Schoolgirl, 11, is left unable to grip a pen, do her homework and too embarrassed to touch others because her hands are so sweaty
- Girl has primary focal hyperhidrosis, which causes hands to sweat excessively
- Symptoms made worse when she’s stressed, and when she reads and writes
- Condition is not triggered by another medical condition or side effect of a drug
An 11-year-old girl has been left unable to do her schoolwork because her palms sweat so much she can’t grip pens.
The youngster suffers from primary focal hyperhidrosis, which causes uncontrollable sweating in her palms and the soles of her feet.
The embarrassing condition has left the unnamed schoolgirl with crippling shyness and struggling to do schoolwork.
Her symptoms are made worse when she’s stressed or being watched, and when she reads and writes, doctors in India revealed.
Sweat glistens from the hands of an 11-year-old girl who suffers from primary focal hyperhidrosis, which causes uncontrollable sweating in her palms and the soles of her feet
Medics in Una, Himachal Pradesh, revealed the tale in the British Medical Journal’s Case Reports.
The team at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Satellite Centre treated the girl, who also suffered from sweating on the soles of her feet.
The girl’s palms and feet sweat excessively throughout the day but stop whenever she’s asleep. Her symptoms were reduced with an antiperspirant.
Her eight-year-old brother also suffers from the condition, and her grandfather also reported similar symptoms since his childhood.
The condition causes excessive sweating that is not triggered by another medical condition or as a side effect of medications.
It occurs on very specific areas of the body and is usually ‘symmetric’, meaning both the left and right sides of the body are affected similarly.
The most common areas that can be affected by the condition are the hands, feet, armpits, face or head.
The disorder is thought to affect less than three per cent of the population, and is known to be hereditary in some cases.
Treatments include psychotherapy to reduce anxiety, antiperspirant creams, tablets that reduce sweating.
WHAT IS PRIMARY FOCAL HYPERHIDROSIS?
The condition causes excessive sweating that is not triggered by another medical condition or the side effect of medications.
It occurs on very specific areas of the body – described as focal areas – and is usually relatively ‘symmetric’ meaning that both the left and right sides of the body are affected equally.
The most common focal areas are the hands, feet, underarms, face or head.
Most people with hyperhidrosis experience excessive sweating on more than one area – especially those with sweaty palms, they almost always also have sweaty feet.
Primary focal hyperhidrosis often begins in childhood or adolescence, especially hyperhidrosis of the hands and feet.
Sufferers of primary focal hyperhidrosis have episodes of excessive sweating at least once a week.
They usually do not experience excessive sweating while sleeping.
Treatments include psychotherapy to reduce anxiety, antiperspirant creams, tablets that reduce sweating, Botox injections – usually only available for sweating under the armpits – and, in extreme cases, surgery to remove the sweat glands.
Source: Sweat Help
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