SKIN DISORDERS

AGING

As you age, your skin becomes thinner Your skin loses some of its subcutaneous fat This causes the skin to be less plump and less

smooth

CAUSES OF SKIN AGING Main cause is sunlight Another causes is smoking

The wrinkling increases with the amount of cigarettes and number of years a person has smoked.

HOW TO PREVENT AGING

Very few treatments have been FDA approved

Best ways to prevent aging: Do not tan Avoid the sun between 10 am and 4

pm Wear protective clothing Use sunscreen Do not smoke

WERNER’S SYNDROME

Inherited premature aging disease

Results in the appearance of old age by 30 to 40 years old

Usually grow normally until puberty

Short stature, wrinkled skin, baldness, cataracts, muscular atrophy and a tendency to get diabetes

Cells have a shorter life span than normal

Affects 1 in 200,000 people in US

ATHLETE’S FOOT

Fungal infection called dermatophytes

Most people get it at some point in their lives

Spreads very easily in public places Communal showers, locker rooms, fitness

centers are breeding grounds for the fungus

WHY ATHLETE’S FOOT?

Usually affects spaces in between toes Can also spread to soles of feet, sides of

feet, toenails

SYMPTOMS OF ATHLETE’S FOOT

Itching, stinging, burning Itchy blisters Cracking and peeling skin Excessive dryness of the

skin Nails that are thick,

crumbly, ragged, discolored or pulling away from the nail bed

Not all carriers show symptoms

CAUSES OF ATHLETE’S FOOT

Dermatophytes are fungi that sprout tendrils and affect the epidermis

When the skin detects the fungi, it causes the basal cell layer to overproduce new skin cells This causes the skin to become thick and scaly

DERMATOPHYTES

These fungal organisms thrive in damp environments

This can be caused by wearing tight shoes that pinch your toes together to create a warm and moist environment

Obviously, damp shoes or socks will make that environment even better for the fungi

TREATMENT Usually responds

to over-the-counter medication Athlete foot

creams and sprays

More serious cases may require prescription medication

Treatments are usually anti-fungal medications

HIVES

Hives are red, raised, itchy welts on the skin Tend to occur

in bunches Usually harmless

and don’t leave permanent marks

More serious cases will usually go away with antihistamine medication

TYPES OF HIVES Acute: lasts from less than a day

up to six weeks Chronic: lasts longer than six

weeks, and can last for years!

CAUSES

Triggered when certain cells, called mast cells, release histamine in to the skin and bloodstream causing inflammation in the skin.

This sometimes is an allergic reaction to medications or food. Common medication

allergies: antibiotics, aspirin, ibuprofen,

Common food allergies: shellfish, fish, nuts, eggs, and milk

Other allergens: pollen, animal dander, latex, insect stings

Environmental factors: heat, cold, sunlight, stress, exercise may also cause hives.

SHINGLES Viral infection that causes a painful rash. Actually caused by a herpes virus called

varicella-zoster. Pain can be excruciating, but it is not life-

threatening.

VARICELLA-ZOSTER VIRUS

This is the same virus that causes chicken pox After you’ve had chicken

pox, the virus does not actually go away

It lies dormant in your nerves This is actually a form of the

herpes virus After years, the virus

can potentially be activated again as shingles. The virus will reactivate

and travel up the nerve pathway to the skin.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Pain, burning, tingling, or numbness in a certain part of the body

Red rash Fluid-filled blisters

that break open and then crust over

Fever, chills, nausea, abdominal pain, headache

HOW TO DIAGNOSE SHINGLES Shingles almost always occurs on just

one side of the body Usually follows the path of the nerves where

the inactive virus had been lying dormant Virus will reactivate in patients with a

weakened immune system, such as the elderly, people with AIDS, or people who have been very stressed.

TREATMENT High doses of an antiviral drugs keep the

virus from replicating itself This reduces the duration and severity of

symptoms Anti-Inflammatory drugs are then used to

reduce the inflammation Finally, topical and oral pain relievers are

given to the patient

WARTS

Type of infection caused by a virus in the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) family There are actually more than 100 types of HPV

viruses They can grow anywhere – seriously,

even on the inside of your mouth

HOW YOU CAN GET WARTS It is transferred from person to

person through contact with the wart of an infected person

Genital warts can be passed very easily during sexual intercourse Sometimes even condoms can’t protect you

from getting genital warts

TYPES OF WARTS

1. Common Warts: usually grow on fingers, around nails, and on backs of hands

-These are often called "seed" warts because the blood vessels to the wart produce black dots that look like seeds

2. Plantar (foot) warts: grow on the bottom of the foot

-usually more painful and more flat because of the pressure from walking on them

3. Flat Warts: smaller and smoother than other warts

-usually grow in clusters of 20-100 at a time

REMOVAL OF WARTS

Salicylic Acid: over the counter medications like Compound W often contain this strong acid that you apply directly to the wart each day It works best if the skin is damp Every time you wipe off the acid, make sure

you file the dead skin off the wart Liquid Nitrogen: this is the “freezing off”

of warts Usually has to be applied by a doctor 2-4 times

before the wart goes away completely You can also get them burned, cut off,

or removed by a laser, but these methods usually cause scars

There is NO CURE for genital warts

RINGWORM

Skin infection caused by a fungus

Can affect skin on the body, scalp, and groin

More common in kids

CAUSES OF RINGWORM Despite the name, it is

caused by a fungus, not a worm Also caused by

dermatophytes Ways fungus spreads:

person to person with direct contact

contact with contaminated items

Combs, unwashed clothing, shower and pool surfaces

pets carrying the fungus Especially cats!

SYMPTOMS OF RINGWORM

Itchy, red, raised, scaly patches that may blister and ooze Patches often have

sharply-defined edges Patches usually

redder around the outside with normal skin tone in the center

Can cause bald spots in scalp

Glows under a black light

TREATMENT OF RINGWORM

Keep skin clean and dry Apply anti-fungal creams, powders,

and sprays Wash sheets and clothes every day

that you have ringworm