A dermatovenereologist is a doctor whose competence includes the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of skin and venereal diseases. Additionally, he deals with the relationship of these diseases with the general condition of the body.
The doctor accepts not only those who lead a hectic intimate life, but also solves problems with nails, skin rashes, and hair. The cosmetology branch of this specialization deals with the treatment of scars, scars, moles, warts, subcutaneous tissue, calluses, and other cosmetic defects.
What diseases does a dermatovenereologist treat?
Patients come to the specialist with various problems, for the most part we are talking about such diseases:
- psoriasis;
- vitiligo;
- seborrheic dermatitis;
- allergic dermatosis of various types - allergic, contact, eczema, neurodermatitis, urticaria, dermatitis;
- flat red and pink lichen;
- herpes, warts, HPV;
- moles, papillomas;
- acne, post-acne;
- gonorrhea;
- trichomoniasis;
- genital warts;
- genital herpes;
- urogenital candidiasis, chlamydia;
- molluscum contagiosum;
- varieties of nail fungus, skin (color lichen, onychomycosis).
Given the listed ailments, it can be summarized that a dermatovenereologist is a doctor who deals with female and male genital organs, hair, skin, and nails.
More about the dermatovenereologist in the video:
When should I go for a consultation with a dermatovenereologist?
It is better to treat any disease at the very beginning, until other organs and systems are affected. Therefore, you need to make an appointment with the doctor if you have symptoms:
- the appearance of secretions from the genitals, if they were not there before, they are atypical;
- white plaque on the oral mucosa;
- itching of the anus, around it;
- rashes on any part of the body.
How to understand that the disease refers to those that are sexually transmitted?
There are a number of signs that signal you need to visit a doctor:
- when emptying the bladder, there is a burning sensation, pain;
- unhealthy discharge appears from the urethra, vagina (color, texture, amount of discharge are atypical);
- frequent urge to urinate;
- pain in the groin, testicles;
- disruption of the menstrual cycle.
Some diseases do not manifest themselves for a long time. Therefore, doctors advise everyone who has an active sex life to regularly take tests and undergo preventive examinations, even if nothing bothers them. It is better to play it safe than to face the complication of gonorrhea, syphilis, etc.
Appointment with a dermatovenereologist
If you take another look at a number of diseases treated by a dermatovenereologist, you can assume what tools a doctor should have at hand. These are disposable gloves that the doctor throws away after each patient. If there are no gloves, it is fraught with infection of the doctor and other patients.
The next thing that the dermatovenerologist's office is equipped with is a couch, hidden from the eyes of strangers with a special screen. To examine female patients, you will need a gynecological chair. The doctor has at hand the tools with which he conducts an examination, takes scrapings if necessary and smears, and removes warts.
The dermatologist's office is equipped with bactericidal lamps to carry out a 10-minute disinfection of the room every couple of hours. During this period, harmful microorganisms are destroyed, which ensures the sterility of the room, excludes nosocomial infection. A dermatovenereologist works in a dispensary or in a specialized office.
- The examination begins with a visual assessment of the condition of the genital organs for changes, rashes.
- The skin is examined.
- The doctor takes materials for analysis, sends them to the laboratory.
Based on the results obtained, it is possible to clarify the diagnosis, prescribe adequate therapy.
The appointment with the doctor is anonymous, so patients do not have to worry about the confidentiality of information that will be available to the doctor.
It is necessary to carry out the treatment of venereal diseases for a couple with a sexual partner.
If you ignore this rule, the disease will be transmitted in a circle from one partner to another, the treatment will be ineffective, it will give complications to both.
Tests that need to be taken after visiting a dermatovenereologist;
- UAC, OAM;
- PCR diagnostics, examination of scrapings from the genital mucosa;
- allergological panel;
- microbiology. Sowing on the flora is performed, which makes it possible to identify the resistance of the causative agent of the disease to antibacterial agents. This will help prescribe a targeted course of treatment against specific microorganisms. Such point targeting provides acceleration of treatment, reduces the duration of the course, reduces the effect of drugs on the body;
- dermatoscopy.
In addition to specialists for adults, there are also pediatric dermatovenereologists. They are engaged in almost the same specialization as "adult" doctors, but only taking into account the characteristics of the child's body. Ways of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases are not limited to sexual contact, there are diseases that are transmitted by household means. That is why sometimes children suffer through the fault of adults.
