SweatSolutions.org: New Pediatric Hyperhidrosis Clinic, First of Its Kind

May/June 2010 Edition Table of Contents:

» New Pediatric Hyperhidrosis Clinic, First of Its Kind

» Summer's Here: We've Got Sweatin' on our Minds

» Hyperhidrosis Teaching Seminars Benefit Patients Most

» Physician Assistants Becoming Integral to Hyperhidrosis Care

» View Events

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New Pediatric Hyperhidrosis Clinic, First of Its Kind

In the realm of medical care, the most compassionate doctors are frequently the ones who know first-hand the experience of living with the disease they are treating.

This most certainly is the case with Dr. Hill, who recently started the new Pediatric Hyperhidrosis Clinic at The Children�s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, is uniquely qualified to treat pediatric patients with excessive sweating because, as a teen, she too experienced the isolation and esteem-crushing effects of hyperhidrosis.

To say this is ground-breaking would be an understatement: The number of clinics dedicated to treating hyperhidrosis is practically nonexistent. And to have one that is dedicated to children and teens �the most in-need segment of the hyperhidrosis population--is another sign that the treatment and understanding of hyperhidrosis is improving.

The clinic opened its doors to patients in February 2010; on July 1 of this year, the clinic will move to the Milwaukee suburb of New Berlin. The clinic is currently conducted on the first and third Thursday of every month, but availability can increase in frequency, depending on demand and need.

Given her dedication, it�s not surprising that Dr. Hill had an interest in the study of dermatology from a young age. �It's the reason I went to medical school,� she says. She studied medicine at Medical College of Wisconsin and, during her medical school rotations, she developed an interest in pediatrics and ultimately completed residencies in both pediatrics and in dermatology. She will finish a Pediatric Dermatology fellowship in June.

Dr. Hill credits Dee Anna Glaser, MD--IHHS founding board member as well as an American Academy of Dermatology board member--for fueling her interest by mentoring her when they worked together at St. Louis University.

�I became interested in treating hyperhidrosis because, like many of my patients, it was something I began to have a problem with when I was in junior high school,� she explains. �Having experienced the feeling of isolation and social embarrassment, I felt compelled to do my best to help fix it for other people.�

When asked if she ever shares this secret with her patients, Dr. Hill replies, �almost always, especially the teenagers. It lets patients know that people they may never suspect also suffer with the same issues. My hope is that it helps them feel less isolated and more secure knowing that they are being treated by someone who knows exactly what they�re going through.�

She continues the thought, adding, �This isolation has a most profound effect on kids and teens living with hyperhidrosis. Growing up within the confinement of this socially ostracizing disease is detrimental to a child�s development and sense of self. We have to change that dynamic.�

Regarding the future of the pediatric hyperhidrosis population, Dr. Hill sees positives ahead. �I think that, as is generally the case with pediatric medicine, as therapies improve for adults, those benefits filter through to the pediatric patients. The pediatric dermatology community is trying hard to increase our numbers so that there will be more of us available to treat these patients in the future.�

Dr. Hill's initiative and pioneering spirit are innovating hyperhidrosis care; she is an incredible asset to her patients and to the pediatric hyperhidrosis community. Those attending our highly regarded hyperhidrosis live-patient medical education seminar in Atlanta on June 5, 2010, will have an opportunity to meet and/or work with Dr. Hill.

Want to learn more about hyperhidrosis in children and teens? Take a look at an article that recently appeared in this newsletter and definitely visit the Teen section on the IHHS website. This section is dedicated to improving the lives of kids who silently, and often solely, bear the burden of living with excessive sweating. Take advantage of the Know Sweat Now book, available free-of-charge from this site. If you find the information useful, consider making a donation; large or small, our member contributions help us to continue offering support to the ones who need it most.

And for all our readers who are fortunate enough to live in the Milwaukee metropolitan region, take advantage of Dr. Samantha Hill�s rare and unique pediatric hyperhidrosis clinic. Appointments are currently being booked for July and August.