Strange Health Problems

[Cherie762]

I dont know why but I have had tons of health issues, some really odd ones.So I thought just for fun Id post my two strangest health issues and see who can beat me for "weird "

1. at 17 or 18 I developed a leaky belly button, no know reason according to docs, i had clear fluid leaking from my own nice little innie belly button

2. I currently have dandruff really bad,,,,ok of the eye'brows ..what the heck does one do for that,,,

so bring on your odd strange stuff ,

[jo929]

I have seen the 2nd one go to  a Dermatoligist they can help  luck  jo

[Cherie762]

ty Jo I honestly had not thought of that..my hair on head is fine,,this I am wondering if its related to my thyroid being low..really odd and my eyebrows are dark brown so its really obvious.

[remar]

Oh my gosh Cherie.We talk all the time and I did'nt know you had the belly button problem too! I've tried using everything on, or in it, and it does'nt help. I should buy stock in Q-Tips! Ha ha. I use them all the time cleaning my belly button.
I do think your eyebrow problem is because of your thyroid. Have your Dr take a sample though. Take care. Remar

[redheadaussie]

My male friend occasionally gets a leaky belly button. He is an innie too. Turns out it is just an accumulation of belly button lint and dead skin cells that then get infected. He knows now to use a cotton tip and methylated spirits and clean it more often.
  I used to get really bad flaky skin on my eyelids and brows. Was to do with my eye makeup! So I no longer use that brand and voila! No more flaky eyelids/brows!
Yours might be something else though. Could be the thyroid issues.

[MJIthewriter]

For me, mostly dermatology related, but I'm sure there may be other things I forgot. I have almost non-stop acne all over (okay not covering, but still a lot) my face, back and butt...yuk! I'm getting rather sick of it too. Hey I'm not a teenager anymore so I wish it would just get over it already!

Also I have a weird red blotchy rash like thing on the area above my breasts and below my neck. Not sure what it is. Just know my dad had something like it too and he couldn't tell me what it was. It kind of has a slight smell too, same as my dad has. My skin is also chronically dry and I have a permanent goose-bump like texture all over my body, but worse on my legs, parts of my arms, butt and hip area... My body hair tends to curl up in those areas. It's also common for there to be two thin hairs growing out of one follicle.

My entire skin tends to itch, especially at night. And not only is my skin dry and itchy, but it tends to be very oily too and on my face the very same areas can be both dry, flaky and itchy and yet very greasy too.... I baffled one Mary Kay rep once with how quickly oil formed on my forehead after having it cleaned.

[Labyrinthian]

I have some similar skin difficulties, MJ.  My arms and legs have had a problem with those little goose-bumpy things too (in fact, I have two sisters that also share this problem).  I'm not certain, but I think that it may be due to ingrown hairs.  Some people think those only happen when you shave, but that's not the case.  (As it says in the Wikipedia article, "Sometimes ingrown hair occurs naturally without shaving, as too much dead skin or blocked pores can make hair grow sideways.")  Even though the goose-bumpy things I have don't hurt like I've heard ingrown hairs can, it's my best guess right now.  

One of my sisters seems to think it really helps her issue with these bumps to use exfoliating cleanser with exfoliating shower-gloves and she recommended I get something like that.  I only recently started trying it and, I know it could be wishful thinking, but it seems like it might be helping.  I'm hoping to see continual improvement.  The tricky part is finding the balance between scrubbing hard enough to get rid of the skin that's done being a part of me and not so hard that it's causing harm.  

I also have difficulties with my skin being dry in some places and oily in others... and though I don't have severe acne, it's still a problem that I experience.  Overall, my skin is really very frustrating.  I mean, I thought this acne stuff was supposed to be over after getting through my teens; that's what I was told countless times.  I often find myself thinking, "Why can't my skin just do what it's supposed to do and just be healthy, properly functioning skin?"  

I guess the bottom line of what I'm trying to say is... you're not alone.  =]

[MJIthewriter]

Thanks. I'm glad I'm not alone.

