MONTEGO Bay psychologist Dr Pearnel Bell is calling for research into whether there is a relationship between hyperhidrosis – a condition of the nervous system that causes heavy sweating – and conduct disorder in children.

According to Bell, who operates a private practice in Montego Bay, 90 per cent of the 24 or so children she sees monthly who have conduct disorder also suffer from hyperhidrosis.

“Apart from the fact that it (hyperhidrosis) affects self-esteem, there should be some investigation to see whether there is some connection between the two (conduct disorder and hyperhidrosis),” she told Career & Education. “Every single time I see students coming in here who have conduct disorder, I see them with the problem of hyperhydrosis.”

She added that it would be necessary to have a variety of stakeholders participate in such an investigation.

“(We need) psychologists, medical practitioners, people like those to see if there is any correlation because suppose there are students in the classroom with conduct disorder are experiencing this (in part because of an) overactive nervous system, that means they are going untreated and the treatment that we are using is not what is needed,” Bell said.

Meanwhile, the Montego Bay psychologist has urged parents and educators alike to pay more careful attention to hyperhidrosis in children. She said this was necessary given its potential to impede learning.

“We know for sure that there are psychological problems that come with a child with this condition and the psychological problems come one, if you are sweating all the time, it may cause the child to carry an odour,” she said. “This, in turn, causes self-esteem problems. Other students will say, ‘Bwoy how yuh cyaan sweat suh?’ or ‘How yuh smell suh?’ The child could be constantly in fear of going into groups because of problems with sweating.”

Added Bell: “Many of them sweat profusely, and in sweating, they can’t hold their pens, and the book becomes sweaty and wet and this, too, could be affecting learning. I have clients who are sweating and every minute they have to go outside to dry their hands.”

Among the symptoms of hyperhidrosis are excessively sweaty palms, hands, armpits, feet or facial blushing. Sweating in these areas of the body may occur in isolation or all at once. According to information from the site www.hyperhidrosis.com, the condition, which has hereditary tendencies, has nothing to do with the temperature of the environment but is “influenced by emotional excitement”.

Currently, the condition may be treated with an outpatient procedure called ETS or Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy.

“Immediately upon completion of your ETS procedure, the difficult, embarrassing symptoms that you may have lived with for years, are eliminated and you can begin experiencing without excessive sweating,” notes the hyperhidrosis website.

It was not immediately clear how much the procedure would cost in Jamaica.

Non-surgical methods of treatment include the use of stronger antiperspirants such as Drysol; and drugs such as probanthine and Xana under the care of a physician, according to www.hyperhidrosis.com.