Hyperhidrosis- A ‘Sweaty’ Subject!

June 12, 2018 - 0 Comments

Have you ever been all sweaty and haujui ni kwa nini? Alafu you assume labda jua inachoma sana, kuna joto, umekunywa maji mob, ama you’re just different? Have you been in a gathering ukaogopa kutoa viatu coz sweat inanukisha miguu? What about shaking hands or hugging? I know, it can be quite uncomfy. In most instances, sweating complicates social relations, ruins romance, stains, and may complicate business. Manze hata kukatia inakuanga noma. Sasa utaanza aje na hiyo sweat? Nani atakubali kukuwa na mtu anasweat 24/7?

Alafu ukiwa shule, when you’re taking notes, book inakuwa blotted. Teacher naye haelewi, anaona ni kama we ni mse careless, huwezi hata chunga kitabu. Saa ya P.E ama physical activities je? Hakuna mtu anakubali body contact. Finally, you can’t vaa nguo za bright colors, stains zitakuwa kila mahali ziharibu look.

This condition is known as Hyperhidrosis. Meaning, abnormally increased sweating.

Martin Mwangi (Hyperhidrosis Activist) helped us kujua the difference between normal sweating and the condition pale YouTube kwa channel ya Mwalimu Rachel.  Additionally, he did something that has never been done before, and on a special occasion. But first, let’s look at this condition, its effects, and how it can be managed.

Did you know a normal person releases 4 litres of sweat in a day? Yes! Crazy? IKR!? Na bado haujaskia ya a person with Hyperhidrosis. People suffering from this condition sweat ZAIDI ya 4 litres! You can imagine how much water they lose. Ama wacha tufanye hivi, buy soda ama maji 1 litre mara 4 then try kukunywa yote. Inakaa ngumu kumaliza sindio? Now imagine what these people pitia.

Hyperhidrosis can be categorized into Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis and Secondary Generalized. Hiyo ya kwanza unazaliwa nayo. Yani from birth unakuwa na shida ya sweating. Primary Focal Hyperhidrosis ina affect areas kama mikono, makwapa na miguu, yani mahali vitu ni mbili mbili. Hata chini ya boobs kwa ma galdem! Secondary Generalized nayo ni reaction to medication and medical conditions. Mostly, hii condition hupatikana kwa watu wako na diabetes, cancer, madem wamefika menopause, ama ukitumia dawa ziko na mercury sana.

More seriously, excessive sweating can cause emotional problems to an individual. A person may suffer from depression, anxiety, social isolation, decreased confidence, among others. Inauma sana!

On a happier note, this condition can be MANAGED.

There are a variety of over-the-counter and prescription antiperspirants that can be used to reduce sweating. Examples of over-the-counter antiperspirants include Nivea, Dove, Far, among others. These are usually less irritating. Nonetheless, if the sweating is still heavy, you can get prescription antiperspirants from medical facilities.

Kama pia unajua jokes…use humor kufunikia hii condition. Cheka cheka ukipanguza mkono na hanky before usalimiane. Beba cotton hankies, kama sita hivi ama face towel za kupanguza sweat.

Sadly, some of these antiperspirants are super expensive and can only accessed via online platforms such as amazon. Sii kila mtu anaeza access these online platforms. Thus, inakuwa ngumu for people with this condition to manage it well.

Also, Hyperhidrosis is not covered by insurance companies, which is rather unfortunate! Therefore, it is of great importance that insurance companies come up with medical packages that take into consideration people experiencing this condition. Ama namna gani? Jubilee Insurance? APA Insurance? ICEA Lion?

Now back to what our legend (Martin) did. On Sato 26th May, 2018 Marto made history. He celebrated his 31st birthday by cycling to Kisumu to Raise Awareness about Hyperhidrosis. Cool! Sindio?

Marto on his way to Kisumu

Martin is the founder of ‘Hyperhidrosis The Perfect Imperfection Initiative’. This is the very first in Kenya and Africa, to offer support in terms of advise and solutions as well as raise awareness on Hyperhidrosis as a medical condition that many struggle with, with or without their knowledge.

The Foundation’s mission is to Restore Hope and Confidence by breaking the social stigma associated with Hyperhidrosis. Among its many goals is to have a State of The Art Skin Clinic that will treat Hyperhidrosis and give a sigh of relief to all those who struggle with it. This will entail offering medical solutions medically, home remedies, personal hacks, and counseling services.

Their biggest achievement will be having Hyperhidrosis Associations in different African States.

We’ve been walking with Martin from day 1. Watch it here!

Living With Hyperhidrosis Part 1

Living With Hyperhidrosis Part 2

So ka we ni youth anapitia hii struggle manze usikufe moyo. Accept your condition vile iko until ifike point haunotice uko na shida ya sweating. This is the first step to deal with the insecurities that come with it. Alafu talk about it whenever you can…sema till kieleweke.

Now! If you were to cycle for a cause, what would it be? Imagine cycling from here to Kisumu. Would you do it?

Keep up the GOOD WORK Marto!

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