Chronic skin conditions typically aren’t curable, but they can be managed using drugs and by paying close attention to your lifestyle. Learn more about symptoms, treatments, and ways to feel better.
Skin problems are some of the most common reasons people visit the primary care physician. Everyone at some point has suffered from a skin problem and 1 out of 3 people in the U.S. has a skin condition at any point in time. Some conditions arise directly from the skin (for example, dermatitis, ringworm, rosacea, and more). Other non-dermatologic conditions (for example, herpes simplex virus, human papilloma virus, and others) have symptoms that manifest on the skin.
Itchy rash, oozing sores, scaly skin? These are just a few of the many symptoms of skin disorders. There are more than 3,000 kinds of skin disorders. Some are temporary, easily treated, and just a nuisance. Others can persist lifelong and cause chronic symptoms, disability, and emotional distress. Some skin conditions -- such as melanoma -- can even be deadly.
Eczema
Eczema is term for a group of medical conditions that cause the skin to become inflamed or irritated.
eczema is a group of unrelated diseases that have a similar appearance. When it is new eczema, the affected skin appears red and elevated with small blisters (vesicles) containing a clear fluid. When the blisters break, the affected skin will weep and ooze. In older eczema, chronic eczema, the blisters are less prominent and the skin is thickened, elevated, and scaling. Eczema almost always is very itchy.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a common skin disorder that produces thick red plaques covered with silvery scales.
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that can affect anyone, although it's more common in people between the ages of 15 and 35, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation. If you have psoriasis, your skin cells grow faster than normal.
Types of Psoriasis
Psoriasis can occur on the scalp, nails, and joints. In the United States, about 7.5 million people have psoriasis, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). The five types of psoriasis include the following.
Plaque Psoriasis
This common form of psoriasis causes raised, red patches on the skin. Skin patches can be itchy and painful.
Guttate Psoriasis
This type of psoriasis can start in childhood or young adulthood.
Inverse Psoriasis
This type of psoriasis causes red lesions in body folds.
Pustular Psoriasis
This type causes white blisters and red skin.
Erythrodermic Psoriasis
This rare inflammatory type of psoriasis can develop over the entire body. Symptoms include widespread redness, pain, and severe itching.
