Skin Problems

Acne is the most common skin disease globally. It is primarily a hormone-related condition of the sebaceous glands which occurs mainly in adolescents during puberty and has various degrees of severity. Common acne symptoms are oily skin with pimples, pustules and blackheads that develop over time and persist, unlike normal pimples. They can also leave small red spots or scars. Acne occurs mainly on areas of the body with a particularly large number of sebaceous glands, such as the face, chest, neck, upper arms and back.

Eczema is non-contagious inflammation of the skin (Latin: dermatitis) with dry and itchy skin. Possible triggers of eczema include oily skin, infections with yeast fungi or staphylococci, a disorder of the immune system as well as psychological stress and hereditary predisposition. The most common form of eczema is atopic eczema. Atopic eczema is the result of a lack of oil in the skin, which normally prevents the skin from being dry and fragile. Symptoms of eczema can include redness, cracks, flaking, blistering, swelling.

An acute or intermittent redness of the skin is called a skin rash. Skin rashes are itchy and discolour the skin red in a very short time, can affect anyone and usually come as a surprise. There are as many manifestations as there are causes. Possible causes include children’s diseases, allergies, intolerance to medicines and general infectious diseases.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory, hereditary skin disease that can be provoked by internal and external triggers. This disease can occur at any age but often manifests itself for the first time during puberty or at between the age of 40 to 50. Normally the first layer of skin renews itself within 28 days, but for psoriatic patients, this only takes three to four days. The course of psoriasis varies but appears mostly in phases with inflammatory, reddened, scaly skin areas that often itch and burn. When carefully scraping off a scale, a thin skin remains underneath and if one also loosens this, the spot bleeds lightly. The areas where the skin changes most often include the hairy scalp and the areas behind the ears, elbows, knees and the region around the sacrum.

The rash of urticaria (urtica = Latin for “nettle”) causes itchy and burning skin reactions similar to those that occur when it comes into contact with a stinging nettle. Often triggered by an allergy, autoimmune diseases or infections in the ear, nose and throat area, stimuli such as pressure, friction, light, heat, cold can also cause urticaria. Typically symptoms are fluid-filled swellings, so-called wheals, which form on the skin surface. These are pale pink to red, they can also become larger and can first appear on one location and then show up on another.