Skin Diseases

Scleroderma is connective tissue disease changes in the skin, blood vessels, skeletal muscles, and internal organs. It’s also known as systemic sclerosis. This disease affects approximately 300,000 people in the US, and the rates keep increasing 2-20 % yearly. Found more common in women than men. Genes are also playing in leading to the development of scleroderma. A connective tissue disease is one that affects tissues such as skin, tendons, and cartilage. Scleroderma can be classified in terms of the degree and location of the skin involvement.

Symptoms of Scleroderma

• Heartburn: is a result of stomach acid back flowing up into the esophagus causes heart burn.
• Diffuse form of scleroderma: symmetric thickening of skin of the extremities, face, trunk (chest, back, abdomen, or flanks).
• Constipation
• Stomach cramps and diarrhea.
• Difficulty swallowing and/or localized pain in the central chest.
• Shorted breath, especially with physical exertion.
• Elevated blood pressure is potentially serious and can lead to kidney damage
• Headache, fatigue, and in severe cases, stroke.
• Elevated pressure in the arteries to the lungs (pulmonary hypertension) can also cause shortness of breath and difficulty getting an adequate breath with activity.

Causes of Scleroderma

Scleroderma causes inflammation and thickening of the skin. In these disorders, a person’s antibodies are directed against his or her own tissues.

• Exposure to industrial solvents or an environmental agent may play a role in predisposing to scleroderma.
• Plaquenil drug has relatively few side effects, and it’s also effective for the arthritis that can be associated with scleroderma. This medication to affect the way immune cells work.

Scleroderma has been categorized into two major groups, diffuse and limited:

1. Diffuse form of scleroderma: can rapidly progress to hardening after an early inflammatory phase. Organ disease can occur early on and be serious. Organs affected include the esophagus, bowels, and lungs with scarring (fibrosis), heart, and kidneys.
2. Limited scleroderma: typically has gradual onset and is restricted to certain areas of the skin. Reynaud’s phenomenon is due to vasoconstriction of the small arteries of exposed peripheries - particularly the hands and feet - in the cold temperature. The skin changes and other features of disease tend to occur more slowly than in the diffuse form. Because a characteristic clinical pattern can occur in patients with the limited form of scleroderma, this form has taken another name which is composed of the first initials of the common components. Telangiectasia is a condition caused by the swelling of tiny blood vessels, in which small red spots appear on the hands and face. While not painful, these red spots can create cosmetic problems. Genetic predisposition appears to be limited: genetic concordance is small; still, there often is a familial predisposition for autoimmune disease. Polymorphisms in COL1A and TGF-ß1 may influence severity and development of the disease. There is limited evidence implicating cytomegalovirus (CMV) as the original epitope of the immune reaction, and organic solvents and other chemical agents have been linked with scleroderma.

Treatments of Scleroderma

• Medications that help with blood circulation such as, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and low-dose enteric-coated aspirin.
• Tracleer is an oral medication that has been approved for pulmonary hypertension in people with scleroderma.
• Prilosec, Nexium, or Prevacid will help to relieve esophagus irritation and heartburn.
• Antacids can also be helpful for heartburn as well.
• Elevating the head of the bed can reduce backflow of acid into the esophagus that causes inflammation and heartburn.
• Avoiding caffeine and cigarette smoking also helps for Scleroderma patient.
• People with scleroderma-related lung disease found cyclophosphamide modestly improved lung function and quality of life. Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) is sometimes used to treat pulmonary fibrosis.

Raynaud’s disease is rare disorders that affect by narrowing of the blood vessels. Raynaud’s is a condition in which the blood supply to the extremities usually happens to the fingers and toes, but they are also affected the ears and nose too. This disease is characterized by episodic attacks, called vasospastic attacks that cause the blood vessels in the fingers and toes to constrict. Raynaud’s syndrome could be secondary to another condition such as scleroderma or lupus. Raynaud’s disease has seen more in women than in men. And it could occur at any age. It is almost 4 - 5% of American population is affected.

Causes of Raynauds’s disease

Doctors don’t really understand what’s the cause of Raynaud’s attacks, but blood vessels in the hands and feet seem to overreact to stress or cold temperatures.

When you are exposed to cold temperatures, your body started losing heat and slows down blood supply to your fingers and toes to preserve your body’s core temperature. The body specifically reduces blood flow by narrowing the small arteries under the skin of your extremities. In people with stress, Raynaud’s disease response is exaggerated. Stress causes a similar reaction to cold in your body, and likewise the body’s response may be exaggerated.

Symptoms of Raynaud’s disease.

1. When Raynaud’s disease patients exposed to cold temperatures, the blood supply to the fingertips, toes, nose, and earlobes are reduced and the skin turns pale or white, the patient becomes cold and numb.
2. When the oxygen supply is depleted, the skin color turns blue (called cyanosis).

