Power Trip
Have We Got a Cure for You!
Navigating the pharmaceutical industry’s “disease awareness campaign” rabbit hole
Three girls are jumping, seemingly for joy. Their hands are outstretched and their faces are lit up with wide smiles. A fourth girl stands to the side, rooted to the ground. Her arms are held to her sides, and she looks dejected. Then you see it, a dark circle on her blue shirt — a pit stain!
“Embarrassed about excessive sweating?” the caption inquires. “You’re not alone. Find out what it could be and how others may just be coping with it.”
According to the website, www.CheckYourSweat.com, 15 million people suffer from hyperhidrosis, “a real medical condition” also known as excessive sweating. Curious if you’re one of them? The site points you to a quiz to assess your own sweatiness and “determine if it’s more than just ‘normal’ sweat.” Questions include, “In the last day, have you experienced excessive underarm sweating?” and “In the last week, did you ever have to change your shirt or clothes during the day because of underarm sweating?”
No matter your responses — even if you answer no to all the questions — the results are clear: If sweating bothers you more than you think it should, talk to a dermatologist. What’s less clear is why the…
