DHS

[kimeunhyun]

Has anyone heard of it before? Probably no one did, except Shin, Jong-Chan.
It is an acronym for Dermal Hypersensitivity Reaction. Go to www.google.com,
search for "Dermal Hypersensitivity Reaction", and You will get many hits.

Last month or so I have been suffering from it. It was a nightmare and
hellish couple of weeks. I felt miserable and even suicidal. It was really
annoying and unbearably itchy. So itchy that you could literally trade
anything (including your wife. shhh, don't tell my wife) away for cure or
pay anything if someone could help alleviate the pain :-)

I have consulted my family doctor, urologist, two dermatologists, internist,
and even Chinese herbal doctor. No one could help it. I had a biopsy at one
of my dermatologist and the skin biopsy lab test showed DHS but was told that
no cure is available. My doctor told me this is very hard to treat and
everybody reacts differently. It could be due to what we eat such as
preservatives, food substance, soap, or could be anything. We have to
identify the irritant. So I started to eliminate potential harmful elements.
Changed my diet, used different soap, and etc.

Meanwhile my dermatologist prescribed me for temporary reliefs such as
cortisone (Prednisone) and steriod cream. As long as I was on the medication,
the itching was gone but as soon as I finished it, next day itching came back
scratching until bleeding. Well, I could not take Prednisone for good
because of its side-effects. Nothing seems to be helping. I felt like I
was doomed. Living the rest of my life like this would be hellish. What
a curse!

Since nothing seems to be working, I decided to take the matter on my
own hands and started a little research on the web. Read medical
journals on line. After a couple of hours research, I found an interesting
article very similar to my symptom. Theory on bed mites causing it seemed
appealing to me...

Immediately I called my dermatologist and mentioned about the article.
He asked me to bring in the article next day. In the meantime, I took
action to get rid of potential causes. My wife started to wash out all
our clothes. And we slept on hardwood floor. All night I slept through
first time in a month without getting up 4 to 5 times and scratching.
Miraculously next morning I found all the rashes and bumps subsiding.
The itching is finally in retreat! Can you believe that?

When I shared the article with my dermatologist, he could not believe it
and still had a doubt about the article. He said that the article talks
about scabies which is apparently different from DHS. I kind of argued
back but I could not win over his reasoning. If he is right, I must have
gotten rid of some irritating pollutants which could well be old bed,
blankets, dust or house mold, brown rice I recently changed my diet to,
or my immune system gotten stronger meantime.

This is a happy ending story. People will wonder why I am bringing up this
topic, sharing so personal and not pleaseant. Well, I thought if my
experience can help someone out there miserably suffering, that would be
great. Never know who might fall victim next to this mysterious annoyance.
I hope someone find it benefitial. Whatever has caused it, I have come to
realize how important one's health is. Without it, fame or wealth is only
secondary. So everybody, be healthy and get out there, do exercise regularly
and eat right!!!

[kimeunhyun]

Have a couple of points to make. Dear Kim, Jong - we Korean Americans still prefer rice to hamburgers and Korean to English. Someday you need to come and visit us :-) Also a word to Dear Dr. Shin, you made me an American Indian when you said "native american". You know native american means

[kimeunhyun]

indigenous people i.e. American Indian. "native speaker" would be more appropriate in that context. See English is so subtle. I hope I did not offend either of you.

[신종찬]

Hi! How have you been. What a wnderful world! We can talk like this. Could you imagine these kinds of things could occur in future during our high period? Thank you for your correction.I know native American means American Indian. I have to be careful to use a term like this e.g. cellularphone.

[신종찬]

We can see another examples. Nice to meet you(너 잘 만났다!). See you again(어디 두고 보자!). 반대로 서양인 사위가 father-in-law를 장인이라 않고 시아버지로, 반대로 서양인 며느리가 시아버지를 father-in-law를 직역해서 장인아라고 해서 happening이 있었다고 합니다.

[운영자]

인제 일일이 번역하기도 그러니, 김은현이가 최근에 Dermal Hypersensitivity Reaction(피부 과민반응 증, 쉽게 말하면, 가려움증)으로 고생했는데, 낡은 침대, 옷, 담요 등을 세탁하고, 마루 위에서 생활하니 완쾌되었다는 이야기인 것 같다. 신선생님은 영어로 하지 말고, 우리말로 번역하여 설명해 주면 고맙겠다.

[운영자]

덧붙이면, 가려움증이 너무 심해 죽을 지경이었는데, 피부과, 내과, 중국의사 등을 찾아 가서 상의해도 별 소용이 없었다는 군. 그런데 인터넷에서 관련 증상에 관한 의학논문을 검색하여 치료하였다는 이야기인 것 같다. 그래, 요즈음 인터넷에 왠만한 정보는 다 나와 있다. 검색어에 피부 가려움 이라고 처 보시기를.

[김승규]

정말 현대의학이라는 것이 엄청난 듯 하면서도 가끔은 아무것도 해줄 수 없는 절망감을 안겨주기도 하는 양면성이 있는 것 같다. 요즈음 국내에서도 소위 아토피 피부병으로 고생하는 사람들이 매우 많은 것이 현실이다. 이런 점에서 현대의학이 분발해야 할 것으로 생각한다. 다행히 고칠 수 있었고 그런 고통이 건강의

[김승규]

중요성을 느끼게 하는 계기가 되었고 여러가지를 바꿀 기회가 되었다니 좋은 일이었구만. 개인적인 경험을 이렇게 나누니 비슷한 경우가 있엇거나 있을 경우 도움이 되겠네. 동기 여러분, 그리고 모두가 알고 있으나 실행하기 어려운 적당한 운동, 규칙적인 생활, 적절한 식생활 등으로 건강하게 삽시다!

[김동규]

은현이를 앨범을보고 얼굴을 확인했네.인사늦은점 송구스럽고 이국먼리에서 때로밀려드는 맘의감기를 잘이기기를...... 정말로 고생이많았네.저주스럽고 죽고싶고 와이프도 트레이드하고 싶을정도 였으니. 동서양을 막론하고 의사도 질적으로 수준차가크다.그리고 미국사회에서 일종의 오진인데 앞으로 그의사들과 트러블

[김동규]

이 남았을텐데 어떻게 해결되겠나? 진드기는 물린자국에 병소가 특징적으로 산발적일텐데 몸에 널리 분포했던가는 글에 없어서 궁굼하네

[김동규]

의사그들도 마이트에 한번 물리게해뿌라.글고 앞으로 가려우면 응급조치로서 얼음찜질이 도움준다. 타국생활이 부럽기도 안타깝기도한 생각이든다

[김은현]

공사다망할테데 이렇게 시간을 내어서 회신 주어 정말 고맙네. 그 땐 참 많은 고생했지. 지금 생각해도 끔찍하다네. 앨범을 보니 자네 얼굴은 어렴풋이 기억이 나는데 학창시절에는 불행히도 한반이 되지 못해 서로에 대한 기억이 없네그려. 앞으로 까페에서나마 자주봄세