Skin Rash Photos and Information Continued

Psoriasis

     Psoriasis is a common skin disease that causes cells to build up quickly on the surface of the skin which forms thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that can be painful.  It is a chronic disease.  There may be times when the symptoms improve, but times also when the symptoms worsen.  There are numbers of symptoms of psoriasis.  Red patches on the skin that are covered with silvery scales are one symptom.  There also may be small scaling spots in children.  You may experience dry or cracked skin that bleeds.  You may experience itching, soreness, or burning.  You may have thickened, ridged, or pitted nails.  Another symptom could be swollen and stiff joints.  Milder cases of psoriasis can be just a nuisance, while severe cases can be painful and disabling.  There are a number of types of psoriasis.  They include:

• Nail psoriasis which can affect fingernails and toenails, causing discoloration, pitting, and abnormal nail growth. 
  

• Scalp Psoriasis appears on the scalp as red, itchy areas that have silvery white scales. 
  

• Guttate psoriasis generally affects people under the age of 30 and is commonly triggered by bacterial infections like strep throat.  It looks like small sores on your trunk, legs, arms, and scalp. 
  

• Inverse psoriasis usually affects the skin of the groin, in the armpits, under the breasts, and around the genitals.  It is characterized by smooth patches of red and inflamed skin.  It is most common in overweight people. 
  

• Pustular Psoriasis is uncommon and usually develops quickly with blisters filled with pus that appear hours after your skin feels red and tender. 
  

• Plaque psoriasis is the most common form and causes dry, raised, red skin lesions that are covered with silvery scales.  They can itch and be painful and occur anywhere on the body, including the mouth and genitals.  

• Psoriatic arthritis causes inflamed scaly skin and pitted discolored nails and swollen painful joints.  It can also lead to inflammatory eye conditions such as conjunctivitis. 
  

• Erythrodermic psoriasis is the least common form of psoriasis, and can cover the entire body with a red peeling rash that burns and itches severely.  It can be triggered by other medications, corticosteroids, severe sunburn, or poorly controlled psoriasis. 

Shingles

     Shingles is a very painful rash that is caused by a viral infection called herpes zoster.  Shingles usually appears as a band of blisters that will wrap from the middle of the back around one side of the chest to the middle of your back.  Even the neck, face, and scalp can be affected.  The pain of shingles can be nearly unbearable.  There are a number of symptoms of shingles.  One symptom is a pain, burning, numbness, tingling, or extreme sensitivity in a particular part of the body.  After the pain begins, a rash typically starts several days after the pain.  Then fluid-filled blisters may break open and then crust over.  You may also experience itching, fever and chills, upset stomach or abdominal pain, and headache.  One important characteristic of shingles is that it often affects only one side of the body.  Anyone that has had chickenpox is at risk of developing shingles.  If you had chickenpox and your body did not destroy the entire virus at that time, the virus may have entered your nervous system where it remained dormant for years before reactivating and producing shingles.  Shingles is more common in older adults as well as people with weakened immune systems.  If you contract shingles, you can expect that it may take a few weeks to heal on its own.  There are some treatments that you can try to speed up the healing process and ease your symptoms.  Your doctor may prescribe high doses of an antiviral drug to help reduce the severity and the duration of your symptoms.  An anti-inflammatory drug may be used to ease the inflammation.  Also, pain relievers may be prescribed to help with the pain caused by the shingles.  There are two vaccines available that may help prevent you from getting shingles in the first place.  The chickenpox vaccine, known as the caricella virus vaccine is a routine childhood immunization recommended between ages 12 months and 18 months.  It will not guarantee that you will not get chickenpox or shingles, but it can reduce the severity of the disease and your chances of developing complications.   The shingles vaccine, or the varicella-zoster vaccine can help prevent shingles in adults that are at least 60 years old if they have had chickenpox.  While it doesn't guarantee that you won't get shingles, it will usually reduce the severity of the disease and the chances of developing complications. 

Ringworm

     Ringworm is a fungal infection that develops on the top layer of your skin and has an itchy, red circular rash that has regular looking skin in the center.  Though it is called ringworm, it has nothing at all to do with a worm.  More than one patch of ringworm may appear on your skin.  The patches or red rings of the rash may overlap.  Ringworm is contagious.  It can be spread in several ways.  Humans can pass it on to other humans through skin to skin contact with an infected person.  It can be spread from animal to human by a person touching an infected human.  Ringworm can be passed from object to human.  If a human touches objects or surfaces that an infected animal has recently touched or used, the human can develop ringworm.  Common objects to pass ringworm include brushes, combs, bedding and linens, clothing, and towels.  Soil to human is an uncommon way for it to be spread when a human has prolonged contact with highly infected soil.  There are many over the counter antifungal creams or ointments that can be used to treat ringworm.  If those do not improve the condition, a prescription strength topical medication or an oral medication may be prescribed by your doctor.

Lichen Planus