Skin Conditions—Family History

Your family history includes health information about you and your close relatives. Families have many factors in common, including their genes, environment, and lifestyle. Looking at these factors can help you figure out whether you have a higher risk for certain health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

Having a family member with a disease raises your risk, but it does not mean that you will definitely get it. Knowing that you are at risk gives you a chance to reduce that risk by following a healthier lifestyle and getting tested as needed.

You can get started by talking to your relatives about their health. Draw a family tree and add the health information. Having copies of medical records and death certificates is also helpful.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Creating a family health history (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Family History Is Important for Your Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF

Also called: Cutaneous disorders, Dermatologic disorders

Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It covers and protects your body. Your skin

• Holds body fluids in, preventing dehydration
• Keeps harmful microbes out, preventing infections
• Helps you feel things like heat, cold, and pain
• Keeps your body temperature even
• Makes vitamin D when the sun shines on it

Anything that irritates, clogs, or inflames your skin can cause symptoms such as redness, swelling, burning, and itching. Allergies, irritants, your genetic makeup, and certain diseases and immune system problems can cause rashes, hives, and other skin conditions. Many skin problems, such as acne, also affect your appearance.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

• Acrodermatitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cryotherapy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cutaneous skin tags (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Dry skin — self-care (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Erythema multiforme (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Granuloma annulare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Keratosis pilaris (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lichen planus (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Milia (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Sebaceous cyst (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Seborrheic keratosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Skin lesion removal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Skin lesion removal-aftercare (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Stasis dermatitis and ulcers (Medical Encyclopedia)