A challenge I have learned to coexist with throughout my entire life is palmar hyperhidrosis: a
condition characterized by excessive sweating of the hands in circumstances where my body
does not have a physiological purpose for it.
Awkward handshakes, soggy notebook papers, and smudged fingerprint scans have plagued
me in ways that most people will never have to think about. Drying my pens and pencils,
wearing vinyl gloves while cooking, and constantly having to wipe my hands against my pants is
at best embarrassing, and at worst, hindering. My mother, who had hyperhidrosis when she was
younger, has long since physiologically outgrown it and forgotten what it was like. I have never
met anyone else who is like me.
Hyperhidrosis is obscure to the general population. I don’t explain it to many. I offer first bumps
instead of high-fives, and I perpetually keep a jacket on me to slide the sleeve under my hand
when I’m writing. I grab an extra stack of napkins when I’m eating at a restaurant, and I wear
weightlifting gloves when I’m at the gym. I have found ways to circumvent my issues. I have
discovered alternatives and accommodations where they are applicable. My problems never
disappear, but they can almost always be mitigated.
When people think of the term “disability”, they usually think of something that is visible to the
eye. When it comes to physical disabilities, wheelchairs are a commonly depicted symbol. We
see the handicap icon in places such as parking lots, public bathrooms, and automatically
opening doors. When it comes to neurological disorders, however, things are often less obvious.
But while people may not be able to spot neurological conditions in an individual right away,
usually they’ll have some sort of background knowledge about them. Cerebral palsy, epilepsy,
and autism spectrum disorder are all diagnoses we are generally familiar with.
Whether something is considered a disability or not highly depends on the individual who has it.
Because we all come from different walks of life, and symptoms of conditions can present
themselves very differently from one person to the next, the severity of an affliction is subjective.
For me, I hesitate to call my hyperhidrosis a disability, but I definitely think that there are many
aspects of my social, personal, and professional life that it affects negatively.
Because of my experiences, I am very open-minded towards the struggles of others. When
people use the terms “equity” and “privilege”, they usually mention them in the context of
race/ethnicity or social class. However, I believe that these terms can be applied to a lot more
than that. There are infinite aspects within life that someone can be disadvantaged in, even if
they are well-off in other ways.
Compassion is a learned skill, and it’s a tool I wield everyday. There are already enough
challenges that affect us in our everyday lives that performing acts of kindness, no matter how
small they may be, can go a long way. Being kind costs nothing, and it’s one of the easiest and
most effective forms of positivity one can offer to the world. I never assume to know what
someone is going through, but I always make sure to be understanding regardless. I know my
contribution will be meaningful to somebody out there, and for me, that is more than enough of a
reason to do it.
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