VerySweatyBetty.com

Every month I have a little ritual, especially when I’m burning up inside and pouring with sweat outside.  I count the months left until we get to the cooler months.  Today my thoughts turn to the second of the traditionally hotter months, June, which begins tomorrow.  That can only be a bad thing for us sweaters.  But it can also be a good thing.  When we’re in June, we have only July, August and September to get through before it starts cooling down to any really helpful degree.  This time tomorrow I’ll be sat here thinking “the end of next month we’ll be halfway through the worst of it”.  Thinking like that picks me up and helps me to cope with life when I feel like I’m never going to cool down inside and feel ‘normal’ ever again.

I know we shouldn’t wish our lives away but those of us who suffer with Hyperhidrosis tend to do just that – and not particularly care.  It’s not as if we really have much of a life: we avoid going to places, events, wish we could hide at work so nobody will notice our sweaty patches and die inside when we catch someone looking at us.  Granted some of it is down to paranoia – if we can feel the sweat pouring from our skin then surely it’s visible to other people?  Not necessarily so, most people are busy looking at or lost in thought over something else – why would they stare at me for long enough to see my sweat?  It’s only when we have any kind of dealing with someone – ie at the checkout, in the bank or post office – that people might possibly notice.  I sometimes silently challenge people to notice – and I’m sure some of them do – but I’ve never once had the look of repulsion that I’ve always imagined coming my way.  That probably tells you more about me than it does ‘Joe Public’ – I feel revulsion towards myself when I’m dripping with sweat and my clothes are soaked through.  It’s just the way it goes, especially if you’re having a ‘down’ day or your hair and scalp haven’t been dry for weeks on end and you’re sticking uncomfortably to your clothes in the middle of a big family ‘do where everyone else is sweat-free and enjoying themselves.  Some of my family are aware of my sweating but most of my extended family don’t know.  I often wonder what they think of me sitting in the corner – I don’t suppose they imagine for a second that I’m just trying to keep cool because I’m doing my best to avoid looking like a human colander!  I’d rather people just think I’m a bit bizarre – because that’s how the sweating makes me feel.  I do wonder whether anyone has theories of why I appear so unsociable – I amuse myself by making up scenarios in my head, it’s a great diversionary tactic when I’m wishing the ground would open up beneath my feet!

I always manage to get through these things, the worst part of it is the dread and fear (where have I heard that before?!) in the lead up to that date in my calendar and the anxiety that stays with me until it’s over.

You know when you’re going out on a hot date or a big night out with your friends and you’re beside yourself with excitement?  That’s often the best part.  For us, the best part is going home, taking off our soggy clothes and throwing our sticky selves into a lovely cool shower with our favourite shower gel as a treat, before putting on our coolest pyjamas with all the windows and doors open as wide as they’ll go – and thinking what a fantastic feeling it is when a challenging day is over and done with, I’m still alive and even better, I’m feeling cool and fresh and clean.  Even if it is only until the sun comes up again – but that also means we’ve one day less of Summer. It’s a win-win situation for us!

Excessive sweating – Hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating is a skin disease called Hyperhidrosis.  One of the most common mistakes a non-sweater makes is to pigeon-hole the sweater as dirty, smelly, unhygienic, lazy, hilarious, and thinks sweating can be miraculously cured by having a shower and applying antiperspirants.

What causes the sweating?

Excess sweating is just one symptom of Hyperhidrosis.  Everybody has an internal thermometer.  Our bodies function at a set temperature.  When our temperature rises just 4 degrees C, our body panics and becomes confused. If our temperature rises by only 7 degrees C, we die.  If you have Hyperhidrosis, your core temperature can’t be controlled in the normal way, your internal thermometer is broken. You become hotter and hotter until your body starts to panic which causes you to sweat profusely to cool down again.  Once your temperature has risen, it takes such a long time to subside that you can be soaked through from head to foot within minutes and there’s nothing you can do about it except hope that nobody notices. Not easy when you’re at the shops, work or school – or anywhere out of the safe confines of your own four walls. This causes many sufferers to become virtual hermits, especially in the hotter weather.