A dermatovenereologist diagnoses children's diseases, prescribes medications taking into account age, body weight, and characteristics of the child's body.
Parents should be attentive to the health of the baby, so that at the first sign of malaise, immediately make an appointment with a doctor. Babies who have previously had venereal diseases in the family are also at risk, especially if the patient was the mother of the child during pregnancy.
A fragile children's body is susceptible to various infections, mutagenic manifestations, viruses, due to low immunity, it is susceptible to dermatoses of various etiologies. These and other factors must be taken into account by the pediatrician. Non-invasive therapies are prescribed with great care in order to reduce the burden on the body.
Often, children with scabies, lichen, dermatitis are brought for examination. Warts, acne, insect bites, skin rashes due to internal factors are not uncommon. Provoking factors can be birth complications, unidentified infections. When a child has a rash, extensive areas of redness, it itches and torments, crusts, boils, acne appear - you need to visit a dermatovenereologist. The examination takes place in the presence of the parents, they help the doctor to draw up a picture of the disease, clearly answering the questions posed. If the child is large enough, he is embarrassed by the examination with his parents, the doctor will offer a compromise, based on medical recommendations for this part.
The best treatment is prevention. In order to prevent the development of dermatovenereological pathologies in adults, children, you need to follow the recommendations of doctors. Most of them come down to proper nutrition, correction of the daily routine and physical activity, hygiene of the room and body. Dermatovenereologists advise the following:
- remember and observe the rules of personal hygiene. This is especially true for genital hygiene. Cleansing them should not be excessive, but should not leave pollution. Violation of hygiene leads to diseases transmitted by household contact. Therefore, you can get infected without even having a sexual life;
- those who are sexually active need to protect themselves from disease by using condoms. This is especially true for lovers of promiscuity with strangers. The use of condoms significantly reduces the risk of getting STDs;
- use gloves when there is contact with household chemicals. Various chemical compounds that manufacturers add to liquids for cleaning various surfaces cause allergies. To reduce the risk of allergic dermatitis, you need to protect your hands with thick rubber gloves;
- lead a healthy lifestyle - stop smoking, do not abuse alcohol, do not touch drugs. Such behavior will reduce the risk of a large number of diseases, maintain immunity at its best.
Reason for contacting a dermatologist-venereologist:
- rash on the skin and mucous membranes, which may be accompanied by itching.
- itching, rashes or ulcers on the external genitalia, their unpleasant odor
- swollen lymph nodes in the groin.
What does a dermatologist-venereologist treat:
- skin diseases: psoriasis, various types of lichen, viral dermatitis, etc.
- sexually transmitted diseases, which are currently called STDs (sexually transmitted diseases): chlamydia, trichomoniasis, ureaplasmosis, mycoplasmosis, genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital warts and papillomas.
Diagnosis by a dermatovenereologist
So, what research should be expected at the appointment with a dermatologist-venereologist? First of all, this is a visual examination of the skin and, if necessary, the genitals, as well as the collection of anamnesis (your complaints). When choosing a doctor, remember that a good specialist can already make the correct diagnosis at this stage. But without taking tests, nevertheless, you still can’t do it, they are needed to confirm the presence of a particular disease. If sexually transmitted infections are suspected, you will be referred for a special swab or blood tests for infections. Not all of the sexually transmitted diseases have severe symptoms, most can be latent. And this is the main essence of tests for sexual infections - they reveal even the minimum amount of a pathogenic pathogen in the body. If the result of the examination of the patient and his complaints exclude the presence of STDs, but there are specific skin lesions, skin scrapings are taken. Also, the doctor of the clinic of venereology and dermatology will direct you to biochemical and clinical blood tests.
Treatment depends on the specific problem and is prescribed strictly individually. The arsenal of paid dermatology includes both traditional and modern methods of treatment: drug therapy, laser treatment, ozone therapy, plasmapheresis, hirudotherapy, etc.
Do you have unfounded suspicions of the presence of skin and venereal diseases? Our
We can safely say that a dermatovenereologist is not the most popular medical specialization. People try to avoid this doctor's office. And there is a pretty good reason for this.
So, let's figure out what a dermatovenereologist is, what diseases he treats and who should make an appointment with him.
Who is a dermatovenereologist?
