away. He told her it felt gross. He even said, "Ew, it's gross, Mummy," when she reached for him. She said he also wiped his hands while crossing the road, and at social events she dreaded seeing other people do the same thing after greeting her.

She sometimes held a cold glass to explain why her hands were wet instead of admitting how often they sweated. In March, Parente, 30, began Botox injections in her palms. Parente was a middle-school teacher in Virginia Beach, Virginia, so public contact was part of her daily routine. After treatment, her palms stopped dripping and Vincent stopped pulling away.

That made her symptoms harder to hide and harder to dismiss as a minor inconvenience. The article used her story to show that profuse sweating can affect parenting, work, and simple human contact all at once. It also showed how much emotional pain can sit behind a symptom many people barely understand. What looks small from the outside can feel enormous to the person living with it.

Why doctors said profuse hyperhidrosis was overlooked

Parente was described as one of nearly 8 million Americans with hyperhidrosis. In 2003, doctors formed the International Hyperhidrosis Society in Philadelphia to raise awareness and improve care. The nonprofit later launched a "Know Sweat" campaign, and its site, sweathelp.org, listed treatments and more than 500 physicians. Dr. David Pariser, the society's president in Norfolk, Virginia, said the message was simple: it is not normal to sweat all the time.

What excessive sweating stories showed about stigma

Survey data showed how socially painful the condition could be. Eighty-eight percent of diagnosed patients had faced disgust, mockery, or similar reactions. Twelve percent of Americans said they perspired a lot all the time, yet 83 percent of that group had not seen a doctor. Many said they did not think they had a real problem, while others did not know anything could be done.

Dr. Flor Mayoral, a dermatologist in Miami, said sweating becomes too much when it interferes with life. She noted that people may start avoiding social events, church, and handshakes because of it. That kind of avoidance is one reason severe sweating can feel much bigger than a skin symptom. It can slowly reshape daily behavior and confidence.

What specialists said about hyperhidrosis

Dr. Heidi Waldorf of Mount Sinai said hyperhidrosis comes from overactive sweat glands. She also said it is not linked to weight, ethnicity, or climate, which helps challenge some common assumptions. The condition usually affects the underarms, palms, face, and soles of the feet, and it often begins in adolescence. People who sweat over the whole body may have another medical condition, so generalized sweating deserves careful evaluation.

Why children can suffer deeply

Doctors said ridicule, embarrassment, and anxiety can hurt more than the sweating itself, especially for children. Dr. Kathryn Connor at Duke said students may avoid raising their hands, and teachers may mistake that behavior for disinterest. That misunderstanding can leave children feeling invisible or lazy when they are actually trying to hide a painful symptom. The emotional burden can start very early and stay with them for years.

That happened to Frances Rivers, 16, in Virginia Beach, who wiped her hands often and wore three layers to hide underarm sweat. Last October, she demanded treatment from her parents, and her mother Felecia found a specialist online. The doctor used Botox on Rivers' underarms and prescribed iontophoresis, which passes mild electric current through skin in a water bath. Her symptoms improved almost immediately, and soon after she wore a strapless gown to 10th-grade homecoming and joined her school's pageant.

What treatments were discussed

Pariser said people who sweat too much should see a dermatologist because a doctor can help them review treatment options carefully. One option is surgery that blocks nerve signals to sweat glands, but it can also cause heavy sweating in new body areas. Prescription antiperspirants and iontophoresis can also help, although Parente found iontophoresis slow and ineffective for her. That range of results is one reason treatment decisions often take patience.

Her dermatologist then suggested Botox, and the article also urged readers to try natural options before injections and to understand the risks. Waldorf said Botox blocks the nerves that stimulate sweat glands, and treatments take minutes but usually need repeating after six months. Costs can reach $2,000 per treatment, although insurance companies were increasingly covering it when a doctor prescribed it. The Food and Drug Administration had approved Botox for hyperhidrosis the year before, which helped move it into more mainstream treatment.

Who shared this article

Lori Riback sent in this article from Tampa, Florida. She said it had appeared in the health section of her San Diego paper that day. The article stood out because it treated profuse sweating as a real medical problem rather than a cosmetic annoyance. That kind of recognition meant a great deal to many people reading this site.