English for PTA
CHRONIC SKIN DISORDERS
Seite 1/1 5 Minuten
One common example is acne, which not only affects teenagers and young adults, but may also cause problems for older adults. Other examples of chronic skin disorders: atopic dermatitis, shingles, hives, athlete’s foot (tinea pedis), psoriasis, rosacea, and seborrheic dermatitis. Any one of the following may cause such skin conditions: viruses, bacteria, fungi, genetic predisposition, stress, allergic reactions, or environmental factors. Seborrheic dermatitis, commonly known as dandruff, is caused by overproduction of sebum in combination with an overgrowth of a type of yeast fungus known as malassezia. Malassezia is present in the oils on our skin, but certain conditions cause it to proliferate and make the scalp dry and itchy.
Female pharmacy customer: Good morning. Do you speak English?
PTA: Good morning, yes I do. How may I help you?
I noticed the last few times when I was washing my hair that my scalp was very dry and itchy afterwards. It’s extremely irritating and I also noticed dry flaky patches of skin on my pillow this morning.
Have you ever experienced this before?
Yes, years ago when I hit puberty! But my mom got a very good shampoo at the pharmacy and it cleared up in no time!
It isn’t unusual at this time of year when the air inside becomes dry from the heating and we cover up against the cold. This provides ideal conditions for increase in sebum and yeast production. Do you suffer from eczema or psoriasis?
No, never had either one. Why?
Dandruff is similar to the symptoms of both.
I see. So, what can you recommend?
If you could follow me over here, we have a whole range of care products for dry scalp and dandruff. Would you say that your scalp is oily or does it tend to be dry?
I tend to have very dry sensitive skin.
Right, I have just the products for you! This lotion will help to alleviate dryness and itchiness. The shampoo from the same range of products was developed for dry scalp.
How often do I apply the lotion?
Just twice a day. It’s quite rich, so a little goes a long way. You just apply it to the affected area and massage it into the scalp. You should try the treatment, shampooing and lotion, for a week to ten days, and if you don’t see any signs of improvement, please consult a GP or a skin specialist.
I’ll do that. Thank you very much, you have been very helpful.
No problem! You are more than welcome. Goodbye.
Thank you. Bye, bye!
You can find this article on page 32 in DIE PTA IN DER APOTHEKE 12/2021.
Catherine Croghan, Lecturer in English and native speaker
Vocabulary
| skin disorders | Hautkrankheiten |
|---|---|
| least attention | wenigste Aufmerksamkeit |
| common | häufig |
| shingles | Gürtelrose |
| hives | Nesselsucht (Urtikaria) |
| athlete’s foot | Fußpilz |
| fungi | Pilze |
| genetic predisposition | genetische Veranlagung |
| environmental factors | Umweltfaktoren |
| dandruff | Hautschuppen |
| sebum | Hauttalg |
| overgrowth | Überwucherung |
| yeast fungus | Hefepilz |
| proliferate | wuchern |
| scalp | Kopfhaut |
| itchy | juckend |
| flaky | schuppig |
| pillow | Kopfkissen |
| hit puberty | in die Pubertät kommen |
| alleviate | lindern |
| developed | entwickelt |