Among the people, a dermatovenereologist is also called a "love" doctor. After all, one of the specializations of such a doctor is venereal diseases or sexually transmitted diseases. The second part of the name of this profession is responsible for this area of knowledge: a venereologist.
This name comes from the name of the goddess of love Venus. That is, sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted during sex. The list of these diseases is quite large. This includes syphilis, gonorrhea, donovanosis and others. The same list can be supplemented by diseases that are not transmitted exclusively through sexual contact.
This list includes scabies, various hepatitis, chlamydia, viral and infectious diseases. All of them can be transmitted both sexually and in other ways.
In addition to venereal diseases, a dermatovenereologist treats skin diseases of bacterial or viral origin. That is, this list does not include burns, but it does include scabies, lichen, herpes, infectious dermatitis, and so on.
As a rule, venereal and skin diseases are interconnected. Some sexually transmitted diseases have severe symptoms on human skin. They are treated by a dermatovenereologist.
When should you contact a dermatovenereologist?
There are several cases when a timely visit to a dermatovenereologist will help to diagnose and successfully treat rather unpleasant diseases in a timely manner.
The first case is the frequent change of sexual partners or the beginning of life with a new sexual partner. Of course, a person who lives with a permanent sexual partner cannot consider himself completely protected from contracting sexually transmitted diseases. After all, there is always the risk of betrayal.
But the risk of infection is much higher if there is promiscuity or the sexual partner changes frequently. In this case, visits to the dermatovenereologist should be regular. You can also visit an anonymous office, but the main thing is to do this several times a year or when there is the slightest suspicion of a disease.
Of course, even in a situation where the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases is minimal, it is worth visiting a dermatovenereologist at least once a year for preventive purposes.
Rashes on the skin, and even more so on the genitals, are a reason to immediately contact a dermatovenereologist. The same can be said about copious discharge from the genitals, about a change in their character, or about a sharp smell from the genitals or their secretions.
Various skin rashes, rotting or splitting of nails or hair loss in the pubic area are also a reason to contact this specialist.
Remember that a number of skin and sexually transmitted diseases can be transmitted through everyday life. That is, through personal hygiene items, household items or through a medical examination by a gynecologist, dentist, and so on. Therefore, a preventive visit to a dermatovenereologist will not be superfluous.
What tests should be taken when contacting a dermatovenereologist?
Like any other doctor, a dermatovenereologist can prescribe a general blood and urine test. In addition, he may prescribe PCR or scraping of the mucous membrane of the genital organs. This test can detect viruses, bacteria, or fungi that cause diseases.
Also, a dermatovenereologist can write out a referral for taking a culture of the flora of the mucous membrane and secretions of the genital organs. A swab is taken from the patient and the bacteria or viruses found in the biological material are sown in the laboratory.
If the patient has skin infections, the doctor may order different blood tests. These tests will help identify antibodies to certain pathogenic bacteria.
What diagnostic methods does a dermatovenereologist use?
The very first diagnostic method in the arsenal of a dermatovenereologist is a direct examination of the patient. Of course, for the patient, such a procedure may not seem very pleasant. A dermatovenereologist should examine the patient's genital area for pathological changes or rashes on the genitals.
In addition, the doctor will definitely prescribe a number of tests and studies. Indeed, in most cases, even the most experienced dermatovenereologist will not be able to make an accurate diagnosis “by eye”.
Therefore, such examination methods as blood and urine tests, swabs from the genital organs, testing for antibodies and DNA of pathogens in human blood, and so on are used.
What does a dermatovenereologist do?
A dermatovenereologist has, so to speak, two areas of activity. These doctors treat skin diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. A dermatovenereologist has, as it were, a double specialization.
Of course, going to an appointment with a dermatovenereologist is not a very pleasant experience. After all, people are often ashamed to advertise sexually transmitted diseases or even suspicions of such a diagnosis. Therefore, there are many anonymous offices of a dermatovenereologist.
People can go there and be examined anonymously, without providing any personal data about themselves. They can take tests and later, again, anonymously collect their results.
This approach to medical practice helps to identify and prescribe effective treatment to patients in time. After all, in the usual office of a dermatovenereologist, the patient is obliged to say his name, surname and place of work.
Few people dare to "light up" with a visit to such a doctor openly, because it can destroy their career or family. And thanks to an anonymous appointment, a person can overcome embarrassment and receive qualified medical care in such a sensitive area in time.
