Eczema – Preparing for your Appointment

Normally, it is not difficult coping with your eczema symptoms; however, if you find that your symptoms are worsening and becoming intolerable or if you notice new and unusual symptoms, scheduling an appointment with your doctor or skin care professional may be just the thing you need to address your worsening and unusual problems.  Below are some good tips on how to best prepare for your appointment.

The physician will converse with you regarding your medical and family history, allergies you may have and the medicines you are taking for your eczema and other conditions.  You need to answer the doctor’s questions as honestly as possible so he may come up with an accurate diagnosis and hence a right plan of treatment. To achieve this, you need to get as much information as you can about your medical history and keep a journal that contains all the important aspects of your health history in order not to forget them. Jot down your eczema symptoms and signs as well as their duration and the time and date they occurred. You also need to list down all the known and suspected factors that trigger or exacerbate your symptoms. These can be things like hot and long showers, sweating, cigarette smoke, detergents or soaps.

Your doctor or skin care professional may also ask you about any modifications you recently made to your lifestyle. He may also query you about some of the new products you’ve been using that he suspects to be triggers for your eczema. You need to include all types of drugs and skin products that you use including steroids, vitamins and herbal supplements. Stress is a big factor in causing eczema and you may need to tell your doctor if you have lately been under a great amount of stress.

You may undergo certain skin exams recommended by your doctor so he can diagnose the type of eczema you’re experiencing.  Corresponding treatments are given to certain types of eczema. Some symptoms may require the use of topical medications to alleviate symptoms such as irritation and redness. Oral medicines may be prescribed by the doctor if your symptoms are severe. You can write down all questions you have for your doctor so you may not forget to ask them during your appointment. Do not be ashamed asking questions that you think need to be asked to your doctor.

Some relevant questions you can ask your doctor regarding your eczema can include:

• What do you think are the causes of my eczema symptoms?
• Do I need to undergo tests to ascertain the diagnosis?
• What do you think is the best treatment plan for my condition?
• Is my skin condition temporary or long-term?
• Is it right to just wait for my condition to resolve on its own?
• What other treatment plans are available besides the ones you’re suggesting?
• What skin care regimens can you recommend to uplift my condition?

The doctor, in turn, will ask you a number of questions related to your conditions. The questions can come like these:

• When did you first notice your symptoms?
• How frequent do these symptoms occur?
• Are your symptoms occurring occasionally or continuous?
• What things seem to better your symptoms?
• What things seem to worsen your symptoms?
• Do you have allergies or asthma? Do any of your family members and close relatives have allergies or asthma?
• What skin products do you use?

 

Vital Gate Acupuncture
107 W 82nd St
New York, NY 10024
(212) 873-4244
http://www.vitalgate.com/