Allergist or Dermotologist - for DS

[mom2boys]

DS is 14. Whenever he goes out into the cold, any exposed skin turns red, welts & eventually itches like crazy. We would like to have him examined by a doctor to make sure there isn't some underlying condition he needs to be aware of. A brief histroy - he had horrible eczema for the first half of his life. Maybe related, maybe not. So what do think - dermatologist or allergist?

 

[KristaTX]

I recommend seeing an allergy/immunology specialist for this, even though it doesn't sound like a classic allergy. I don't know if it is what your has, but do a search on "cold urticaria" and see if that sounds like what your son is experiencing. Here is one probably reliable link http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-urticaria/DS01160 .

It is not one of the most common things we see, but the doctors I work with are specialists at dealing with hives of both known and unknown origin. Ask around to your friends or your doctor for a good allergist in your area.

 

[minkydog]

I was about to say the same thing. cold can definitely cause hives. I suffer form a condition called chronic urticaria. That means that for some reason I get hives and itch pretty much all the time. There is no reliable cause and nobody knows how long it will last--so far, it's been 10 years. I take Allegra 180mg daily to keep it tamped down. I don't know if that works on cold urticaria, but it might not be a bad idea to try an allergy med. benedryl would be one, or claritin or zyrtec.

 

[sparklynails23]

I vote dermatologist. My dermatologist could definitely handle that-- but so could my allergist, probably.

 

[golfgal]

I would say allergist. While a dermo could probably handle this, with the history of eczema chances are that he has allergies and possibly asthma, they often go hand and hand.

 

[Wall-E1]

It sounds more likely that it is allergy related.

 

[Green Tea]

Allergist! It isn't a disease of the skin, it is a systemic allergic reaction to the cold.

 

[mjkacmom]

Tough one - I started getting very severe eczema about a year ago, out of the blue. Since I'm allergic to pretty much everything, I went to my allergist, who told me to go to the dermatologist. She prescribed a cream, which helped, but I still didn't know the cause. Finally figured out (after talking again to the allergist at ds's appointment) that it's caused by our pet rats (they initially just made me sneeze, but the skin condition took longer to develop). You might need to see both.

 

[beachlover9395]

Another vote for an allergist. One of my childhood BFF's had this condition and I believe she was diagnosed as an adult with cold urticaria, but I don't know how she treats it now. I just remember her always trying to avoid getting too cold or dressing in layers and wearing gloves, especially keeping her hands warm since her hands would take the brunt of the hives outbreak. Good luck to your son - I know this time of year can be very difficult for people that suffer from this.