In order for this post to make sense I need to remind people that last summer I developed a condition called ‘pompholyx’. It initially announced itself on the sides of each of my fingers in the form of tiny blisters that, due to their itchiness, I scratched, so for weeks, then months, I battled with blistered and/or scabbed hands (and, oh yeah, my left foot).
It nearly drove me mad and none of the various cortisone or anti-fungal creams worked very well. I researched my condition and found lots of gross photos and horror stories of frustration posted by other sufferers, all of which I showed my doctor. One common denominator, in terms of cause, was excessive perspiration: hyperhidrosis.
During the Australian summer, temperatures often reach/exceed 40 degrees C which means that for several months of the year people tend to look rather moist, including me. Then, last summer, my perspiration went into overdrive and my hands, head and face became rivers of volcanic overflow so much so that, if I shook my head the way a dog does everyone near me would be sweat-splattered. The worst thing, though, was my blistery hands; the little blisters would become huge blisters and, yeah, they leaked too. I felt as if I had been catapulted into some sort of science-fiction parallel universe where the sweaty people were excluded. In other words it is a very embarrassing condition.
When winter arrived (autumn is almost unnoticeable here) the relief was enormous for me. As the rain poured and poured, I stopped pouring and my hands nearly healed. But then (a couple of months ago) summer came back and so did the hyperhidrosis and pompholyx.
Interestingly, this second bout has seen a worsening of the HH but a diminishing of the PX. But I went to my doctor regarding both and he is going to research how we can stop this embarrassing, excessive perspiration. Good.
I then went to a podiatrist who looked at my left foot (the sores resemble burns) and she recommended an over-the-counter antiperspirant called ‘SweatStop’. Well, I couldn’t find that exact brand but I did find a few products containing the active ingredient aluminium chlorohydrate so I bought them.
Well, it WORKS! Once applied to the affected areas, it stops the sweat glands somehow. It’s a bit uncomfortable and has made my previously sweaty hair dry and brittle and my hands dry and scaly but it’s a hell of a lot better than dripping my way into every single day.
The most hilarious thing about this is that Anthony’s Parkinsonism has affected his internal thermostat so severely that he is ALWAYS freezing, even in the middle of summer! The first thing I do when I visit him is to turn the air conditioner off, put a jacket on him and then a rug on his knees, by which time I would ordinarily be oceanic with perspiration. Now I’m just a little bit drippy!
No sweat!
jmgoyder 