What diseases does a dermatovenereologist treat?
The very name of the profession "dermatovenereologist" gives a hint about the diseases that this doctor treats. The first part of the name "derma" means "skin". That is, a dermatovenereologist treats various skin diseases of an infectious nature.
That is, these are contagious skin diseases that can be easily transmitted from person to person by household or sexual contact. The second part of the name was taken from the name of the goddess Venus. This was the goddess of love. And the diseases that a dermatovenereologist treats are sexually transmitted.
Such a doctor treats sexually transmitted diseases such as genital herpes, syphilis, candidiasis, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B and C, and so on.
A specialist doctor who has received training in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin and venereal diseases and works in a dermatovenerological dispensary or a specialized department (office) of another medical institution.What is the competence of a Dermatovenereologist
A dermatovenereologist is a specialist in the field of clinical medicine who conducts prevention, diagnosis and treatment of skin and sexually transmitted diseases, and also studies the relationship of these diseases with other pathological conditions of the body as a whole.What diseases does a dermatovenereologist deal with?
- Psoriasis;- Vitiligo;
Allergodermatoses (contact dermatitis,
allergic dermatitis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, neurodermatitis, urticaria);
- Seborrheic dermatitis;
- Lichen planus;
- Herpes, warts, HPV;
- Papillomas;
- Acne, post-acne;
- Fungal lesions of the skin and nails (versus versicolor, fungal infections of the nail (onychomycosis));
- Moles;
- Pink lichen;
- Genital herpes;
- Gonorrhea;
- Molluscum contagiosum;
- Trichomoniasis;
- Genital warts;
- Urogenital candidiasis;
- Urogenital chlamydia.
What organs does a dermatovenereologist deal with?
External and external genitalia of men and women, skin, hair, nails.When to Contact a Dermatovenereologist
Candidiasis of the oral mucosa (thrush) manifests itself in the form of white plaques (solid or in the form of isolated areas) on the mucous membrane of the cheeks, posterior pharyngeal wall, and tongue.The affected areas are usually painless, but when plaque thickens, cracks form, there may be mild soreness in the oral cavity.
With skin candidiasis, redness, maceration of the skin are noted, there may be balanitis, itching in the anus, paronychia.
When localized on the skin of the perineum or on the scrotum, individual pustular elements may be observed.
In chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis, lesions may develop in the form of hyperkeratosis, nail lesions, alopecia areata in combination with long-term changes in the mucous membranes. Deeper lesions of the mucous membranes (which is often noted in disseminated forms) are manifested in extensive changes, in which raids spread to the mucous membranes of the esophagus, stomach, trachea, bronchi. This is accompanied by a violation of swallowing and retrosternal pain. A massive candidal lesion of the mucous membrane may develop after catheterization of the bladder.
When and what tests should be done
- Blood test (allergens, antibodies, antigens);- Scraping analysis (PCR, microscopy);
- Allergological panel;
- Microbiology (sowing on the flora with the determination of sensitivity to antibiotics and antifungal drugs).
- Smear on flora;
What are the main types of diagnostics usually performed by a dermatovenereologist
- Dermatoscopy;- Diagnosis of vaginal candidiasis;
- DNA (PCR) and smear microscopy;
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It is unlikely that a dermatovenereologist can be called popular among other medical professions and, moreover, in demand among many patients: everyone passes through his office with caution, secretly hoping that he will never get an examination. And it is not surprising, because among the people his owner is called a "love" doctor, who checks mainly venereal diseases and sexually transmitted diseases. However, this is only the “reverse side of the coin”, in fact, the answer to the question of what a dermatovenereologist does is much broader.
All sorts of doctors are needed ... Why is a dermatovenereologist important?
In the official scientific understanding, this doctor is a specialist trained in the field of diagnosis and treatment, in addition to venereal diseases, also skin diseases. In addition, he is engaged in preventive measures to prevent the further spread of ailments, and carefully studies the likely relationship of these very specific diseases with a number of pathologies in the human body. It would be unreasonable to believe that a doctor of this specialization accepts only people who lead, to put it mildly, the wrong way of life with promiscuous intimate relationships. He is also consulted for a number of cosmetic problems - with nails, hair, acne, etc. A dermatovenereologist, who is also a cosmetologist, deals with such appearance defects (this is especially true for women) as scars and scars, warts and moles, calluses and subcutaneous vascular networks. Thus, the doctor treats the skin and genitals.
