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The importance of having a good dermatologist
Today I had my 6 month follow up with my dermatologist. Since I have been talking a lot about awareness for rare disease on here I just want to talk about the impact that PH can have outside of just the lungs. One of the ways that PH, my heart, and low oxygen levels has impacted my body is through my hair, skin, and nails.
Before I had a dermatologist that was well versed in heart health and pulmonary diseases, I didn’t make much of a connection between my skin and what was going on inside my body. Each 6 months she alerts me to things and levels that need to be checked based on changes she is noticing in my skin or nails. Today she pointed out that I am bruising easily and have larger bruising than normal. There has also been delay in wound healing. She noticed more mottled look to my skin especially my lower extremities and puffiness as well as a blue tint around my eyes.
Because of this appointment, she is making calls to my GI team as well as my pulmonary team and running some blood labs to see what could be contributing to the worsening of what she is noticing.
It is important for those with chronic illness to pay attention to your skin, what may be different and what you or a doctor are noticing. Find a good dermatologist that has knowledge of these things and will work well with your other medical providers.
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