Acne Symptoms, Causes & Treatment:

Acne is a skin disease in which inflammation of hair follicles and skin glands occur. Acne is the most common medical condition. Everybody is suffering from different types of acne in different stages of their life. Acne is also known as acne vulgaris. Vulgaris means most common as it distinguishes between different types of acne. Acne occurs in the form of inflamed or non-inflamed lesions. It can also be present in the form of both. The organ largely affected by acne is face as well as neck and chest. Acne is present in the form of pimples, whitehead, blackhead and bumps. Effective treatment of acne is available but healing of acne scar is a time taking process. You should be emotionally stable during this time. Depending upon the severity and symptoms of acne, effective treatments are available. But acne affects us physically and mentally. It causes emotional distress and decreases your confidence. You should not hesitate about acne and immediately seek medical attention. Skin is the largest and most visible organ.You should be very careful about your skin and immediately consult with a specialist of skin in case of any skin disease.

Symptoms:

Symptoms and severity of acne vary from person to person. The most common symptoms of acne are,

·         Pimples (also known as pustules )

·         Whiteheads (In whiteheads, pores of our skin are clogged)

·         Blackheads (In blackheads, pores of our skin are open)

·         Cystic lesions ( In this, pus filled lesions are formed under the skin)

·         Hard lesion without pus are also formed under the skin

·         Red bumps

·         Inflammatory papules

·         Nodules

·         Erythema

Causes:

There are different causes of acne. The most common causes are genetic predisposition, local cosmetic agents and some bacterial infections. Acne mostly occurs on your face, chest, shoulders and forehead. There is a large amount of oils glands (sebaceous) in these areas of your body. Acne occurs due to the over activity of these oil glands. Hair follicles are in connection with these glands. When hair follicles are inflamed then they produce a whitehead. If the pore is open and darker then they produce a blackhead. In blackheads, the open pore is filled with oil or bacteria. When the blackhead is exposed to the air, then its color changes to brown.

Another major cause of acne is hormonal disturbances. During puberty, the level of androgens hormones may increase in your body and provoke acne. Some medicines like steroids are the reason behind acne. Dieting can also worsen acne symptoms. Stress plays a vital role in your acne. If you are suffering from acne then stress can worsen it to the next level.  

Treatment:

An effective treatment plan is made depending upon the etiology and severity of your problem. In some cases, doctors prefer symptomatic treatments. Doctors prescribe retinoids(topical ointment) for inflammation and lesions. It is a first line therapy and applied on a clear and dry skin. In case of bacterial infections, doctors can also prescribe topical antibiotics. These antibiotics also have anti-inflammatory properties. Topical antibiotics include clindamycin, erythromycin, minocycline, dapsone and benzoyl peroxide. Doctors can also prescribe oral antibiotics like trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin. In case of hormonal disturbances, there are different hormonal therapies. Estrogen is an effective medicine and decreases the production of sebum.