Sensitive people often experience seasonal skin changes. Dermatitis, a common inflammatory skin disorder, is characterized by redness, swelling, heat, and pain, the four signs of inflammation. Itchiness is perceived more dominantly than pain. While some types of dermatitis have known causes, others do not. Let’s take a closer look at common but dangerous dermatitis.
Seborrheic Dermatitis
Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease on the scalp, face, armpits, and chest. It is triggered by increased sebaceous gland activity and sebum secretion. Symptoms include redness, inflammation, itching, flaking, and pustules. In severe cases, crusts may form. When facial seborrheic dermatitis worsens, symptoms like pustules and flaking could occur. Early and accurate diagnosis, followed by prompt treatment, is crucial.
Atopic Dermatitis
Atopic dermatitis, or eczema, is a chronic condition with severe, recurrent itching. It is classified as a typical allergic disease, along with asthma, allergic rhinitis, and chronic hives. External factors, such as the environment, food, and genetic factors, can trigger atopic dermatitis. The therapeutic goal is not to aim for a cure but to consistently manage and prevent it daily.
Contact Dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a skin inflammation that occurs when the skin is exposed to irritants or allergens. Symptoms such as redness, swelling, vesicles, pustules, and scabs usually appear on the contact area. Itching, burning, and redness are also accompanied. In severe cases, swelling or blisters may occur. If the affected area is large, symptoms like a cold, such as chilly, shivering, and fever, may develop concurrently.
Nummular Dermatitis
Nummular dermatitis, as the name suggests, is a chronic eczema characterized by oval, coin-shaped lesions. These lesions can range from the size of small coins to covering the entire back in severe cases. Initially, it appears as small vesicles on the arms and legs. Over time, these vesicles and pustules gradually cluster and burst, forming oval eczema lesions.
Photosensitive dermatitis
What we are more familiar with as sun allergy is referred to as photosensitive dermatitis. It is a condition where a person’s skin develops an unusual reaction in response to sunlight. It also includes polymorphic light eruption, solar urticaria, chronic actinic dermatitis, and porphyria cutanea tarda. Similar to allergic contact dermatitis, it can be improved with drug treatments such as topical steroids, but the most important thing is to minimize exposure to sunlight.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin disease characterized by a silvery-white, scale-like keratin called an induration appearing on top of a small rash. It usually appears locally on the knees, elbows, palms, or soles. However, it can also spread to other parts of the body. If the symptoms are neglected, the thickness of the induration can increase, the borders can widen, and it may spread to the entire body. This could lead to multiple complications, so special attention is needed.
Dyshidrosis
Dyshidrosis is an eczematous skin disease where blisters form on the hands and feet, with the clear etiology unknown. Although the symptoms may seem mild, they do not heal well. The symptoms most commonly occur on the palms of the hands. As dyshidrosis is a type of eczema, all symptoms of eczema can appear. Redness, pustules, dryness, flaking, etc., may occur, and severe itching may accompany them. The itching may worsen when the lesions are touched or scratched, so they should never be scratched.
Metal Allergy
The accessories that women often wear can easily cause allergies when they come into contact with sweaty skin. This is called a metal allergy. It is allergic contact dermatitis, which means the skin reacts adversely to specific metals. Nickel is the most common, but chromium, cobalt, and mercury may also trigger reactions. Not only accessories but also smartphones can elicit metal allergies. In severe cases, pus may be produced, or blisters may form, leaving pigmentation. Thus, it is best to avoid close contact with metals as much as possible.
Diaper Dermatitis
Compared to adults, a baby’s skin is very delicate. Their skin barrier function is weak, so they become dry easily and react sensitively to external stimuli. Diaper dermatitis, which usually starts to appear between 3 and 12 weeks after birth, is characterized by the initial appearance of red skin lesions. In severe cases, scales, pustules, and itching may accompany it. However, other skin diseases such as psoriasis and candidiasis should be suspected if symptoms are found in areas where the skin folds.
Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by red inflammation typically less than 1 cm in size, usually appearing in the center of the face. The skin turns red with symptoms such as papules, pustules, pus, and flushing. It has a high incidence in the 30-50 age group. If acne and facial flushing have persisted since adolescence, there is a high possibility of developing rosacea. Due to the variability in skin changes, rosacea is often mistaken for recurrent acne and dermatitis. Thus, it is advisable to visit a hospital.
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