Treatment of Raynaud’s disease

There is no available method to prevent the development of Raynaud’s disease. Further, there is also no known to cure for this disease. Therefore, the best supportive management available is avoidance of the trigger. The most proper methods are medical care and avoidance of Reynaud’s disease.

The simplest way is adjusting your lifestyles will be effective for relief that found by many people. Patient need to stay warm, and keep their hands and feet well covered in cold temperature. Gloves alone allow heat to escape, so needed layered clothing, scarves, heavy coats, heavy socks, and mittens under gloves are suggested. Patients should also cover or close the space between their sleeves and mittens. Indoors, they should wear socks and comfortable shoes. Nicotine will worsen the problem with smoker, so quit smoke will benefit. Avoid the use of vibrating tools as well.

Non-medication treatment of Renaud’s disease

Biofeedback has been known to be safe and effective for some Renaud’s disease patient. These designed techniques to help a person gain control over involuntary body functions, such as skin temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure. Biofeedback training is necessary and several methods are available on the web.

Eczema is one of big problem for teenagers because their age is the most group that prone to pores becoming clogged. Eczema is a condition in which your skin becomes irritated, red and itchy. Atopic eczema is the most common form of skin disease and sometimes doctors don’t know exactly the answer. Eczema may lead to blisters and oozing lesions, but eczema can also result in dry and scaly skin. Repeated scratching may lead to thickened, crusty skin.

Symptoms of Eczema

• Itching sensation
• Reddening of the skin
• Swelling of the affected areas
• Blistering and crusting

Causes of Eczema

• Skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or irritants.
• Xerotic eczema is dry skin becomes so severe, it will become eczema.
• Soaps, and shampoos, allergy to wheat (gluten), etc. may be trigger eczema

Treatment of Eczema

• Take Atrax, flu tablet pill or using diprocel cream to reduce itching.
• Sun or ultra-violet light therapy is the best method to cure eczema.
• Applying pure essential oils extracted from plants to relieve eczema symptoms and heal process of repairing the skin.
• Applying a topical steroid such as Corticosteroids that prescribe by your doctor, don’t use for long period of time may cause thinning your skin.
• Consume foods like yogurt, fermented and unfermented milk, miso, tempeh, and soy beverages for natural probiotics to kill bacteria that cause eczema.
• Managing your stress, keeping a healthy diet with plenty of fiber, limiting alcohol consumption will be long term prevention from eczema.
• Take Anti-histamines medicine over the counter to reduce inflammation
  Avoid excessive scrubbing and toweling after bathing your child.
• Apply moisturizing ointments, lotions, or creams to your child’s skin regularly.
• Aloe Vera is the herb that has been used helping people with eczema.
• Tincture and creams are available from Oregon grape is very good product to treat eczema.

Many are starting to reap the benefits associated with skin care body lotion for psoriatic arthritis. In recent years, medical professionals have established this form of arthritis. If you suffer from this, your immune system is normally jeopardized. Due to popular belief, it is not a skin condition, but it does have a large impact on the skin. In addition to the skin, it also affects the joints, tissues, and similar areas in the body. If you suffer from this condition, you should consider various types of dermal care emollients.

Who Gets Psoriatic Arthritis and How Can emollients Help?

Any person, at any age can develop this form of arthritis, but it seems to be most common among those that are in their thirties. Not everyone that develops this arthritic condition has arthritis, but it has been estimated that nearly half do have psoriasis at onset. Overall, there is no conclusive evidence on what causes this condition. It has been determined that having either a history of psoriasis or a genetic predisposition to this skin condition, or arthritis in general, can increase the risk of developing the skin and joint condition.

Dermal care emollient for this type of arthritis can be extremely beneficial in soothing the swelling and pain that result from the ailment. However, many with this condition may also suffer from the effects of standard arthritis. This may result in dryness and irritation of the skin. Individuals who use dermal creams are less likely to experience discomfort as a result of these characteristics. Furthermore, the vitamins, minerals, and water that is normally contained within these creams can be extremely beneficial in promoting new skin growth and basic skin regeneration.

What Other Treatments Can Be Used With Dermal Care Emollients?

People who have this medical disease usually do not require consistent treatment. While it is a good idea to use emollients for the purpose of dermal care on a regular basis, over the counter and prescription pain medications are usually only encouraged when the symptoms flare up and result in a general lack of quality in a person’s life and comfort level. It has been discovered that medications that result in reducing the swelling associated with this condition are effective. Pain relievers that contain anti-inflammatory agents are also recommended in conjunction with pain relieving creams for topical application.

What Ingredients Make The Best Dermal Care Cream?

There are many dermal care creams and ointments on the market today. If you are looking for a product that will soothe the symptoms associated with psoriatic arthritis, it is important to consider the symptoms that you are trying to treat. These symptoms may include:

• Burning
• Itching
• General Pain
• Rash
• Irritation
• Burning

One of the best ingredients involves that of aloe vera. Not only does this ingredient help in providing immediate topical relief, it also effectively hydrates the skin. You should also consider ingredients that are derived from cayenne peppers to provide immediate relief to general pain. Choosing these ingredients in a skin care lotion for Psoriatic Arthritis can prove to be very effective for providing you with the relief that is needed.

