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A Warning to Know Your Sweat!
A sad story out of the United Kingdom caught our attention recently because it was a strong reminder of the importance of understanding the nature of excessive sweating.
The story was about Christopher Chaffey, a 19-year-old man who died last September from undiagnosed cancer, despite seeking help repeatedly for more than a year for some very distressing symptoms -- including excessive sweating.
Chaffey died just days after doctors found an aggressive 4-lb malignant lymphoma growing in his chest. None of his previous doctor or hospital visits had detected it; and none of his complaints or symptoms, including excessive sweating, hair loss, a persistent cough, among other things, were considered relevant by the people who treated him.
According to recent reports from the inquest, Chaffey was instructed to "grow up and stop worrying" by one doctor when he called for help, so ill at the time that he was "fearing for his life." His family doctor told him that he was suffering from an anxiety-related disorder after repeated office visits.
This story is distressing for obvious reasons, and it's a striking example of how not being heard by key people when you're concerned about a physical symptom can have a devastating effect. It's reminiscent of the kind of exchanges we hear about too often from our hyperhidrosis patients who have sought help from medical professionals and failed to receive it.
It also reminds us of the importance of seeing a qualified doctor -- we recommend starting with a doctor of internal medicine or a dermatologist -- to determine the cause of your excessive sweating.
Healthcare providers: equip yourself to be an authority on sweat. Consider a trip to an IHHS CME; there are still seats available for our upcoming event in Virginia on May 16--see story above, or register now.
In our sessions, we talk specifically about diagnosing hyperhidrosis in a step-wise approach. We dig deep into case studies and sift through symptoms so that serious conditions aren't missed.
In this newsletter and on our Web site, we mostly concentrate on a type of excessive sweating called primary focal hyperhidrosis. This kind of sweating is not the result of an underlying condition. It is the result of an over active sweat mechanism that causes a sufferer to sweat about 4 to 5 times more than a normal sweater does. It occurs in a particular area of the body (focal), like feet, hands, groin, face, or underarms.
But there's another type of excessive sweating called secondary generalized hyperhidrosis that can be a symptom of a serious condition. Or it can be the result of a medication. This kind of sweating occurs in a large, general area like the chest or the back, or it may occur over the entire body.
There are a number of commonly-prescribed medications that cause secondary generalized hyperhidrosis, including many antidepressants, blood pressure medicines, pain medications, hormone therapies, and many other medicines. Take a look at our newly updated list of common drugs that can cause increased sweating.
We will soon be posting an interactive quiz on our Web site to help you understand if you have primary or secondary hyperhidrosis. Be sure to check back often to take the quiz.
Christopher Chaffey's very unfortunate death stresses the importance of getting real answers to medical concerns. And it's also a reminder to take excessive sweating seriously and have it evaluated by a medical professional who will take you seriously.
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Find a doctor who treats excessive sweating. |
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