Category: Health

Questions You Should Be Asking Your Dermatologist

An appointment with your dermatologist needn’t solely focus on your reason for going in, so make the most of your visit to the doctor by asking a range of important questions. This can include getting clarification on why your skin has recently changed, what could be causing your breakouts, or learning more about latest skin care technologies. No matter the case, asking these 11 questions are absolutely worth bringing up while you are in front of a specialist. Take this advice and we guarantee you’ll leave the doctor’s office with some valuable (and perhaps even life-changing) information.

How can I monitor my moles?

Early detection is the key to effective treating melanoma skin cancer. But instead of relying on your dermatologist to check for any abnormalities, ask your doctor to teach you how to monitor your body at home, then do so on a regular basis. Your dermatologist will be able to tell you which warning signs to look out for during a self exam — this knowledge could truly save your life.

Is my diet damaging my skin?

The food you put into your body is just as important as the products you use on your skin. To have a glowing, vibrant complexion, that means your diet needs to align with the needs of your skin, and anything greasy or full of sugar will have the opposite effect. Mediterranean foods like fish, leafy greens, and olive oil, Health explains, are a great foundation for a healthy skin diet.

What are the best products for my skin type?

It’s difficult to understand your skin type without the help of a professional. For example, you might assume that you have oily skin because of your shiny T-zone, but your dermatologist may consider your skin a combination, or even dry. Get a doctor’s advice on what kind of skin you have, and use this as the first step to selecting the right products for you.

How often should I exfoliate?

Exfoliation is a crucial step in your skin care routine, but knowing how often to do it isn’t really clear. You don’t want to over-exfoliate, InStyle points out, as this can get rid of cells that aren’t ready to be shed. That being said, you also don’t want to under-exfoliate, as you’ll be left with blackheads, a layer of dead skin, and clogged pores.

To get a definitive answer, ask your dermatologist how many times per week they recommend you exfoliate. Asking them first means you can avoid any problems associated with exfoliating too often or not enough.

How can i better protect my skin?

We wish our patients asked more questions about skin cancer protection and the risks of sun damage. Preventative care with the use of sunblock is paramount for your overall health and appearance. “The number one cause of aging is sun damage. “It is important to remind our patients that sunscreen, while helpful and necessary, is not equivalent to actually blocking the sun. Even with sunscreen, spending significant time in the sun will still cause sun damage.” And the dangers of prolonged sun exposure go far beyond the cosmetic. In addition to the negative cosmetic effects of aging, significant sun exposure also significantly increases their risk of skin cancers.

Is it okay to go out in the sun with this prescription?

While sun exposure isn’t exactly celebrated in the dermatology world to begin with, some treatments may make your skin even more sensitive to sunlight. If you’re taking a topical or oral medication for skin, be sure to ask your doctor if sun exposure will throw a monkey wrench into the treatment.

Which foods should I be avoiding?

Whether you’ve got an allergy to gluten or you’re unknowingly consuming a hundred grams of sugar hiding in your power bars every day, ask your dermatologist which foods you should be staying away from. Certain ingredients (like gluten) can hide in foods, and changing your diet can dramatically change your skin.

Are there ingredients that will upset my skin?

Much like food, there are skin care ingredients that should be avoided at all costs, depending on your skin type. For those with acne, benzoyl peroxide works wonders, but the same ingredient can make dry skin even more dry. Talk to your doctor about what will work best for you.

Do I really have to wear sunscreen for a quick errand?

This is a question that I’ve never asked, because I didn’t want to know the answer. I assumed the answer would be yes, but it seems silly to glob on sunscreen so that I can walk from my car into the coffee shop. However, it truly is a question that needs to be considered.

It’s a good idea to apply sunscreen every morning before you apply your makeup. Sun damage is cumulative, so an hour here and an hour there adds up over the years. Take a bottle of sunscreen with you in your bag so you have it ready when it’s time to reapply later. Reapply every two hours or so and more often if you get sweaty or wet.

Is indoor tanning okay?

Now come on, we know what the dermatologist’s answer is going to be to this one, but so many bright young women still worship the tanning bed. If you’ve been indulging in a little extra UV action, talk to your dermatologist about the real dangers.

The UV rays from a tanning booth are harmful to your skin and increase your chance of developing melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. “They also cause premature signs of aging such as wrinkles and brown spots.”

In fact, people who try a tanning bed before turning 35 have a 75 percent increased risk of developing melanoma over the course of their lives! Tanning is responsible for more cases of skin cancer than smoking is for cases of lung cancer. Bottom line? It’s just not worth it.

What is this acne coming from?

Acne triggers are all around us, and if you find the root of the problem, you’ll be one step closer to a solution. Depending on whether your acne is caused by your diet, stress or hormonal changes, you can form an attack plan that will really work.

Do I need sunscreen on cloudy days?

It’s easy to remember sunscreen when you’re hanging at the pool and the sun is beating down on you. However, if you’re standing outside on a gloomy day watching your daughter play soccer, it just doesn’t seem as important. However, the weather truly doesn’t matter when it comes to wearing sunscreen.

You should wear sunscreen everyday, even on cloudy and cool days to help protect your skin from sun damage, premature signs of aging, and skin cancer. “You may not realize it, but even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can shine through the clouds.”

