Eczema DQ?

parkm2071

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Dec 9, 2014
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How can Eczema effect the DODMERB? I had eczema when I was 8, and occasionally I still get SMALL flareups on the inside of my elbows, very, very little. How can this effect my chances of getting into the Air Force Academy?
 
D111.1 current or history of atopic dermatitis or eczema after 12th birthday.

It depends on your medical records -- when was the last time you were prescribed medication for eczema? It may or may not be an issue with DoDMERB, if you were diagnosed before age 13 and have been using OTC meds only since then. Just fill out the paperwork, make sure you have your medical records, and be prepared for a remedial or DQ. My DS had issues before age 13, got a prescription once, then switched to OTC meds as needed and never visited the doctor again for it. Surprisingly it cleared up when he started swimming in high school.
 
It depends on your medical records -- when was the last time you were prescribed medication for eczema? It may or may not be an issue with DoDMERB, if you were diagnosed before age 13 and have been using OTC meds only since then. Just fill out the paperwork, make sure you have your medical records, and be prepared for a remedial or DQ. My DS had issues before age 13, got a prescription once, then switched to OTC meds as needed and never visited the doctor again for it. Surprisingly it cleared up when he started swimming in high school.

How about if you already were vaccinated with smallpox and were okay, because that's what they're worried about?
 
Can you link that parkm2071?

My DD has eczema and that would not be my concern. I would think that they would itch their skin so hard that it causes open wounds. Those wounds could become infected in places like the sandbox (Iraq).

Just saying with a DD that has the condition I have seen her scratch it until she bled.

Eczema usually occurs around area like behind the knee or elbow joints....deployed front line where sanitary conditions are not like here....showering everyday or clean uniforms equates to bad juju!

Not a doc, but just saying I think it is more than smallpox
 
The reason eczema is a DQ is because individuals with eczema can react negatively to the smallpox vaccine, not because of the eczema rash itself.
 
I recieved a waiver for Eczema to both the US Naval Academy and the US Military Academy. On the Naval Academy waiver it said that I should expect to be able to commission as an unrestricted line officer in the USN/USMC. Hopefully this will be the case but I probably won't know for certain until my comissioning physical. I was also an LOA candidate which might have helped my getting a waiver. I did not apply to AFA.
 
The reason eczema is a DQ is because individuals with eczema can react negatively to the smallpox vaccine, not because of the eczema rash itself.
Eczema has been a DQ long before the smallpox vaccine was given to military members in recent years.

Yes, that is one concern, but there are many others.
 
Can you elaborate on the other concerns, KP? This question comes up a lot.
 
Can you elaborate on the other concerns, KP? This question comes up a lot.

Sure. I'm not a dermatologist, so not the expert, but one of the main concerns is the increased prevalence of asthma in those with eczema

For Example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24094544

Other concerns with eczema include the fact that it is usually exacerbated by warm, dry environments....guess where the military deploys :) It can also be triggered by common products found all over places military members work. It can also be a distraction in the most inopportune time: imagine the lead guy going up the steps in OBL's house all the sudden getting the urge to scratch somewhere :)
 
Can you elaborate on the other concerns, KP? This question comes up a lot.

Sure. I'm not a dermatologist, so not the expert, but one of the main concerns is the increased prevalence of asthma in those with eczema

For Example: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24094544

Other concerns with eczema include the fact that it is usually exacerbated by warm, dry environments....guess where the military deploys :) It can also be triggered by common products found all over places military members work. It can also be a distraction in the most inopportune time: imagine the lead guy going up the steps in OBL's house all the sudden getting the urge to scratch somewhere :)

So are you saying Eczema is almost always a DQ or are waivers given a decent amount of the time?
 
Is Eczema almost always a DQ then?
That seems to be the consensus, scottlyn. My DD got DQ'd for eczema, but CGA automatically put in a waiver request. So we're waiting for that. What's interesting is the code says current or after age of 12, but she hasn't had any problems with it since before that age. So not sure why it was a DQ. But we were told by the medical rep that it was pretty routine. Good luck to you:)
 
I can certainly understand why eczema would be a DQ. I will never forget seeing my cousin after finishing Ranger training. We went to his graduation down in Georgia. His hands looked absolutely pitiful. They were chapped and literally had cracks in the joint areas. He has perfectly normal skin. Imagine if he had some kind of skin condition. I'm sure that it would further increase the chances of serious infections. In training situations and during deployments, soldiers are often in very uncomfortable situations. They are out in the cold or they are in extreme heat. They are in very hot, dry places. They are in damp, cold places. They are wearing uniforms and maybe pounds of gear, that can be irritating. That is why they have DODMERB. They know these challenges that our service members may face.
 
My DD has excezma and I agree. Hers is behind her knees and on one finger. I have seen her scratch until she has bled, I just can imagine how easy it would be for her to get an infection if deployed to somewhere like the sandbox.

I have read on another forum (AF rated oriented) that the regulations have changed recently, but the waivers are still not easy to come by, especially if you want to go for your FC1 physical (rated cadets must obtain an FC1). I just point this out because if you want to go rated and they waive you for you to serve it doesn't mean they will waive you to go rated because that physical is not only the standards of the AF, but also the FAA.
 
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