In this month’s issue of the Archives of Dermatology researchers noted that common skin diseases can lead to poor morale and combat ineffectiveness of troops on the front line. Poor control and misdiagnosis of common, benign conditions such as itchy rashes, eczema, psoriasis, non-cancerous moles can often lead to evacuation of troops for evaluation and treatment. The study authors say that measures such as identification of individuals with chronic skin diseases during medical screening before they are deployed and emphasizing preventive measures to clinicians in the field can reduce the number of evacuations. Teledermatolgy may someday play a role as well, allowing physicians with dermatological expertise to visually examine soldiers remotely.
Read more and share your opinion.
Tags: combat, Dermatology, eczema, psoriasis, skin, soldiers, telemedicine, troops
Dr. Steven Chang, the author of DailyDose, is a staff physician with Kosmix RightHealth. Dr. Chang practices Family Medicine at the University of California Davis Medical Center, where his medical interests include both pediatric and geriatric care, public health, gay and lesbian health, and sleep medicine. Dr. Chang trained at the Stanford University affiliated O'Connor Hospital, and was a research fellow at the National Institute of Health. He holds an M.D. from McGill University and a BA in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University.
February 19th, 2009 at 11:28 am
God only knows what all is in the air and the dirt over there. We know there’s horrible chemicals, for they are a savage people. The business of war alone will cause stress-related breakouts. They need some kind of skin application used as a barrier to protect them as much as possible. I personally am addcted to noxema and a cold wet washcloth for my face, neck and upper chest on a daily basis. Stress in the free world takes it’s toll. It’s not a luxury they have, I’m sure. They don’t get much of any help. This country owes them the best of everthing there and when they come home.
February 19th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
OK easy on the savage people. Dont turn this around. we are the savages. Not enough people support Bush’s war on terror. That is why we have to let people into the services that would, at other times, would be rejected straight up. Never in our history has the armed services been as desperate for recruits as right now. Hence the skin diseases that are showing up now.
February 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I personaly belive our own government is using our own kids in the military as ginee pigs, to experiment with them, with out regards, for their personal health, and with malisious,intensions, just as they do in every, military,conflict, during,11 world war they used blacks,in viet-nam they used every body with their AGENT ORANGE,in desert storm, they were forsed to explot, all the chimical,conteiner, that were given to the IRAKI people, during the REAGAN administration by the then JEWISH RONSFELD, SAME PRICK, that got us back again in a military conflict, using young kids, to stop them from reprodusing family, of their own, why in hell should we be sending our children to die, for ISRAEL, AS CHRISTIANS WHY IS IT HARD TO BELIVE THAT GOD THE FATHER AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, CAN DO THAT ON ITS OWN, BUT IF HE DOES NOT, WHAT MAKES US THINK THAT WE NO BETTER THAN GOD HIMSRLF, ON HOW TO DEFEND THAT ARROGAND BUNCH OF PRICKS?
February 19th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
I personaly belive our own government is using our own kids in the military as ginee pigs, to experiment with them, with out regards, for their personal health,and safty and with malissious,intensions, just as they do in every, military,conflict, during,11 world war they used blacks,in viet-nam they used every body with their AGENT ORANGE,in desert storm, they were forsed to explot, all the chimical,conteiners, that were given to the IRAKI people,to fight IRAN back in the 90’s during the REAGAN administration by the then JEWISH RONSFELD, SAME PRICK, that got us back again in a military conflict, using young kids, to stop them from reprodusing family, of their own, why in hell should we be sending our children to die, for ISRAEL, AS CHRISTIANS, WHY IS IT HARD TO BELIVE THAT GOD THE FATHER AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, CAN’T DO THAT ON ITS OWN, BUT IF HE CHOSES NOT TO DO SO, WHAT MAKES US THINK THAT WE KNOW BETTER THAN GOD HIMSRLF, ON HOW TO DEFEND THAT ARROGAND SOCIALIST BUNCH OF PRICKS?
February 20th, 2009 at 9:18 am
James d, beheading a woman because she doesn’t want to honor the promise made by her father to another man is commonplace over there. Girls are attacked with acid thrown in their faces for going to school. Here in the states, their females have no more rights than they did there. A family stabbed their daughter to death because she had gotten a job and a boyfriend of her chosing. Another was burned down with her husband and children in their home because her father did not allow it and it was an “honor” thing. We cannot even begin to understand this land our loved ones are sent to die in. We are infidels to them and they dispise us. We have no hope of changing anything there. They are still living in the days of the Old Testement. I go shopping and see a man walking along in his shorts, t-shirt and Reboks as his property follows along behind him covered from head to toe in the summer heat and yeah-just my opinion-but that is pretty savage to me.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
James d., are you saying that the reason these troops have skin problems is because they are rejects?-in your words-”would be rejected straight up”. Man, you must be one of the chosen few who’s never had stress-related skin problems. The most of us [inferior people] have not led a charmed life. Put the filth of war with that and rethink your words. You object to my choice of words “savage people”. Yes, the miltary is taking anything they can get. They are bringing them back in body bags or broken. They are not taken care of there or here by the military. They need quality help-not insults.