Skin Diseases

Skin Diseases

The most common skin diseases are discussed below:

1. Acne: Acne is a skin disease in which inflammation of hair follicles and skin glands occurs. 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 is 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 the face as well as neck and chest. Acne is present in the form of pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and bumps. Effective treatment of acne is available but healing of acne scars is a time-consuming process.
2. Cellulitis: Cellulitis is a common skin infection. It is caused by bacteria that breach the skin barrier and produce toxins in the subcutaneous tissues. The indicating factors for the development of cellulitis include pre-existing skin infection, edema, inflammation, trauma, and disruption of the skin barrier. It is manifested by edema, warmth, and redness. The first symptom that appears includes redness and swelling. It can occur anywhere on the body or face but skin of arms and lower legs is most common. It can also spread to the bloodstream and lymph nodes in some cases. If left untreated, it can cause life-threatening conditions.
3. Psoriasis: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the skin and joints. This results in patches of thick red skin called plaques. These patches covered with silvery scales usually occur on legs, knees, elbows, scalp, face, palm, lower back, nails, and soles of feet.  The word psoriasis is derived from the Greek word psora which means itching. It is a persistent, common, and long-term skin disorder.
4. Eczema: The word eczema is derived from the Greek word that means boiling. It is an inflammatory disease of the skin in which itching and red patches or papules occur. The term eczema and dermatitis may be used interchangeably. These two diseases have the same clinical and histological entity. Eczema is an itchy condition in which an explosion of red erythematous patches occurs. Due to the progress of the disease, the skin surface scratching leads to thickened and leathery skin. This condition is due to the continuous rubbing of the skin. Eczema is one of the common forms of dermatitis.
5. Basal cell carcinoma: It is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth of the skin’s basal cells in the outermost layer of the skin. These basal cells produce new skin cells. It is the most common type of skin cancer. It is more prevalent on sun-exposed areas of the body particularly the face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders, and back. There is a direct relationship between the age of the patient and the total amount of sun exposure. It can also destroy the surrounding tissues. Basal cell carcinoma is locally malignant and destructive if not treated on time.
6. Squamous cell carcinoma: It is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth of the skin’s squamous cells. Squamous cells function as the inner lining of the skin. It is a cancer of keratinizing cells in the epidermis layer of the skin. It is common in sun-exposed areas and it can be highly aggressive. It can also cause damage to the skin and disfigurement. If left untreated, then it can metastasize and can also cause death. It is less common than basal cell carcinoma.
7. Malignant melanoma: It is the most lethal type of skin cancer. It is an abnormal, uncontrolled growth in pigment-producing cells of skin, melanocytes in the epidermis and dermis layer of skin. The exact cause of malignant melanoma is unknown. Family history of melanoma and ultraviolet rays play a role in the development of malignant melanoma. It affects people of all ages. It can occur anywhere on the body but most frequently in the lower extremities and trunk.
8. Lupus: Systemic lupus erythematosus is a multisystem autoimmune disorder. The term lupus is derived from a Greek word which means wolf. The immune system is a complex system that protects us against infections or other foreign substances. In an autoimmune disease, your immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal healthy tissue causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. It is not a contagious disease. In some cases, mothers with lupus may transfer the disease to their babies. Women have a higher chance than men of developing lupus. It can affect people of all ages. It is very difficult to diagnose lupus because its symptoms are very similar to other diseases. There is no cure for lupus. The main focus of doctors in the treatment of lupus is to reduce the severity of symptoms.
9. Vitiligo: Vitiligo is a condition in which pale white patches develop on the skin. It is also called leukoderma. In simple words, the loss of skin color happens in vitiligo. It can appear at any age. It usually first appears between the age of 20-30. It is common in both genders and all races. This condition is visible in people with dark complexion because of white patches. It is one of the chronic diseases of the skin. The white patches can occur on any body part but the exposed areas are more susceptible. These patches are of irregular shapes. These whitish areas can get easily damaged by sun rays. So people with vitiligo should be very careful when going out. It is a lifelong condition.
10. Warts: In warts, small, non-cancerous, and self-limited benign skin growths appear. They may disappear spontaneously. The warts can grow inwards or outwards. These growths are of the same skin color, rough and small in size but they may vary depending upon the type and severity of disease. In some cases, they can be greyish-black and dark brown in color and smooth in texture. They can appear anywhere on the body.
11. Seborrheic eczema: Seborrheic dermatitis is the most common skin infection. This type is limited to the areas in which sebum production is very high. It is due to the overgrowth of the yeast Malassezia furfur. Pink yellow greasy patches develop in seborrheic dermatitis. It causes the development of light-colored patches on darker skin and reddish patches on lighter skin.
12. Melasma: Melasma is a facial hyperpigmentation that causes the formation of dark and discolored patches on the face. It is the most common skin problem. The term melasma is derived from the Greek word that means black spot. It is also known as chloasma. If these dark patches develop in pregnant women then it is known as the mask of pregnancy. Females are more prone to the development of melasma than males. Approximately 90% of cases of melasma are reported in females.
13. Impetigo: Impetigo is the appearance of red and itchy sores on the face. The most common location of these sores is around the nose and mouth. It is a highly contagious and common disease. It is easily transmitted from one person to another. It mainly affects the children and infants and is also called infantigo.
14. Contact Dermatitis: If the allergic condition occurs as a result of the reaction to a substance you are in contact with, then the condition is called contact dermatitis. Allergic contact dermatitis is a type of intravenous hypersensitivity reaction. This reaction occurs as a result of your immune system's reaction to an antigen. Many substances can cause this hypersensitivity reaction. For example, metals (nickel and cobalt), neomycin, hair dyes, rubber compounds, plants (poison ivory), and some fragrances. Irritant contact dermatitis is the most common form of occupational dermatitis. Because the occupation of the person is the risk factor in this type. Builders, hairdressers, gardeners, healthcare workers, and chefs are more likely to get this disease. It is not caused by your immune system sensitivity. In this type, the permeability of the skin epidermis is disturbed. Cell death or cell damage occurs in response to an irritant. Hand eczema is caused by irritant contact dermatitis.
15. Carbuncle: Carbuncle causes the formation of painful and pus-filled bumps or lumps under your skin at the hair follicles. It is also known as a staph skin infection. It may occur in the form of a single or cluster of boils or lumps. If there is more than one carbuncle, then it is known as carbunculosis. They affect the deeper skin layers. It occurs when the bacteria causes the inflammation and infection of one or more hair follicles. The most commonly involved bacterium is Staphylococcus aureus. They are more common in males than females.
16. Rosacea: Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that affects the central facial area such as the forehead, cheeks, chin, and the lower half of the nose. It is manifested by redness, pimples, and thickened skin. Females are more susceptible to rosacea than males. It is more common in people of the middle ages.
17. Actinic Keratosis: In actinic keratosis, rough scaly spots are formed on the hands, arms, and face and sun-damaged areas. These spots are also known as solar keratosis. The chances of development of these spots increase with increasing age and may also be termed age keratosis. These spots are most commonly found on the face, ears, forearms, scalp, neck, lips, or back of the hands. It is a very common skin problem. It occurs due to the abnormal growth of skin cells, and keratinocytes.