OET Listening Parte A: Pityriasis Rosea Rash Consultation

So what's troubling you today, John?

I have this really weird-looking rash thing on my chest.

It's kind of below my collarbone, and it's become really itchy over the last day.

It's really bad at the moment, actually, and I can't stop scratching it.

I mean, like, I'm trying, but it's too hard.

And it looks all kind of scaly and pink.

It's pretty weird.

And then yesterday morning after my shower,

I noticed there's a lot more of these little spots coming up around it.

There'd only been a few up until then.

It's definitely getting worse, look.

Okay.

Well, that looks like what we call Pityriasis rosea.

A fancy name for a rash, really.

It's common for your age group.

Have you been ill at all recently?

I had a bit of a cold for a few days last week,

just a runny nose, sneezing, that kind of thing.

I'm fine now though.

About three weeks back, I had a really bad nosebleed.

My mum took me to emergency and it ended up being nothing.

Having a cold right prior to an outbreak is quite common too.

The rash usually clears up by itself after a couple of months and rarely reappears,

but you'll need to avoid excessive sun and regularly apply generous amounts of moisturiser.

But I have a beach party this weekend at my mate's holiday house.

If I can't be out in the sun, then there's no point going.

I mean, it's actually his 18th and he's my best mate.

Also, this looks pretty disgusting, and there'll be lots of people there.

Isn't there something I can take to help clear it up,

or at least stop it from spreading more?

Because if that happens, by the weekend it could cover my whole body.

Oh, that won't happen, I can assure you.

But you will have to keep your shirt on for the hottest part of the day.

Do you have any allergies, John?

Yeah, I've been allergic to dust mites since I was about 13, I think,

so my mum's always cleaning.

My skin usually just gets really itchy and I sneeze like mad.

When I was really young, I was allergic to milk, but I'm over that now.

The only other thing I have to keep away from is...

that stuff they put in cheap takeaway food to make it taste nicer.

What's it called?

Ah... MSG, that's it.

That stuff gives me shocking headaches,

and makes me so tired that I can't do anything for about a day.

How about medical history?

Have you ever had any major illnesses or operations?

I had chickenpox when I was a toddler,

but I've also had to go to hospital four times for things.

I've been a skateboarder since I was six, so I've had a few spills.

I broke my left wrist when I was about eight years old, skating off a quarter pipe.

That was a pretty bad one, but I made it over five of my friends who were all lined up on the ground.

Then later... I'm not sure how old I was, maybe 11,

I had one of those really small breaks, like a hairline fracture in my elbow.

I also broke two of my fingers on my right hand.

I had to have them strapped up.

That was a pain.

And then my last one was last year

and was probably the worst because it was so painful.

It made the other ones seem like a joke.

I had to go into emergency because of some pretty serious grazing along my leg.

I came off my board going down a hill on the side of this really rough road.

It had dirt all in the wound.

They just washed it out and put bandages all up my leg but I was in agony.

Well hopefully that'll be the last of your injuries.