Pemphigus is a rare skin disease that causes by autoimmune disorders when body’s defense attacks its own tissues and cells.

Autoantibodies is antibodies attack one’s own cells. The part of the cells that are attacked in pemphigus are proteins called desmogleins. Desmogleins form the glue that attaches skin cells together, keeping the skin intact. When autoantibodies attack desmogleins, the cells become separated from each other. when skin becomes unglued. This causes burn-like lesions or blisters that do not heal. In some cases, these blisters occur a significant area of the skin.

Symptoms of Pemphigus

• Oral mucous membrane lesions
• Blister on skin
• Lesions usually start upper trunk and back. Gradual extension on face, groin, and maxillae.

Causes of Pemphigus

There are 3 types of Pemphigus:

1. Pemphigus vulgaris: Most common type of Pemphigus found majority in Middle East. Sore in the mouth, difficult to eat. Occur in mid to late adult life (40-60 of age).
2. Pemphigus foliaceus: body’s immune system destroyed protein caused crusty sores, then move to chest, back, and face. and is often mis-diagnosed as dermatitis or eczema.
3. Paraneoplastic pemphigus: is disease that causes 50% of chance of inheriting the disorder by parents have HHD.

Treatment of PemphigusBiopsy are needed before treatment

• Take high doses of orally steroids (prednisone 120-240 mg/day). Unfortunately,, high-dose of steroids for long term causes its own morbidity and mortality.
• Antibiotics may be used for treatment. If skin lesions do become infected.
• Talcum powder is used to prevent oozing sores from adhering to bedsheets and clothes.

Porphyria is a disease related to groups of disorder that affected to nervous systems or skin. The most common problems of all phorphyria are the body cumulated porphyrins or porphyrin precursors, these chemicals are usually not cumulated. In general, depending on what type of phorphyria will build up what’s chemical.

The Symptoms of Phorphyria

• Buring
• Blister
• Scar of sun expose
• Pain in the back, arms and legs
• Redish color in urine or/and urine retention
  Nausea
• Vomiting
• Confusion, hallucinations and seizures
• Constipation
•  Muscle weakness
• Liver function abnormalities.

The Causes of Phorphyria

There are about 8 types of phorphyria, and the causes will be different for each type.

• Acute Intermittent Porphyria (AIP): caused by The deficient enzyme is porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD), also known as hydroxymethylbilane synthase. These are others  factors may be activating the problems such as change in hormones, drugs, and diets.
• Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria (CEP): caused by deficiency of uroporphyrinogen III cosynthase. Porphyrins are increased significantly in bone marrow, red blood cells, plasma, urine, feces, the teeth and bones. Most of the problems occur during infancy.
• Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (PCT): Caused by deficiency of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase (UROD). Most people have this problems show no symptoms, but when disease are triggered by these factors such as iron, alcohol, hepatitis C virus (HCV), HIV, estrogens, PCT will be active. Porphyrine will build up Large amounts of porphyrins in the liver.
• ALAD Porphyria (ADP): caused by deficiency of the enzyme delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD). This disease is very rare.
• Hepatoerythropoietic Porphyria (HEP): Caused by deficiency of uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase. Porphyrins build up in liver, plasma, urine, feces, in bone marrow and red blood cells.
• Hereditary Coproporphyria (HCP): caused by deficiency of coproporphyrinogen oxidase.
• Variegate Porphyria (VP): caused by deficiency of protoporphyrinogen oxidase.
• Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP) or Protoporphyria: caused by abnormally elevated levels of protoporphyrin IX in erythrocytes (red blood cells), feces and plasma (the fluid portion of circulating blood). The porphyrins build up in bone marrow, red blood cells and sometimes the liver.

The Treatment of phorphyria

The best treatment will be consulted by your physician to decide what the main cause of the disease is. Here some of the options are available.

• Patient with EPP: should avoid sunlight according to their personal sensitivity. Taking some products that contain Lumitene/Beta-Carotene for treatment, it can be found in green plant. Access of vitamins A and D can cause serious health issues. the patient should consume the foods are rich iron such as red meat, spinach, baked potato with skin, red kidney beans, raisins, etc.
• Patient with AIP: most of the patient is attacked by low intake of glucose and carbohydrates with weight loss purpose. Medication for pain, nausea and vomiting are needed. A high intake of glucose or other carbohydrates are recommended.
• Patient with CEP: removing the spleen, blood transfusion, Bone Marrow Transplantation may reduce the porphyrines. In some case, taking Activated charcoal by mouth will help as well.
• Patient with PCT: repeated a schedule to the removal of blood (phlebotomies) to reduce amount of iron in the liver.