People can develop actinic keratosis after exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun or artificial tanning. People should keep an eye on actinic keratoses as they can be the first sign of skin cancer. According to the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology , active lesions that are redder and more tender than others may develop into a skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
Lichen planus is an inflammatory skin condition in which many small bumps develop on various parts of the body.
Ringworm , or tinea, is a fungal infection that affects the top layer of the skin. Ringworm causes red, scaly rashes that can spread to other parts of the body. People can treat mild forms of scaling skin with ointments or creams that contain urea, petrolatum, or lactic acid. If using creams and ointment regularly does not reduce the scaling, people can talk to their doctor about the best treatment options. Doctors may recommend prescription-strength ointments to reduce swelling and itching, such as hydrocortisone.
For more severe cases, healthcare providers may recommend oral steroids, antibiotics , or antihistamines. Scaling leaves the skin broken and vulnerable to bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, which can lead to other health complications if left untreated. Some of the medical conditions mentioned above may lead to other health complications.
For example, people with psoriasis may develop psoriatic arthritis , a condition characterized by pain and inflammation of the joints. Scaling skin is not a medical emergency. However, people should seek medical attention if they experience any of the following:. Scaling skin is a symptom of many different medical conditions, such as psoriasis, contact dermatitis, eczema, and fungal skin infections.
People who experience persistent scaling may want to contact their healthcare provider to discuss treatment options. Causes include exposure to ultraviolet light, radiation therapy, long-term exposure to arsenic, and a weak immune system. Treatments: If the cancer is small and localized, a doctor is able to remove it surgically with a simple excision or Mohs Surgery a specialized microscopy procedure developed for skin cancer.
In rarer cases, treatments may be cryotherapy cold application , topical chemotherapy, laser surgery, or the prescription medication, Imiquimod. Causes: Squamous cell carcinoma is the second-most common type of skin cancer. The cause is usually too much sun exposure. Treatments: Squamous cell carcinoma is also commonly removed with excision or Mohs surgery. Other treatments include topical medications and various radiotherapies.
Treatments: Your doctor will use a biopsy to properly diagnose melanoma. A doctor will usually use surgical removal for this type of skin cancer as well. However, treatment may be more extensive depending on the number of cancerous moles present.
Other treatments may include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy. Causes: Some rashes result from insect bites including those from mosquitoes, spiders, ants, fleas, flies, and wasps. Following the insect bite is an allergic reaction in the form of a swollen, itchy bump. However, you may need to take a trip to the emergency room or your general practitioner in the case of a more severe reaction.
A doctor will prescribe a topical cream in these cases. Causes: Cysts can occur in several parts of the body. Skin cysts also known as sebaceous epidermal cysts are sacs bump or lump under the skin which are full of sebum a fluid that is a greasy and cheese-like material.
One cause of cysts is a plugged hair follicle duct. These cysts can also result from an infected injury or hormone stimulation.
Treatments: Treatments for cysts include cleaning the affected area with antibacterial soap, applying a warm washcloth for 20 to 30 minutes several times a day up to four to increase blood circulation and speed healing.
Be sure to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist if there is no change within a week, or if the cysts begin to pus. Causes: Port Wine Stains or birthmarks are present at birth and are usually red or brown in their appearance. Treatments: A specialist may use a variety of laser treatments to remove Port Wine Stains. The type of laser treatment used is dependent on the type of Port Wine Stain and the anatomical location. Basal cell cancers are often fragile and might bleed after shaving or after a minor injury.
A simple rule of thumb is that most shaving cuts heal within a week or so. Squamous cell cancers tend to occur on sun-exposed areas of the body such as the face, ear, neck, lip, and back of the hands. Some people are however allergic to bee sting, this could develop reactions that can be life-threatening.
Jock itch is one of the most common forms of fungal infection of the skin. Jock itch is also referred to as tinea curries, and commonly affect your genitals, inner thighs, and buttock. Jock itch is known to cause an itchy, red and often ring-shaped rash.
The warm, moist areas of the body provide an ideal condition for the growth of the fungus causing this rash.
It is common for people who sweat a lot and those who are overweight. Apart from jock itch, another common infection known to cause redness on the skin is impetigo. Impetigo is a contagious bacterial skin infection forming pustules and yellow crusty sores on the skin. The red sores caused by impetigo are what break open, ooze fluid and develop a yellow-brown crust.
Impetigo sores can occur anywhere on the skin. This is a common skin infection in children, and it is caused by streptococcus bacteria. Red skin patches can also be caused by shingles. Shingles is an acute inflammation of the nerve ganglia. Shingle is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. The rash caused by shingles can appear anywhere on the skin.
Shingles will often appear as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around either the left or the right side of the torso [mayo clinic]. The rash is caused by varicella-zoster virus, the same virus known to cause chicken pox. Scabies is another contagious skin infection. Scabies is a contagious skin infestation by the mite Sarcoptes scabies. The infection occurs after mites burrow the skin to live and deposit eggs.
The condition causes severe itching, the itching may be especially strong at night. Hay fever is an allergy caused by pollen or dust, this causes the mucous membrane of the eyes and nose to become itchy and inflamed. With hay fever, you are likely to experience a runny nose and watery eyes. The other possible cause of red and patchy skin is drug and food allergy. A food or drug allergy is an abnormal reaction of the immune system to medication.
A drug allergy could occur whether you are using over the counter, prescription or herbal drug. Some cases of drug allergy might be life threatening, as such, immediate medical attention is required. Unlike most of the condition we have mentioned above, rheumatic fever is not contagious.
0コメント