skin & joint complaints commonly seen & heard

[Torley]

I have nursing experience in Public Health, as an NP in Women's Healthcare & in disability determinations. Nurses are the frontline for many families and from a preventative point-of-view could be helping families with simple solutions.

Haven't you seen newborns with eczema come into the office on their 2 wk visit who are usually prescribed a steroidal-based cream as the solution? Why are these newborns developing these rashes?

The elderly too complain of having irritations along the hairline, their nose & ears. Although some find relief in these creams most do not find that it lasts. Many I know of have 6-7 different prescriptions in their cabinets...none provide real relief.

Often the cause is in the ingredients in the cleansing washes, shampoos and other products they are using. Do we teach patients to check ingredients? How can they even decipher what all those chemical terms mean?

How many times have elderly patients told you about waking up in the middle of the night with aching joints although they had already taken their NSAIDs at bedtime. Their solutions include just tolerating the pain or taking narcotic-based pills.

Nurses can be proactive in offering better solutions!! Patients know us, trust us, love us!

[GHGoonette, BSN, RN]

The second part of your question, that regarding elderly people and their joint pains, is unfortunately accepted by many of us aging people as being "par for the course", and is part and parcel of the process of growing old. Wear and tear, osteoporosis, arthritis, we learn to live with it and try not to overdo the medication. There are, as you know, dietary issues which can be addressed, such as reducing red meat intake and avoiding acidic foods and excess alcohol, but that's all in the education you would routinely give to the elderly.

There are "alternative" treatments that can help, such as courses of acupuncture, massage, chiropractors, heat therapy or herbal medications, but the latter should be approached with care, and a qualified homeopath should be consulted.

As for skin outbreaks in newborns, I find it very disturbing that steroidal ointments are being used. I think you should be pushing to find the source, which must be allergy to something in their environment.

Older people with skin rashes around the hairline are almost certainly suffering from seborrhoea. You should encourage them to use a medicated shampoo, but not the common commercial ones like Head and Shoulders. Back in the way back when coal tar shampoos were used, and I myself go hunting for the stuff if I find I'm developing any seborrhoeic outbreak. You can also run a trial of Witch Hazel on some of your patients who have the rash on their faces. It's quite an effective anti-inflammatory.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I'm not sure what you're asking.

To some extent, I do think that some joint pain/stiffness in the elderly is par for the course (and in my mid-40s, I already know that my left knee will be an issue some day ) after a lifetime of wear/tear, use/abuse.

I also think that some degree of skin rashes/irritation is common in infants early in life, as the immune system sorts itself out to cope with life outside the womb.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I have nursing experience in Public Health, as an NP in Women's Healthcare & in disability determinations. Nurses are the frontline for many families and from a preventative point-of-view could be helping families with simple solutions.

Haven't you seen newborns with eczema come into the office on their 2 wk visit who are usually prescribed a steroidal-based cream as the solution? Why are these newborns developing these rashes?

The elderly too complain of having irritations along the hairline, their nose & ears. Although some find relief in these creams most do not find that it lasts. Many I know of have 6-7 different prescriptions in their cabinets...none provide real relief.

Often the cause is in the ingredients in the cleansing washes, shampoos and other products they are using. Do we teach patients to check ingredients? How can they even decipher what all those chemical terms mean?

How many times have elderly patients told you about waking up in the middle of the night with aching joints although they had already taken their NSAIDs at bedtime. Their solutions include just tolerating the pain or taking narcotic-based pills.

Nurses can be proactive in offering better solutions!! Patients know us, trust us, love us!

Research project? I am not sure what you are looking for.....

[StrwbryblndRN]

As a nurse it is hard to come up with better solutions because not one thing works for everyone. Besides I would be contradicting what the md would prescribe.

I am not a fan of medication for every ache and bump. Sometimes it is a matter of lifestyle change. Same as you would do for a diabetic or cardiac pt.