How do I talk to a pain management doctor?

When you’re in pain, getting through the day can be tough. So can finding the right solution for relief. There are many causes and types of pain, and everyone experiences it differently. A pain specialist can help develop a treatment plan for your unique situation. But he or she needs your input.

Effective communication with your doctor is a key piece of the pain management puzzle.

While most people think pain is all the same, there are actually several different types of pain,. Physicians who understand your challenges will have the best opportunity to find treatments directed toward each specific type of pain.

Here’s how you can have more productive conversations about pain with your doctor.

Why pain is hard to diagnose

In the most basic sense, pain is a biological process that protects you. When you get injured, your body produces chemicals that send pain messages to your spinal cord. The spinal cord delivers those messages to your brain, which process them and produces the sensation of pain. That’s called acute pain.

Chronic pain — which lasts for weeks, months or years — is a little more complicated. It often does not have an apparent purpose. It can hang around after an injury or surgery, or arise from a medical condition like arthritis or fibromyalgia. Over time, it can also result in changes to your nervous system that affect how you perceive pain. Rather, chronic pain is often associated with a number of complex interactions that play different roles in the creation of pain signals from a site of injury to the brain.

Help your doctor help you     

If you’re seeing a pain specialist for the first time, here’s what to bring to your appointment:

• A list of medical diagnoses, recent surgeries or procedures.
• An up-to-date list of medications you’re taking. “We specifically want to know how you’re actually taking the medicine, even if it’s slightly different from what’s written on the bottle. If it’s supposed to be taken three times a day and you only take it once, this is an important detail which will help enhance the way we construct your treatment plan.
• A list of treatments you’ve tried and why you stopped them. Perhaps there was a side effect, or they simply didn’t work.

Keep a pain diary

No, I don’t mean the angsty journal you kept as a teenager. (Although those aren’t a bad idea either.) A pain diary is basically a symptom log — but the main symptom you’re tracking is pain. Tracking your pain levels can provide helpful context to your doctor, helping them identify patterns and understand how your pain impacts your life. And if your appointment happens to be on a low- or no-pain day, your diary can show your doctor that the pain is still a problem even if you’re not expressing it right at that moment.

You can keep a pain diary on paper using any number of different formats. This is a great spreadsheet that also includes helpful info on how to identify and record pain. You can also use an app. Apps can send notifications to remind you to make an entry. They can also track patterns for you and export your data in a convenient spreadsheet to take to your doctor. Try a few and see which one works best for you!

How to discuss your pain level

Bender notes to seek help if your pain, chronic or acute, is interfering with your quality of life. Since everyone measures quality of life differently, this judgement is subjective. If your pain is impacting your sleep, eating habits, desire to be social or your capability to go to work or school, then it is time to seek help.

Because pain is so subjective, people often have trouble communicating how they feel to their health care providers. To circumvent this difficulty, health care providers often give their patients different tools like surveys or scales to measure pain.

Pain scales often have the user rank their level of pain from one to 10. These scales can use colors, pictures of facial expressions or numbers to represent the increasing or decreasing severity of pain

Explain exactly how your pain limits your life

Medical professionals sometimes take pain more seriously when they see that it’s impacting your ability to work, maintain relationships, care for yourself, or have an acceptable quality of life.

Does your pain reduce your ability to focus on things? Play with your children? Drive or use public transit? Are you late to work because it hurts to get out of bed? Do you avoid exercising or going out to see friends?

As you know if you’ve dealt with it, untreated serious pain impacts just about every part of our lives, no matter which parts of the body it effects. We become more easily fatigued and quicker to anger. We stop doing things like exercising, cooking, and cleaning, which are necessary for health and self-care.

If the spoons metaphor resonates with you, you can use it to show your doctor that you have to make tradeoffs every day when deciding what to do with your limited spoons — shower or laundry? Go to work or be an attentive parent or spouse? Take a short walk or cook a healthy meal?

Pain isn’t just an unpleasant experience. It leads to a whole cascade of forced choices and compromises that diminish our lives. Make sure your doctor knows that.

Tips for Talking With Your Doctor

Before you go:

Think about what you want from your doctor.

• Do you want analysis?

Question: Are there scans or tests to better diagnose my condition?

• Do you want information?

Question: What causes my pain?

Question: Does my daily diet, exercise or sleep pattern help or worsen the pain?

Question: What are the pros and cons of available treatments?

• Do you want advice?

Question: What treatments do you think are best for me?

Question: Are there things in addition to medical treatments that could help?

• Do you want reassurance?

Question: Will you continue to work with me to find the best treatment for me?

Question: Will you tell me if you think another treatment or second opinion may help?

Create a list of the questions you want answered.

Review the list before your appointment. Revise to form the three top questions you want answered. Practice asking the questions with another person to test their clarity. If possible, include words that reflect what you want (advice, analysis, etc.) identified above.

Bring notes about your pain.

Be able to clearly describe its location, intensity, changes over time, and how it affects your life.

Be assertive, but don’t blame healthcare providers.

They cannot feel your pain, so you need to communicate clearly and work together for a solution. If your questions are not answered, ask for a follow-up appointment or email to get the answers you seek. Referrals to other providers may be needed to help you think, feel and do as well as possible despite ongoing pain.