When you need an examination, or an up-to-date list of diseases
If we talk specifically about what a dermatovenereologist treats, then the list of diseases of his profile includes:
- candidiasis of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity (thrush), which can be recognized by the characteristic white coating on the back of the throat, tongue and cheeks - all this is characterized by pain;
- cutaneous candidiasis - redness, maceration of the skin, itching in the anus, scrotum or perineum. In the chronic form, the disease passes to the nails, damage to the bronchial mucosa, trachea, and also the organ of the digestive system;
- psoriasis;
- chlamydia and trichomoniasis;
- various types of allergic dermatosis, ranging from urticaria and eczema to neurodermatitis;
- lichen planus and lichen pink;
- seborrheic dermatitis, acne, post-acne, HPV, genital herpes;
- hepatitis C;
- syphilis;
- HIV AIDS;
- fungal infections of the nails and skin.
Symptoms of a dermatovenereologist, or when is it time to take tests?
What “bells” should alert a person and become a signal for a visit to the doctor? Mandatory and prompt inspection is necessary in the following cases:
- the appearance of non-specific discharge from the genital organs, white plaque in the mouth;
- the occurrence of itching in the anus;
- the spread of skin rashes for no apparent reason.
The doctor checks his serious guesses, namely, he suspects diseases of the genital tract if:
- during the emptying of the bladder, the patient feels painful discomfort, feels frequent urge to walk "in a small way";
- women have discharge that is not characteristic of the vagina, and there is also an irregular menstrual cycle;
- there are frequent pains in the groin of varying intensity, in the testicles in men.
In addition, all people who are sexually active are recommended to come for a preventive examination and take appropriate tests and laboratory tests without fail. If you do not have a medical book with a note of a dermatovenereologist, then you are unlikely to be hired.
How is the examination carried out and what tests should be taken?
In his work, the doctor uses a combination of different techniques, but the most important diagnostic method is a direct examination of the patient. There is little pleasant in it, because the specialist looks at the patient's genital area in order to identify the possibility of pathological changes, considers rashes in intimate places, etc.
Special analyzes and medical studies are mandatory, because even a doctor with many years of experience does not treat “by eye” and, moreover, does not make a diagnosis solely on the basis of his own assumptions.
Therefore, a specialist in the laboratory takes material for examination methods such as blood and urine tests, swabs from the genitals. It also checks for antibodies and DNA of pathogens in human blood. PCR or scraping of the mucous membrane of the genital organs, sowing of the mucosal flora to detect bacteria, viruses and fungi may be prescribed. In the presence of skin diseases of an infectious origin, additional blood tests are recommended, which only a qualified doctor can say for sure. Only on the basis of the accurate results of all current examinations, the physician treats the patient on an individual basis.
Pediatric dermatovenereologist: the specifics of working with young patients
Despite the fact that persons under the age of majority do not yet have a medical book for employment, sometimes they still need to see this specialist. A pediatrician of this specialization observes small patients on issues of hereditary venereal diseases or those acquired at birth. As in the case of adults, it treats disorders associated with hair, nails and internal mucosa.
Very often, an immature and fragile organism has changes in the functioning of the immune system, mutagenic manifestations, viral diseases, and an individual predisposition to dermatoses are observed - all this is necessarily taken into account by the pediatrician, determining the age category of the child. At the same time, non-invasive methods of treatment are prescribed with maximum scrupulousness and caution, by minimizing the burden on the body.
Most often, the examination is carried out in cases of acne and warts, papillomas and lichen, scabies and dermatitis, skin mastocytosis and an allergic reaction to insect bites, various rashes in infants, which most often manifest themselves for internal reasons, for example, due to side infections and previously unnoticed birth complications. Therefore, if babies have significant skin redness, which is accompanied by a rash and itching, crusts and peeling appear on the skin, the color of the nails changes, acne and boils do not go away, they need a pediatric dermatovenereologist. The examination is carried out with the parents, who will be able to concisely answer all the questions that the doctor has. If the baby is already an adult and will be embarrassed by his parents, an experienced specialist will always find a special approach to make the correct diagnosis. Thus, answering the question of what a dermatovenereologist does, we can say with confidence - the psychology of human souls.
