by Becky Walker, Oklahoma City Moms Blog
As a mom of three little ones, I have consulted with Dr. Google more times than I would like to admit. However, it was earlier on in motherhood that I decided that rashes were off limits! My kids are fair-skinned and have each had their fair share of splotchy and bumpy. However, after a quick consult with the internet, I was almost always convinced their rash was a symptom of something life-threatening. Not to mention that I had seen just WAY TOO MANY pictures that could not be unseen! I finally had to make a rule that skin conditions were off limits in my search bar.
On the flip side, bringing my kids into a germy doctors office for every single rash seemed excessive. (Especially because rashes always seem to appear at 4:59 p.m. on a Friday, amiright?) If they didn’t have something going into our visit, having my two year old press his face against the floor of the exam room is sure to send us home with a bug or two!
I recently got a chance to try a brand new app called Aysa. Aysa is an easy-to-use app for addressing concerns about common skin conditions – it’s great for kids AND adults. It’s super user-friendly, and in just minutes, you can have a much better idea of what type of rash, bug bite, or rough patch you or your child may be dealing with. Aysa was developed to be a trusted digital skin care adviser. It draws on the knowledge and experience of over 47,000 physicians and nurses to bring their expertise right into your phone. Aysa is perfect for those late night/weekend mystery rashes. It’s also GREAT for the adventurous family! Bug bite or rash from the great outdoors? You can consult with Aysa absolutely anywhere, anytime without having to cut your adventures short!
After downloading Aysa, you can create profiles for each family member. When a bump, bite, or rash appears, you snap a quick picture with your phone and create a “case” in the app! Aysa analyzes your image and asks a few more questions about the skin condition to give you the best possible idea of what you may be dealing with. It asks questions about texture, location on the body, fever, itchiness, and timing to narrow your results and match your condition with one of the many in their database. You can read more about the possible conditions to confirm which one is plaguing your household without having to filter through mommy chat rooms vs. reliable sources on the internet.
One of my favorite parts of the app comes AFTER you’ve identified the problem. Aysa pulls up actual links of products you can use to treat the condition. (With pictures!) It even shows you where you can find the medicines/creams for prevention and self-care at a store near you AND gives you options for ordering online. (It even lists shipping speeds!)
I love that the app can provide much more accurate and personalized results than Google, AND saves me from having to load up a jillion – okay, 3 – kids for an afternoon at our pediatrician’s office. It’s important to note that Aysa is meant for children 2 years and older – not babies. It’s also not meant to take the place of a medical professional, and if you have serious concerns, you should always consult with your doctor.
The next time somebody in your house gets a rash or bump, skin Dr. Google and consult with Aysa. It is SO good to have a digital skin condition advisor on standby 24/7 with reliable information for you and your family. You can find more information here!