Woman who sweats three liters a day recalls the surprising first symptoms of her debilitating condition
A woman who has a condition where she sweats by the bucketloads every single day has revealed what the first signs were.
Darcie Hamilton, from Scotland, UK, was just 10 years old when she realized she sweats quite a bit more than the average person.
After being bullied at school for her apparent problem, she left at the age of 14 - and two years later was diagnosed with 'one of the worst cases' of hyperhidrosis that medical professionals had ever seen.
More than a decade on and the situation for Darcie has become aggressively worse, to the point where the 22-year-old can sweat a whopping three liters a day.
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As a result, she carries around spare clothes to change into and hops into the shower at least five times a day in a bid to fight the condition.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the condition causes the body 'to sweat more than it needs to, sometimes for no apparent reason'.
It occurs when the body is regulating temperature, with sweating occurring at rest, in cold temperatures or just at random times when you wouldn't expect to sweat.
Research suggests an estimated three percent of adults in the US between the ages of 20 and 60 have hyperhidrosis.
Speaking to This Morning, Darcie said her first symptoms occurred as a child - but only noticed when exercising.
She said: "When I was in school, primary school, I would notice taking part in physical activity, I would be sweating a lot more than my peers.
"I would be sweating from the top of my armpits to practically the top of my waist, so it was really bad, really visible and notable."
The young woman said her time at school became marred by her condition, with classmates calling her 'dirty' and bullying her.
As she got older, it got even worse, with chafing, rashes, blisters and 'really bad sores' caused by the sweat, with even the materials of certain clothing adding to her ordeal.
"It overtook my life, I was in my bed all day every day. I didn't want to leave the house or make friends. I was embarrassed," she added.
"I really struggled to have good intake of fluids so that would cause migraines, really sore head.
"I would just be exhausted all the time just from the symptoms."
Darcie had to chug five liters of water a day to stop herself from becoming dehydrated, while the sweat then caused her a score of skin conditions, including contact dermatitis, a type of eczema.
"The sores in my armpits and hands were excruciating. I would get hundreds of tiny blisters on both hands," she admitted.
She was even offered Botox injections under the NHS to help tackle the symptoms, though this was later withdrawn and meant she had to fork out privately for the treatment.
Darcie explained: "I got one appointment and it changed my life for a year. Just over a year. No symptoms.
"I was a completely different person, full of confidence.
"I felt like I could go out with friends, I could socialize. Wear what I want."
Liv Bridge