skin disorders

acne

- What: hair follicles under skin become clogged

- Symptoms: uninflamed blackheads to pus filled pimples or large, red, tender bumps

- Preventions/treatments: over the counter creams/cleansers, prescription antibiotics

candidiasis

- What: fungal infection caused by overgrowth of yeast that lives on body (candida albican)

- Symptoms: swelling, itching, burning sensation, white patches/sores in mouth, red patch of skin (rash) with small, raised bumps (pustules)

- Preventions/treatments: yogurt, probiotics, antifungal cream

Psoriasis

- What: skin cells build up and form scales and itchy, dry patches

- Symptoms:  rash on the skin, but sometimes the rash involves the nails or joints

- Preventions/treatments: topical ointments, light therapy, and medications

Impetigo

- What: highly contagious skin infection that causes red sores on the face

- Symptoms: red sores that form around the nose and mouth

- Preventions/treatments: antibiotics

Carbuncle

- What: an infection of the hair follicle(s) that extends into the surrounding skin and deep underlying subcutaneous tissue

- Symptoms: filled with pus, growing larger and more painful until they rupture and drain

- Preventions/treatments: warm compress (self), incision and drainage (doctor)

Moles

- What: when cells in the skin grow in a cluster instead of being spread throughout the skin (melanocytes)

- Symptoms: brown color that is rough, flat, or raised; often can exist at birth or appear later in life

- Preventions/treatments: removal if cancerous

Scleroderma

- What: Chronic hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues

- Symptoms: rashes, swollen blood vessels in the skin, ulcers, acid reflux, chronic cough, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, fatigue, headache, joint stiffness, sensitivity to cold, shortness of breath, tight and hardened fingers, or weight loss

- Preventions/treatments: moisturizer, physical therapy, surgery

Lupus

- What: inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own tissues

- Symptoms: fatigue, joint pain, rash, and fever

- Preventions/treatments: sun protection, diet, anti-inflammatories, steroid medications

 Vitiligo

- What: chronic (long-lasting) autoimmune disorder that causes patches of skin to lose pigment or color

- Symptoms: Loss of skin color can affect any part of the body, including the mouth, hair, and eyes.

- Prevention/treatments: steroids, sunscreen, immunosuppressive drugs, topical ointments

Scabies

- What: an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite

- Symptoms: intense itching in the area where the mites burrow

- Prevention/treatments: oral medication, antiparasitic medication

Hansen’s Disease

- What: is an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae affecting the nerves, skin, eyes, and lining of the nose (nasal mucosa)

- Symptoms: light-colored or red skin patches with reduced sensation, numbness and weakness in hands and feet.

- Prevention/treatments: 6-12 months of multi-drug therapy

Dermatitis

- What: itchy and inflammatory skin condition is known for the round spots or coin-shaped lesions that appear as a rash on the arms, legs, or trunk of the body

- Symptoms: involves itchy, dry skin or a rash that might cause the skin to blister, ooze, crust or flake

- Prevention/treatments: anti itch cream/ointment

Melasma

- What: a common skin problem caused by brown to gray-brown patches on the face

- Symptoms: brown or gray-brown patches of melasma appear most often on the cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin

- Prevention/treatments: skin lightening creams

Rosacea

- What:  long-term inflammatory skin condition that causes reddened skin and a rash, usually on the nose and cheeks

- Symptoms: facial redness with swollen red bumps and small visible blood vessels

- Prevention/treatments: antibiotics, anti-acne medication

Necrotizing Fasciitis

- What: bacterial infection that destroys tissue under the skin (fleshing eating disorder)

- Symptoms: blisters, fever, fatigue, and pain worse than a person would expect based on the wound's appearance

- Prevention/treatments: immediate delivery of IV antibiotics and surgical removal of dead or infected tissue from the wound

Chicken Pox/Shingles

- What: a highly contagious disease caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV)

- Symptoms: itchy, blister-like rash

- Prevention/treatments: prevented by vaccines, oatmeal bath, medications, moisturizers

Xeroderma Pigmentosum

- What: autosomal recessive genetic disease caused by a defect in the DNA repair system, exhibiting skin cancer on sun exposure

- Symptoms: severe photosensitivity, skin pigmentary changes, malignant tumor development, and occasionally progressive neurologic degeneration

- Prevention/treatments: sun avoidance

Warts

- What: small, fleshy bump on the skin or mucous membrane caused by human papillomavirus

- Symptoms: a fleshy, painless growth on the skin such as that of the hands, feet, and genitals.

- Prevention/treatments: topical medications and surgery

 Eczema

- What: inflammatory skin condition that causes dry skin, itchy skin, rashes, scaly patches, blisters and skin infections

- Symptoms: red, weepy, crusty, itchy, flaky patches, like oval or circular-shaped areas on the skin

- Prevention/treatments: gentle/skin moisturizer, topical steroids

Dermatillomania

- What: a mental illness characterized by repeated picking at one's own skin which results in areas of swollen or broken skin

- Symptoms: recurrent skin picking that results in skin lesions

- Prevention/treatments: cognitive behavioral therapy such as that of Habit Reversal Training

Lichen Planus 

- What:  immune system mistakenly attacks cells of the skin or mucous membranes

- Symptoms:  appears as purplish, itchy, flat-topped bumps (skin), forms lacy white patches, sometimes with painful sores (mouth)

- Prevention/treatments: topical creams, oral antihistamines

Lice

- What: a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people

- Symptoms: intense itching, and you may notice small areas of blood and crust on your skin at the site of the bite marks

- Prevention/treatments: do not share clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, or barrettes, combs, brushes, towel

 Burns

- What: an injury to the skin or other organic tissue primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals

- Symptoms: feelings of minor discomfort to a life-threatening emergency, depending on the size and depth (degree) of the burn

- Prevention/treatments: immerse the burn in cool tap water or apply cold, wet compresses, apply petroleum jelly, antibiotic tropic treatment

Herpes

- What: virus causing contagious sores, most often around the mouth or on the genitals

- Symptoms: pain/itching around genitals, small bumps/blisters around genitals/mouth, painful urination

- Prevention/treatments: antiviral medicine

Alopecia

- What: Hair loss from the scalp or elsewhere on the body

- Symptoms: sudden loss of round or oval patches of hair on the scalp

- Prevention/treatments: steroid injections, topical medications

Dandruff

- What: a common scalp condition in which small pieces of dry skin flake off of the scalp

- Symptoms: itchy scalp, skin flakes on your scalp, hair, eyebrows, beard or mustache, and shoulders

- Prevention/treatments: regular cleansing with gentle shampoo/medicated shampoo

Ringworm

- What: highly contagious, fungal infection of the skin or scalp

- Symptoms: circular rash (shaped like a ring) that is usually red and itchy

- Prevention/treatments: antifungal medications

Folliculitis

- What: infection of one or more of the pockets from which hair grows (follicles)

- Symptoms: small, white-headed pimples appear around the hair follicles

- Prevention/treatments: antibiotics, antibacterial soap

Harlequin Ichthyosis

- What: very hard, thick skin covering most of their bodies; skin forms large, diamond-shaped plates that are separated by deep cracks (fissures)

- Symptoms: eyelids turning inside out, eyes not closing, lips pulled tight, limited mobility in arms and legs

- Prevention/treatments: applying topical antibiotics to prevent infection, placing a tube in the airway to help with breathing, covering the skin in bandages to prevent infection