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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffYou're likely to start by first seeing your family doctor or primary care doctor. However, in some cases when you call to set up an appointment, you may be referred immediately to a specialist in skin diseases (dermatologist).
Because appointments can be brief and there's often a lot of ground to cover, it can help to be well prepared. Here are some tips to help you get ready for your appointment and what to expect from your doctor.
What you can do
- Write down your signs and symptoms, when they occurred, and how long they lasted.
- Make a list of all medications, including vitamins, herbs and over-the-counter drugs, that you're taking. Even better, take the original bottles and a written list of the dosages and directions. Some medications increase your sensitivity to UV radiation.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor. Don't be afraid to ask questions or to speak up when you don't understand something your doctor says.
List your questions from most important to least important in case your time with your doctor runs out. For sunburn, some basic questions to ask your doctor include:
- Are there any other possible causes for my symptoms?
- What are my treatment options and the pros and cons for each?
- Do I need prescription medication, or can I use over-the-counter medications to treat the condition?
- How soon after I begin treatment can I expect improvement?
- What skin-care routines do you recommend while the sunburn heals?
- What suspicious changes in my skin should I look for?
- What kind of follow-up, if any, should I expect?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, such as:
- How often do you experience these symptoms?
- Do you have other symptoms?
- What medications are you taking?
- What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
- What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
- How long were you exposed to sun or UV radiation?
- Do you regularly protect your skin from UV radiation?
- What at-home treatments have you used?
What you can do in the meantime
While waiting for your appointment, these home remedies may reduce your pain and discomfort:
- Take an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others).
- Apply cold compresses to the affected skin, or take a cool bath or shower.
- Apply an aloe vera or after-sun lotion to your skin to decrease pain and swelling.
- Facts about sunscreen. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_sunscreen.htm. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Sun and your skin. American Academy of Dermatology. http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/sun_sun.html. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Habif TP. Light-related diseases and disorders of pigmentation. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2004. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/123287021-7/0/1195/129.html?tocnode=51442195&fromURL=129.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01319-8..50021-2_2348. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Wolf K, et al. Photosensitivity, photo-induced disorders and disorders by ionizing radiation. In: Wolf K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Color Atlas & Synopsis of Clinical Dermatology, 5th ed. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Mahoney KR (expert opinion). Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, Md. Feb. 4, 2009.
- Internal analgesic, antipyretic and antirheumatic drug products for over-the-counter human use: Tentative final monograph. Federal Register.1998;53:46204.
- Parenting corner Q&A: Sun safety. American Academy of Pediatrics. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_SunSafety.htm. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Rouhani P, et al. Melanoma in Hispanic and black Americans. Cancer Control. 2008;15:248.
- Skin cancer: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/chooseyourcover/qanda.htm. Accessed March 3, 2009.
- Brice S, et al. Sunburn. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 4, 2009.
- Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 20, 2009.
