What Am I Allergic To

Looking After Your Allergic Skin  Here are a few tips to looking after your Allergic skin. First please consult your doctor to get a diagnosis and medical advice on your skin condition.   Identify and avoid the trigger allergen. If you are able to identify the trigger or possibility for your skin allergy do tell your doctor about it. Clearly avoid that trigger ingredient.  You may need to be prepared to be referred to a dermatologist or to have skin tests to determine your condition or allergies. Use whatever washes and creams your doctor prescribes for you exactly as prescribed. If you get any reaction from the use of the prescribed creams do tell your doctor straight away, there will be alternatives they can give you.  If you would like to use other creams do check with your doctor first and use in a very small area to test out first for several days before using more widely. Watch your skin carefully for any improvement and any wors...

OK so I was waiting to see the dermatologist. In the waiting room were so many people with skin conditions, even little children. I had no idea before that so many people had so many skin issues.  I was doing my best to hide my own skin as I thought it looked horrible, yet it was so sore and itchy and inflamed I didn't really want any clothing on it. You can see my skin in the photograph above.  Being dressed for me was simply agony.... When I saw the dermatologist she took a history then asked me to undress to my underwear so she could examine all my skin. This took a little time  and afterwards she came back with a diagnosis. She said I had severe sunburn! I was quite shocked by this as although we had been on holiday I had covered up, worn a factor 50 suncream, not sunbathed, and worn a hat so I really thought I had been very careful.... Anyway so in a bit of a daze i was directed how to use a steroid cream - a potent one to relieve the irritation and the inflammat...

I rang the doctor surgery the next morning, it was a Monday and typically there were no appointments left. The receptionist asked if I needed to see a doctor urgently- hmmm I thought well no I am not bleeding or having breathing issues so No - but I said maybe I need to see someone- so she booked me in with a nurse for half an hour later. Thank goodness our doctor is close by as the walk there was a nightmare, my arms felt heavy and the blisters were now filled with a weird fluid.  I went in to see the nurse who took one look at my arms and said you need to see a Dr today - now! She said she thought it was infected and that I would need antibiotics. she didn't really want me to leave the surgery and sorted it out for me to see the Dr as soon as he had a gap. I went in to see our doctor, I had seen him before and he is a very calm, measured doctor, nice and professional. However, I saw the look on his face when he saw my arms and knew he was shocked at what he saw.  I r...

I wanted to start this blog with an expression of thanks to my healthcare team. In all my experiences of my skin condition one of the main things that has kept me going and kept me calm is the caring, professional and calm approach of my family Doctor.  Looking back I feel it is so important to be able to talk with your family doctor, to be honest how you feel, for them to be honest with you, and to feel able to ask questions, discuss concerns, for them to listen to you  and to feel like you really are a partner in your care and treatment.  I was so lucky to have that communication with my Doctor. later I will share some of the most useful questions I asked and the questions I was asked to help to advise me and help me to recover and deal with my skin condition.  For now I just wanted to say thank you to my doctors-they know who they are- for sticking with me through all of this quite horrible condition, for answering my many queries and questions and helping m...