David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Emerging Ally: School Nurses Take on Important Role in Hyperhidrosis Care
Odds are that a school nurse will be the most constant healthcare provider in a child's early life. From their vantages, they can reach untold numbers of children and teens during these formative, and often painfully difficult, years. School nurses are proving to be a tremendous asset in reaching young hyperhidrosis sufferers.
That said, when we loaded up the U-haul with our Know Sweat in School kits (which were put together with a generous grant from the makers of Secret Clinical Strength and Gillette Clinical Strength antiperspirants). "There wasn't a moment to breathe: Right from the get-go we were mobbed," she reported. "We brought about a thousand school kits with us and we sold out completely. Plus, we had another thousand requests from nurses who asked for the kits to be shipped." Pieretti was also pleased to report that a number of education coordinators from around the U.S. asked that the IHHS come to speak at upcoming meetings.
Pieretti's conversations with these nurses and coordinators confirmed what the IHHS is already well aware of: There is a substantial lack of knowledge about the condition of hyperhidrosis, even among healthcare providers, and the need and desire for knowledge is great.
Pieretti continues, "My gut feeling about why we had this tremendous response is that information about the medical condition of excessive sweating is totally new and therefore VERY welcomed. The nurses themselves were resounding; we lost count of the number who came up to our booth and said, ?I have this and, yes, I also had excessive sweating as a child!'. People are amazed that it has a name and that there are treatments available."
Understanding that hyperhidrosis is a real medical condition resulted in many 'Ah ha!' moments, some of them quite emotional. "We heard over and over: 'I know a child who has this. He gets sent down to my office all the time because his hands are sweating so much.'" Another nurse was nearly in tears when she realized that her daughter has hyperhidrosis and she had been dismissing it as no big deal," she added.
How about helping out a school nurse in your community? You can donate a KNOW SWEAT in School kit by clicking here. School kit materials include kid-friendly workbooks, wall posters, and other goodies that will help start the conversation about dealing with hyperhidrosis.
It's important to reach young ones who suffer with excessive sweating. The devastating effects of this disease can last a lifetime (as our school nurses demonstrated). The power of this little kit comes from more than its effect on a child's excessive sweating; it is its potential to influence her future that's powerful.
Odds are that a school nurse will be the most constant healthcare provider in a child's early life. From their vantages, they can reach untold numbers of children and teens during these formative, and often painfully difficult, years. School nurses are proving to be a tremendous asset in reaching young hyperhidrosis sufferers.
That said, when we loaded up the U-haul with our Know Sweat in School kits (which were put together with a generous grant from the makers of Secret Clinical Strength and Gillette Clinical Strength antiperspirants). "There wasn't a moment to breathe: Right from the get-go we were mobbed," she reported. "We brought about a thousand school kits with us and we sold out completely. Plus, we had another thousand requests from nurses who asked for the kits to be shipped." Pieretti was also pleased to report that a number of education coordinators from around the U.S. asked that the IHHS come to speak at upcoming meetings.
Pieretti's conversations with these nurses and coordinators confirmed what the IHHS is already well aware of: There is a substantial lack of knowledge about the condition of hyperhidrosis, even among healthcare providers, and the need and desire for knowledge is great.
Pieretti continues, "My gut feeling about why we had this tremendous response is that information about the medical condition of excessive sweating is totally new and therefore VERY welcomed. The nurses themselves were resounding; we lost count of the number who came up to our booth and said, ?I have this and, yes, I also had excessive sweating as a child!'. People are amazed that it has a name and that there are treatments available."
Understanding that hyperhidrosis is a real medical condition resulted in many 'Ah ha!' moments, some of them quite emotional. "We heard over and over: 'I know a child who has this. He gets sent down to my office all the time because his hands are sweating so much.'" Another nurse was nearly in tears when she realized that her daughter has hyperhidrosis and she had been dismissing it as no big deal," she added.
How about helping out a school nurse in your community? You can donate a KNOW SWEAT in School kit by clicking here. School kit materials include kid-friendly workbooks, wall posters, and other goodies that will help start the conversation about dealing with hyperhidrosis.
It's important to reach young ones who suffer with excessive sweating. The devastating effects of this disease can last a lifetime (as our school nurses demonstrated). The power of this little kit comes from more than its effect on a child's excessive sweating; it is its potential to influence her future that's powerful.
