Skin disorders in adults and children can encompass a wide range of conditions. Skin disorders can be bumpy or flat, small pinpricks or blistered or in a circular pattern; they can be dry and flaky, or wet and weepy. Skin disorders can be simple like a diaper rash or heat rash, or be more complicated like a viral or bacterial infection. It is helpful to have a book on hand that shows pictures of different skin disorders so you can learn to identify the differences. With a little bit of knowledge, you will be able to recognize certain types of skin disorders. Then you can choose to treat the problem on your own or go to see your doctor.
Instructions
Recognize the Differences
1. Recognize the difference between childhood illnesses such as chicken pox, measles and roseola. These illnesses, with their accompanying skin disorders, are getting less common due to vaccinations.
Chicken pox rash starts as flat red spots, followed by small white blisters that form in the center. The blisters turn from red to yellow and crust over, and they are very itchy.
The measles skin disorder exhibits small red dots that grow bigger and join together in large patches.
Roseola usually infects children under the age of 2 with a pink rash over most of the body.
2. Know the difference between a regular staph infection and the dangerous MRSA bacterial infection.
Impetigo is caused by a normal staph infection and is a reddish rash that turns light gold and weepy.
MRSA virus, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a serious infection that can cause death if not treated immediately. MRSA looks similar to impetigo staph infection at the beginning but does not heal, and the skin lesions get larger in diameter and are red, hot and swollen. In some cases the skin will turn black as it starts to necrotize and die.
3. Know what ringworm, scabies and bedbug bites look like.
Ringworm is a rash characterized by small, red, raised spots that are shaped in small circles, usually on the torso or the face. The rash is itchy and can be treated with a topical anti-fungal ointment.
Scabies is a rash that starts with small red spots or squiggly lines and becomes very itchy. This rash most commonly appears on the hands between the fingers. It can also occur on the buttocks, armpits and wrists. A burrowing mite causes scabies.
Bedbug bites are characterized by intense itching and one or more raised red blotches on the skin.
4. Know what a wart looks like, whether on the hand or genitalia.
Warts on your hands are raised, calloused, hard bumps that will sometimes bleed if picked. They can grow and multiply.
Genital warts can be flat, colorless or red. These warts can appear by themselves or clumped together to give a cauliflowerlike bumpy appearance. They can occur anywhere on the genitalia or buttocks.
5. Recognize facial skin disorders of acne, ingrown hairs and rosacea.
Acne is very common in all ages and can appear as small whiteheads or blackheads, large pimples, or pustules filled with a yellow fluid surrounded by reddish skin.
Ingrown hairs on the face usually occur in the chin area if you pluck or shave. They are large, hard bumps that can come to a pus-filled head and drain. You may see a hair in the center of the bump.
Rosacea is a dry, flaky rash that is common in middle-aged and older people. It is often seen as reddened skin over the nose, cheeks and forehead. The skin feels hot to the touch.
Tags: skin disorders, rash that, staph infection, bacterial infection, bumps that, difference between, hard bumps
