Sweaty hands remedy

Adults are not the only ones who may suffer from excessive sweating or hyperhidrosis. Even small kids and teens are prone to developing it. In fact, when kids and teens are struck with this disease, they tend to suffer its consequences the most.

Children aged seven years old and below suffering from hyperhidrosis may find it difficult to engage in physical activities like most kids do. Because of their sweaty palms, they may not be able to play baseball or basketball well. Their sweaty feet would prohibit them from playing soccer too. As such, they would simply sit in the bleachers and watch the game longingly every time kids their age hang out in the park to play.

Teens, on the other hand, have different sets of concerns. Teens are in the stage of their life where fashion and looking good is of utmost importance. As such, they play with their clothes, experiment with make ups, or style their hair well before going out with friends. If a teen, more particularly a girl, suffer from excessive sweating, her choice of clothes becomes limited. She can’t wear dark colored clothes or else sweat marks would show. All a teen with hyperhidrosis can wear are black clothes and clothes having a lighter shade. Anything else in between becomes improper.

For older teenagers, the problem keeps them away major social gatherings such as proms, parties, and high school dances. This is because crowded places tend to leave them all sweaty and embarrassed. Most male teenagers suffering from hyperhidrosis skip prom nights simply because they don’t want to get all sweaty in front of their partner. Or worse, drip sweat all over their date’s beautiful dress.

Sweating is a natural phenomenon. In fact, it is part of a healthy body’s process. However, if you tend to sweat excessively, problems such as these arise. There is little you can do to control sweat. And it isn’t right to blame it on hormones all the time. Hyperhidrosis is a medical concern that needs a doctor or a qualified expert’s assistance to revert.

Kids and teens suffering from excessive sweating may have to use mild antiperspirant creams and powders just to keep their bodies from sweating too much. However for kids, the problem is rarely on the armpits as beads of sweat forms profusely on the head, feet, and hands on them.

There are natural ways to prevent sweating. For kids and teen patients whose problems can’t be addressed by regular antiperspirant creams, a more intrusive medication maybe required. Examples of such medications are botox injections or iontophoresis. Parents should be well aware of the fact that excessive sweating is a major problem for your son and daughter at their young age. Acknowledging the problem would definitely help a lot. Your attempt to find the solution is comforting enough for them because they know that you understand what they’re going through.

Take your son or daughter to a doctor whose line of expertise is hyperhidrosis. Check whether your insurance policy would cover for the required treatment. This way, you can provide the care, attention, and treatment that your child needs.

Hyperhidrosis, or more commonly known as excessive sweating, is a common disorder. Palmar hyperhidrosis, also called sweaty palms, is the most familiar form of this affliction, manifested by excessive sweating or perspiration of the palms of the hands. It has also been observed to cause too much foot, armpit and facial perspiration. It is understood that hyperhidrosis is an effect of over activity of the sympathetic nervous system.

Sweating is often uncontrollable, discomforting and unpredictable. Normal perspiring is required for the thermal regulation of our bodies, but with this, sweating surpasses the body’s necessity for physiological thermal regulation.

People never get used to living with hyperhidrosis, and they may continue to suffer their entire lives. This disorder can have severe physiological effects, such as cold and clammy hands, dehydration and skin infections secondary to maceration of the skin. It can also lead to destructive emotional outcomes – people suffering from this condition are always conscious of their situation. They tend to modify and compromise their way of life to contain this problem. This can ultimately be disabling in the individual’s professional, academic and social life, which in turn can lead to daily awkwardness and humiliation. Normal customary chores become impossible tasks. This can drain individuals psychologically when it happens on a constant basis.

Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition with cruel negative mental and emotional effects. Friends and relatives of affected individuals may not fully understand the effects of this disorder. Most doctors do not even comprehend the great negative impact that this condition brings to an individual’s psyche. Luckily with the latest progress in medication, various cures are available to lessen it’s effect on sufferers.

Medications available for hyperhidrosis include: topical antiperspirants, iontophoresis, botox and surgery. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, or ETS, is found to be the most effective way of treating hyperhidrosis.

Too much sweating can be controlled by commercial antiperspirants to a certain extent. However, stronger treatment is frequently required, particularly for the palms, soles, armpits, or genital area.

Applying aluminum chloride solution at night may aid in alleviating this disorder. Prescription and non-prescription strengths of aluminum chloride solution are available. A person must first dry the sweaty area before applying the solution. If the reaction to the medication is not enough the affected person may place a plastic film over the aluminum chloride solution in order to increase its efficiency. In the morning, the affected individual should take off the film and wash the affected area thoroughly. If the solution is found to irritate the skin, individual should stop the usage of the plastic film.

Some individuals may need 2 daily applications to make the treatment effective. This treatment regime normally provides relief in a week’s time. After this, an application of once or two times a week is needed as preventive maintenance.

