Hypochondriacs?

[Guest guest]

,

It sounds like you have a mature, realistic attitude regarding your seb derm. I

don't know how much the condition affects your appearance and it's great that

that

aspect does not bother you. That said, I think you need to be more open-minded

of

others' symptoms and the problems they face, both physical and psychological.

When I joined this group two years ago, I considered my rosacea to be a skin

condition, separate from any other health issue. What I have learned is that

many

(I have no idea what percentage) of the board members have allergies,

hypothyroidism, autoimmune diseases, etc. I have come to believe that rosacea

is

a set of symptoms, which can vary by individual, and not a disease unto itself.

I

think there are a large number of potential causes, some of which are other

health

issues. For example, I have Reynauds and allergies, and I experience some of

the

symptoms you describe as laughable. I don't know how many are related to

rosacea

but I feel certain some are, especially since so many others on this board share

the same health problems.

As for doctors considering rosacea solely a skin condition, that is the way they

are trained. In addition, physicians always want to put an illness into its

compartment; they rarely recognize the interrelatedness of health problems. As

an

aside, my dermatologist, who has rosacea, allergies, and Reynauds, also thinks

there is more to rosacea than a skin problem.

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