Debunking Common Myths About Hyperhidrosis

David Pariser, MD is an active dermatologist and a founding board member of the International Hyperhidrosis Society (IHHS). He is a professor in the Department of Dermatology at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, where he is also the senior physician with Pariser Dermatology Specialists, Ltd. 

In this video, Dr David Pariser discusses how to help the many adolescent patients who are misdiagnosed and debunks some common myths surrounding hyperhidrosis.

Visit SweatHelp.org for Hyperhidrosis Awareness Month to find more research and education about the subject.

This video is made in collaboration with the International Hyperhidrosis Society.

TRANSCRIPT-

Dr David Pariser:  Hyperhidrosis, particularly on the underarms, often starts in teenagers. Teenagers' and adolescents' bodies are maturing very rapidly. They will often go to their family and say, "Look, Mom, I'm sweating more than I used to." Mom and dad say, "That's normal. Everybody sweats more when they're undergoing maturity, puberty."

They may go to their pediatrician, who may even say the same thing. Pediatricians generally need to be aware that a teenager who makes the complaint of excessive sweating may not just be doing it because they're maturing.

It has to be taken more seriously by the medical community in general. Pediatricians particularly are the ones who may see it the earliest.

Some of the myths mentioned a little bit earlier, the myth of being dirty, being obese, being out of shape, being unclean, are a part of the problem, and that's what produces a lot of the social stigma.