For people who experience odor problems, it is necessary to clean the affected area two times a day. Soap and water are normally effective in removing the bacteria and yeast that causes body odor. In some more extreme cases, antiseptic soap may be needed, which is normally combined with antibacterial creams to remove any and all unwanted skin germs. Shaving of the hair around the affected area may also help manage the negative odor. Clean clothing should always be worn to ward off any unwanted smells.

From time to time, everyone’s hands get a little sweaty and clammy. It might be due to nerves or sometimes it is just the heat that causes our hands to sweat a bit. Either way, they stay clammy for a little while but then the sweat disappears. However, some people are stuck with sweaty palms their whole life.

No matter what they do, they just can’t get rid of the excess sweat that is dripping from their hands. If you have sweaty hands, then you know how this affects your life. Having sweaty or clammy hands prevents people from doing what they really want to in life. If you have sweaty hands, then you probably don’t want to go out in public because you fear that you might be introduced to someone whose hand you would have to shake. Also, you probably don’t’ want to go on date’s in case that person wants to hold your hand. You are missing out on some joys of life so you need to get rid of your clammy hands fast.

Some doctor’s recommend surgery but that is a waste of your time and your money. You can get rid of the sweat off of your hands without taking drastic measures.

Rubbing talcum powder all over your hands a few times a day will rid your clammy hands of any sweat or residue that is on them. Then you will be able to walk around with some confidence because your hands feel smooth to the touch and you feel okay with shaking hands with someone. Carry a little talcum powder with you throughout your day and you will be able to rid your hands of the sweat.

Its that time of year again (in the UK at least!) and I thought you might be interested in a few pointers to help with the competition season.  These techniques work well in a variety of situations though so even if your goals are not competition orientated, I think you’ll find them helpful.  I hope so anyway!

If you’re stressed out taking your horse to competitions, you’re not alone.   Confidence isn’t a stable commodity (arrgh!) and even the most experienced of riders suffer competition nerves.  These can vary in severity from the odd butterfly suddenly deciding to strut its stuff in your stomach to absolute, downright debilitating fear.

Here’s what happens when you get nervous -

Your reaction to stress is largely generated by the so-called ‘Fight, Flight or Freeze’ response.  This is part of our primitive emergency survival mechanism and many horse riders are astounded to discover that they are inadvertently adopting stone-age survival strategies that are often counter-productive in this space-age world.

What you/your body does

• Quick intake of breath
• Tense muscles.

Fuel reserves are mobilised and sent to the brain and muscles. Extra oxygen is taken in to burn the fuel.

• Heart pounds
• Headaches

Blood pressure and breathing rate increases making the heart beat faster.

• Sweaty palms and feet

Palms and feet get sweaty to give better grip (i.e. on spear or for climbing trees etc.).

• Cold feet (can still be sweaty!)

Blood is shunted away from the extremities, where it is not needed – also reduces blood loss in event of injury.

• ‘Butterflies’ in stomach.
• Loss of appetite.
• Dry mouth.

Energy consuming digestive processes are closed down, including the production of saliva.

• Loss of peripheral vision - becoming excessively focussed on object of ‘fear’.

Concentration improves. The pupils dilate to let in more light.

• Feel sick
• Urgent need to go to the toilet.

If the situation becomes really life threatening, we may even vomit or defecate to make the body lighter and less appetising.

• Get ‘goose’ pimples and/or hair ‘prickles’ on back of neck.

Muscles under the skin partially contract so that hair stands on end to make us look larger and more threatening to potential predators.

These physical and mental adaptations are brought about by chemical changes in the body.  It is our perception of the challenge or threat that determines the cocktail of chemicals released and these in turn determine our emotional response.  Contrary to popular belief, it is noradrenaline (not adrenaline) that gives rise to those lovely feelings of excitement and drive as well as physical strength.  For this reason noradrenaline has been named the ‘kick’ or high performance hormone which in large amounts stimulates special areas in the brain that produce a feeling of pleasure.  In contrast, the feelings and sensations associated with high levels of adrenaline are not pleasant – these are the ones generating the need to flee, leaving us overwhelmed, inadequate and afraid.

Here’s how you can help yourself -

Future Pacing

I think it was Linford Christie who described ‘future pacing’ when he said that he never ran a race he had not run many times before. He meant of course that he ran it through in his mind in the way in which he hoped to run it when he competed.  If you want to use this technique to help you create those all-important positive perceptions of the competition environment, simply set yourself realistic goals and imagine yourself achieving them. Do this several times a day in the run-up to the competition, paying particular attention to the detail of what you will see, hear and feel when you get where you want to be. 

Work out where your personal challenge lies

The perception of threat or challenge is an entirely individual thing.  What stresses you may not stress someone else so working out exactly where your personal challenge lies can be helpful.

