My forearms are very itchy, no rash at all

Patient: hi there , my forearms are very itchy, no rash at all

Optional Information
Gender: male
Age: 33
Already Tried: Calamine lotion

Doctor:

a few questions for clarity:

1) any medical problems

2) any medications

3) any new products (detergent , soap)

4) are your arms exposed to sun?

5) any other symptoms- fever, cough, cold etc

6) are you an allergic type?

7) How long have you had this?

That should do it for now- then I can answer efficiently for you!!

Patient:

1) any medical problems – NO I AM IN VERY GOOD HEALTH

2) any medications – NO

3) any new products (detergent , soap) – NOT THAT I CAN REMEMBER,

4) are your arms exposed to sun? YES

5) any other symptoms- fever, cough, cold etc – NO

6) are you an allergic type? – I WAS AS A CHILD. MILK, DUST ETC.. I JUST GREW OUT OF IT.

7) How long have you had this? FOR 1.5 YEARS , NOT ALL THE TIME THOUGH.

Doctor:

OK
There are many cause of itching- unexplained to us, but there are ways to clarify.

Being a healthy man and Continue reading My forearms are very itchy, no rash at all

A couple of my fingernails are curling downward as they grow.

Patient: A couple of my fingernails are curling downward as they grow. Is this due to a poor diet?

Optional Information
Gender: female
Age: 60
Already Tried: nothing

Doctor: Fingernail changes are due to SO many things, it is hard to say without a picture.

But in general, if your fingernails are strong, but curling this is less of a concern than if they are weak and “bendy”.

Specifically:

Curling down is very much associated with respiratory problems- asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and the like.

Iron deficiency will produce pale nails which can curl.

There are many other causes-

See this site at Mayo-

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nails/WO00055

There has not been shown that any dietary change can produce real changes.

However, it depends on what exactly is wrong.

In general, protein, calcium, Vit, B and C have all been used to give better nail health.

So-

You want to be examined- think of the nails as the windows to Continue reading A couple of my fingernails are curling downward as they grow.

Hello. I had a 2″ x 2″ abscess drained on my shoulder in the ER last Friday.

Patient: Hello. I had a 2″ x 2″ abscess drained on my shoulder in the ER last Friday. She packed it with the sterile stuffing and told me to have my dermatologist remove it today. The derm had an emergency and had to change my appointment to Wednesday. My question is, should I pull the packing out myself. I’m on antibiotics and everything seems fine but this seems like an excessive amount of time to have this packing in.

Optional Information
Gender: f
Age: 39
Already Tried: on keflex and bactrim

Doctor: Greetings.

A packing should not stay for more than 72 hours after abscess drainage as it can harbor infection with the delay. Ideally it should be done by a doctor as it may need a repacking sometimes with the sterile gauze. Going to an urgent care clinic (any walk in clinic) or getting help at your primary care physician would be the best thing to do. If that is not possible, you may do it on your own. Get some sterile gauze and Continue reading Hello. I had a 2″ x 2″ abscess drained on my shoulder in the ER last Friday.

My brother in law has had a condition he says the doctors can’t

Patient: My brother in law has had a condition he says the doctors can’t help but we think he has never even gone to a doctor. I started more than ten years ago under both his eyes on his cheekbones and now has spread all over both cheeks down to the jawline–it is little craters, like acne craters, with puffy edges and what looks like black heads in the center. It is terrible to look at and he must be so miserable but won’t admit it an won’t seek help. surely in these modern times there must be something that can be done with lasers, etc.

Doctor: there are many treatments for acne , if that is just the problem.

When a dermatologist says nothing can be done- and that is VERY rare, I would believe it as they are in tune to all of the dermabrasion and laser technology out there.

If he does not do steroids (anabolic) then there is a diagnosis at hand that Continue reading My brother in law has had a condition he says the doctors can’t