I've never seen a dermatologist to discuss my skin problems but I believe it to be KP - Keratosis Pilaris. It's annoying. What doesn't make sense is that I don't recall having it as a kid. It came later around my teenage years. The info I read about KP states it being a condition occurring in childhood and then growing out of it. It's not supposed to itch either, but for me it can. Or maybe it could be a separate issue making it itch. Once I itch, I automatically try to remove the bumps by scratching.

The acne I get is painful. They say to never scratch or pick it, but what do you do when it itches so bad that you just automatically scratch without giving any conscious thought?  It will open by itself without much help... It gets very red painful/itchy, whitehead forms, then by itself will open at the slightest touch or on its own. Then it leaves a scar regardless of anything. Pretty gross isn't it?

[remar]

I was diagnosed with KP too MJ on my upper arms. Alot of people get it in their adult years. My Dr told me to use a medicated scrub on my upper arms and it helps alot. Mine itches at times too. You might want to try Nuetragena (sp)? body wash for the other areas of your body that are very sensitive. It is'nt a scrub but is medicated. And use a scrub on your arms and face. Take care. Remar

[Labyrinthian]

Thanks for mentioning Keratosis Pilaris, MJ.  I had never heard of it before and so I went and looked it up on Wikipedia.  I'll have to do some research to learn more about it, but it seems like KP might be what I'm dealing with.  I wouldn't have known, had you not said anything about it.  It's nice to understand as much as possible so I know what might help.  While it's obviously not a life-threatening issue, it has always bothered me and made me feel uncomfortable with wearing clothes that expose the areas where I experience those bumps.  

Sometimes the acne I get is really painful.  I don't have large amounts of it, but when I do have it, it tends to leave scars.  One thing that seems to help with treating my acne is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide.  I don't use a higher percentage because I've heard it tends to increase drying of the skin without any added benefits.  I found out about it at http://www.acne.org  Perhaps that site will be beneficial for you too.  

I also use jojoba oil as my moisturizer.  It's similar to the body's natural sebum and won't clog pores.  I wear contacts and using normal lotion can result in bad situations, but if I use this stuff and a contact unexpectedly comes out, I don't have to worry about getting lotion (an irritant) on the lens by handling it.  I usually use a little jojoba oil immediately after washing my hands (I only slightly pat my hands dry so they're still kind of wet when I rub the oil in).  I learned that getting the area in need of moisturizing wet before using the oil makes a significant difference.  It really seems to help me - especially in winter when the air is really dry.  It doesn't have much of a scent, which is what I prefer, and a little bit of it can go a long way.  I also put some in my hair conditioner (it's already an ingredient in many conditioners, but I like extra).  My husband and I have both been using jojoba oil for probably about a year and we like it a lot.  If you're interested, I think you can find it for sale on the site I mentioned earlier, though I don't know if they have the best online price; you might want to shop around.  

[FurballsMom]

Add me to the multitudes with KP.  It's funny, I did research online and many sites say that the form of it that I have doesn't itch.  Au contraire!  Yes it does!  One time when I went to see my doctor for something else, I mentioned the KP.  She confirmed that's what it was.  And, she asked me if it was especially itchy after bathing and showering.  When she asked this, I knew she understood well enough how annoying this skin condition can be.  There is a rx that you can try for the KP.  I tried it and reacted badly to it, but I'm not at all surprised, since I have Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and other allergies.  I still have the bottle, even though I can't use it, so I can tell you the name of the rx is Ammonium Lactate Lotion and the manufacturer is Perrigo.  They don't make a fragrance free version.

The weird problem I have is the excessively dry hair and skin and the peeling lips, even though I try to supplement with good vitamins, and extra vitamin B2 and B12, as was suggested on the forum.  I wash often enough, but massage my hair and scalp in between washing while I'm under the shower, and I always add healthy oils such as jojoba oil, olive oil or coconut oil.  Still dry as a bone.  "Look, Ma!  I put my finger in the light socket!" It's always been a problem and was a huge problem during my public school years, as I was already self-conscious about it and the other kids were especially cruel about it.  Well, now it's gotten a whole lot worse and the scalp is irritated all the time.  This is weird and it's really frustrating.  I'm doing all the right things and still find myself up against a brick wall.