It might sound obvious but it’s surprising how many riders fail miserably on this score.  So for example

• If you are the sort of person who performs best in an ordered environment (plenty of time to warm up etc.), it’s easy to predict that insufficient planning or lack of time will stress you out.  The best thing you can do to improve your performance is to improve your organisation.  Use your determination and your logical, rational abilities to help you manage your competition stress.
• If some of your competition stress comes from worrying about what other people might be thinking and whether you are going to let others/your horse down, you can help yourself by avoiding those ‘what if’ projections (such as ‘What if he runs out/spooks’’, ‘What if I forget the course’ etc.) and keeping a tight rein on your imagination.
• If you are the sort of rider who actually loves being the in the limelight, the main threat inherent in a competition situation for you might be the potential for loss of face.  However, you can use this to your advantage by acting the part - just behave ‘as if’ you can do it or pretend that you are William Fox Pitt or Mary King.  It will also help if you can guard against your inclination to become rather frenetic when stressed. More likely than not, this will simply result in you upsetting your horse and making ever escalating mistakes!

Control your breathing; Control your Stress

Breathing is one of the few subconscious responses to challenge that is within our conscious control.   Its much easier to control your breathing than it is to control those butterflies in your stomach for example.  Deep, slow breathing aids relaxation, reduces tension and gives a much greater sense of control over yourself as well as increased feelings of physical and mental well-being.  When competing, make sure you take a few deep breaths before you go into the collecting ring and remember to keep on breathing!  You could also say something like ‘calm’ or ‘confident’ to yourself at the same time.  Smiling relaxes those jaw muscles and is generally great too :))

Give yourself permission to be confident

This may seem simple but can actually be quite challenging.  Many of us sabotage our own confidence by telling ourselves that we are ‘no good at competitions’, ‘hopeless’, ‘too nervous’ etc.  Pippa Funnel is a superb example of why it’s worth working on transforming those negative statements into positive ones.  She attributes some of her success to sports psychologist Nicky Heath and has been quoted as saying

“There were a lot of low points during the years when I never achieved at the top and Nikki got me believing in myself”

Affirmations are simple positive statements that you say to yourself over and over again.  If you tell yourself something often enough, you will begin to believe it.  That belief will then become a self-fulfilling prophecy -

A positive belief will build a more positive attitude that in turn leads to more positive expectations. This expectation means that you will start noticing when you behave differently and more positively and so you start to notice the small improvements. The positive cycle continues because as you notice these improvements, so more positive beliefs will grow.

Stretch yourself

Very simply there are three areas in which we can operate.   They are the comfort zone, the stretch zone and the over-stretch zone. The basic principle is that we need to work mostly in the comfort zone, occasionally in the stretch zone and never in the over-stretch zone. (The same applies to your horse). To improve your confidence, experiment with expanding your comfort zone by working in the stretch zone - without over-stretching yourself! 

Think about a time when you felt really confident. 

Remember where you were, what you were doing, what you could see and hear around you and what you could feel.  Really allow yourself to enjoy re-living that experience as fully as possible.

Imagine putting all (seeing, hearing and feeling) of that memory in something like a brown paper bag so that it is easy to carry around with you.  Keep dipping into the bag (as you might with some favourite sweets perhaps!) and    enjoy savouring those confident moments as often as possible.  This technique is called ‘Resource Anchoring’ and is a great trick to use just before you go into the ring or start the cross-country course for example…

Use Self-Hypnosis

Self-hypnosis is the ultimate self-help tool.  It’s versatile, safe, fast, simple, pleasant, effective, non-invasive and non-addictive.  No wonder then that numerous well-known sportspeople have used it to enhance their performance, including boxers Frank Bruno, Steve Collins and Nigel Benn, former England cricket captain Mike Brearley, athlete Iwan Thomas and golfers Tiger Woods and Ian Woosnam.  Olympic cyclist Levi Leipheimer credits a self-hypnosis audio CD as contributing to his success in winning the USA’s biggest race twice, achieving a third place in the Tour de France and a Bronze Medal at the Beijing Olympics.

I wrote my self-hypnosis audio CD, Hypnosis for Horseriders to help you manage your horse riding experiences positively by better managing yourself and your emotions.  It’s suitable for riders of all standards and disciplines; whether you need some help to get back in the saddle, be a ‘happy hacker’ or to find that competitive edge.   The CD/MP3 download uses hypnosis to enhance and expand the techniques described above by helping you to

1. access your creative ability to find solution to problems so that ideas, insights and constructive information become more readily available and
2. create an environment where you are able to accept positive and helpful suggestions without the restrictions ordinarily imposed by your conscious abilities and responses (as in “yeah but - it won’t work for me, I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to …….” for example!).

Also available in the Help Myself Hypnosis series (via www.helpmyselfhypnosis.com ) are Help Myself Hypnosis (which teaches self-hypnosis), Help Myself Sleep, Help Myself Lose Weight and Help Myself Stop Smoking.  More titles are planned, so watch this space!