This is why we created our website. We have both suffered for many years from this disease and realised that there are millions of people worldwide who don’t know it’s a disease, they think it’s ‘just them’.  3% of the population suffer, although this figure could be higher as not everyone has access to, or consults, a doctor. Unfortunately, many doctors are unaware this condition has a name, let alone is a disease. We want to help people like us who have been through the personal hell that makes you wonder why you bother, and realise that there are things (not cures, unfortunately) you can do to help minimise the effects of sweating – hopefully meaning nobody else will notice.

We share everything on VSB, tips, new medical trials, procedures, stories etc, and we are lucky enough to personally trial a lot of products from many different trustworthy companies. If a product doesn’t work then we say so. Very useful when you’re wading through the rather overwhelming array of different products and their promises.

Although we have sponsors, we don’t personally make any money from our website – we give our time and expertise for free. What money we do make goes back into projects such as raising awareness of Hyperhidrosis, we are passionate about this.

Our site is guaranteed virus free – every link is to a tried-and-tested company with products that work for people like us.

Hello all,
Have a wonderful members question for you today,
One of our members sent me a PM asking if I had noticed or felt the same as the summer approaches and heat and humidity come into play and our Hyperhirdosis.
“Do you feel like you retain too much salt even though you hardly eat salty food or junk food?”

As the temps rise and the humidity comes into play we can get the feeling of being swollen as the body adapts to the change in temps.

Also while you live with Hyperhidrosis, we tend to lose more water, salt and our precious ELECTROLYTES.  I can not stress to our members the importance on keeping these levels at a normal level.

When you start to notice more salt lines on clothing, shoes, body this is one of the first crucial signs that your electrolytes are unbalanced.  This can leave you feeling, low, sluggish, tired, grumpy and make you sweat even more and lose more of our salt levels.

I now daily (even in winter) drink a supplement that has electrolytes added into it.  You can buy these cheaply at your grocery store, Crystal Light Pure is a great one to add to your water, I drink 2-3 a day esp in hot weather.  Gatoraide is another good one to replenish, Lucozade, any sports drink but make sure they have electrolytes added in.  If you are out side in the heat, please take one with you drink it, make it a habit of drinking at least 2-3 per day in summer or when humidity is high.

After a few days you will feel better, your energy levels will rise and your low mood will improve.

The most important thing we can do for your bodies if you have Hyperhidrosis is to drink as much H2O….Drink more than the normal person needs as we sweat 5 times the amount of a normal person, add a electrolyte into it and you will have a very happy less sweaty salty body.  The more we drink the less our bodies have to try to keep us cool.  (some people get less sweating)

Try it, only takes a few minutes to look for in the store or health shop and seconds to drink, you will feel better and your BODY WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT ESP IN HOT, HUMID WEATHER

Hello all,

Well finally another long weekend ahead.  Are you ready if you have outside plans?

Living with Hyperhidrosis we have to plan ahead to try and beat the take over of the sweating.
We are having friends over but I am already prepared, have my floppy hat, favorite seat completely in the  shade, sunblock, plug in fans and most importantly lots of water.

If  it gets too hot I will come inside and chill in the AC house

If drinking alcohol, drink plenty of water that day and also use an electrolyte supplement in your water, helps with losing too much sweat.

You can stay cool and still enjoy the outdoors with some planning ahead.

Most important things I follow are:

Water, lots of it and electrolyte I can add into it to help replace the sweat and salt we lose

If plastic furniture take a towel or seat mat with you, really helps from leaving a sweat snail trail and having to peal yourself off and leaving you wet and uncomfortable.

I take portable fans with me or a good hand held fan, plug them them where ever, as long as there is a constant breeze on me I’m not too bad.

Rush and choose a good seat fast or ask to change if already gone, explain you suffer from Hyperhidrosis, most people understand.

Sun block, bug spray.

Ice packs if you start getting too hot or neck coolies they reduce your body heat fast and stops sweating.

Most importantly, enjoy the outdoors, if a pool or river…JUMP IN, good enough excuse to get wet and cool off all over

Hope you all have a safe and Happy Memorial Weekend.

Love and hugs from your  VSB staff.

www.verysweatybetty.com

Hello all,

I have been chatting to a lot of you on our Facebook page and have had a lot of , “Members Only Questions!”   I was thinking of creating a section just for this?

