When can I see a specialist?

Post your questions about eczema here.

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smallred
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Jul 14, 2017 9:10 am
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by smallred on Fri Jul 14, 2017 9:39 am

When can I see a specialist?

Hi,

I am 27 and suffer from eczema since born.
It has however gotten worse in the last year. Before, the areas effected would be inside elbows, behind the knee and around mouth and eyes.
Now it appears the length of my arms, tops of my thighs, below and on my bum, my shoulders, across my chest and top and bottom of my back.
I would say I try and look after my skin the best that I have ever done. I have hay-fever, allergy to fish and nuts, stress does effect it also.
I am extremely frustrated and been to the doctors a number of times in the last months. The doctor is keen to treat the eczema but refuses to help prevent it.
I really want to be able to reduce the flare ups at the very least but I cannot seem to find a trigger on my own. Obviously I am so self-conscious and when it does flare, I stress more so the flare increases. What are my options, can I get help somewhere else?
Appreciate your advice.

Red

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Dr Sharon Wong
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed May 10, 2017 11:43 am
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by Dr Sharon Wong on Fri Jul 14, 2017 10:25 am

Re: When can I see a specialist?

Dear smallred

Many thanks for your post and I'm sorry to hear you're having such a difficult time with your eczema. Eczema is often due to a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors and it can be very difficult to establish exactly the trigger for each flare up. It sounds as though you are getting very frequent flares and the extent of eczema has worsened in the last year.
I would advise going back to your GP surgery as I think you probably require stronger treatments, but also to assess whether there are any signs of infection which may have triggered a flare of your eczema. Some GPs have undergone additional training in dermatology, known as GPSIs (GPs with Special Interests in Dermatology) who may be better suited to supervise your treatment. It may be worth asking if your practice has a resident GPSI you could see next time. If not I would advise you ask for a referral to see an NHS Dermatologist.

Best of luck
Dr Sharon Wong
Consultant Dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... n_wong.php

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