Would you ask?  Could be something that you have been wanting to find more info on and a great opportunity to get the input of other members and their advise and knowledge.  Could be an embarrassing question regarding our sweating and hyperhidrosis, or maybe you just need advise on what to do or how to hide it.

Thoughts please and ASK AWAY in our friendly safe forum or join us on our Facebook page, Sweaty Betty.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/betty.sweaty

As summer approaches and the heat is increasing, you cringe when you see the Weather Man announce the upcoming forecast.
You don’t have to leave the comfort of your home or work, VSB has taken all the best products avail on the market and brought them to the VSB SHOP just for you.  You will find the Chillow, Pillow, keeps you cool and is fantastic for head sweaters, hot flashes and woman in menopause.  There are clothing designed to keep the sweat away.  Take a look and see what is avail for you.

Shop till you drop, VSB and Amazon can be your one stop shop.

http://astore.amazon.com/verswebet-20

We’d like to extend a huge welcome to www.sweating.com and www.iontophoresis-device.com.

We are very happy to announce that they have made us their ‘official forum’!

Please have a look at their websites, they have so much information on Hyperhidrosis and Iontophoresis – they’re a very approachable company and very happy to answer any questions, suggestions and comments you may have on these subjects.

Please feel free to ask any questions in this forum (please start a new topic for each question) and they will answer them for you. Also any discussions on their products are welcome in this forum.

Hello all,

We have had a member ask a very important question:  Why do you not support people that have had success with their ETS, and help to spread the word?
If you have had a successful ETS and have very few side effects, we would love to hear from you.  Helping others decide on if this is an option for them?  We tend to be on both sides of the fence about this surgery.

I am sorry if we seem to be totally against ETS, were not.   This operation is the last resort for sufferers and over the years has come under the hammer and some very distressing life changing side effects, that have made the sufferer worse than before.   Even speculation where some ETS surgeons were not always telling the whole truth on how this surgery is preformed and the possible side effects.

With all this thrown at you and then my last surgeon I’d seen saying,  “you don’t want this surgery”, prob would not work for your facial, cranial and you could end up with Horners, Raynards and severe CS.  I sweat bad all over already so choose not to travel down this path.   Then researching about this and the horror stories.  Not sure on the stats on how many are successful or went terribly wrong?

It brings up a good point, with all the negativity, there are some happy endings and successful surgeries.  I know several members who have minimum Compensatory Sweating, and are happy with not having sweaty hands and feet.  Then I know many who this has changed their lives for the worst.

Let us share your story.

As I sit here sweating, regretting the cup of tea I have just enjoyed and drank,  I thought hot caffeine is one of my worst enemies, living with Hyperhidrosis.
We all have triggers that make us sweat faster and knowing these can help and try to avoid them.  I now drink my coffee in the morning’s iced as this helps and does not speed me up as fast.  We don’t have to give up everything, we tend to live OUR LIVES around our sweating to begin with!
Take note, we have a current discussion going on about this and what makes you switch on more??? Add to our list and discussion on the forum.

Here are a few we all complain aobut:

Heat,

Humidity,

Caffeine,

Alcohol.

Tabacco,

Spicy or hot foods,

Anxiety,

Stress,

Rushing around or housework

Gardening.

The list could go on and on…WHAT  TRIGGERS YOU??????

Since having my Axillary Botox treatment two weeks ago I am so relieved to have dryer armpits, however it has compensated on my  chest and left side of hair line.  Noticed a lot more sweating going on than before.

We really do not realize on how much we adjust our daily lives to accommodate our Hyperhirsosis.  Even though my armpits are not they usual wet and leaving huge saucer sized round marks on every garment of clothing I own.  I am able to wear plain tops, shirts but have not as I am still in the routine of disguising it and think this is the way I am always going to be!

If shopping I will be attracted to the busy patterned top, shirt or tunic rather than the plain coloured one standing beside it.
I am a people watcher and I think when I see a woman in a lovely summer dress, if it be pattered or not, I wish I could also wear this!  In order for me to be able to I would have to wear shorts under to catch the sweating.

How many of us wish we could be like our friends or people we tend to see out..how they can shake a hand in confidence, wear the hair style and makeup and clothing they want, never EVER giving it another thought.

Wonder how they would feel walking in OUR SHOES FOR ONE DAY?!