Autoimmune skin diseases can be difficult to diagnose and treat. Psoriasis, scleroderma, bullous disorders, and alopecia areata are the most common types. These conditions occur when the body’s immune system attacks itself, causing symptoms such as itchy, scaly skin, thickening of the skin, blisters, and hair loss. Treatment often involves powerful medications.
There are many different autoimmune skin diseases, as well as a number of larger autoimmune conditions that can include skin problems as symptoms. In general, however, four specific disorders make up the majority of all diagnoses. Psoriasis usually involves patches of very itchy, scaly skin that appears to flake and is almost always strictly external, while scleroderma can cause thickening of the skin around the hands and feet but primarily affects the innermost layers of skin tissue. Bullous family disorders are usually characterized by large, sometimes pus-filled blisters, and a condition known as alopecia areata primarily affects the scalp and can lead to hair loss. Many of these conditions can resemble other less serious skin problems, especially in the beginning. Their designation as autoimmune usually means that regular treatments aren’t likely to be effective. The conditions can usually be controlled, but often only with a series of powerful medications.
Understanding of autoimmune conditions in general
When a disease or disorder is called autoimmune, it basically means that the body is actually attacking itself. The body’s immune system is the main means of protection against external threats and its main purpose is to protect and defend the body against invaders. The skin is that system’s first defense. In the case of an autoimmune disease, something gets mixed up and instead of attacking foreign or foreign substances, the body starts attacking itself. Many problems will simply resolve themselves with time, but this is usually not possible with autoimmune conditions. Sufferers usually cannot find relief until the signaling problem is corrected or at least minimized.
It is often difficult to diagnose autoimmune skin conditions in their early stages, as they often look like rashes, allergies or patches of dryness, which usually go away on their own or respond to topical treatments such as medicated lotions and creams. A formal diagnosis usually requires blood work and other tests, and people who are found to be ill often face a lifetime of treatments. Sometimes the immune system can be trained to stop attacking itself, but not usually.
Psoriasis
One of the most common autoimmune skin diseases is psoriasis. Psoriasis is a chronic condition and symptoms include thickened, itchy skin with red or pink scaly patches. The problem usually occurs when the cell renewal process in the body is disrupted and the body produces new cells faster than it can get rid of old cells. While not a serious condition in and of itself, it is often quite uncomfortable. Also, scratching or picking during outbreaks can lead to serious infections.
scleroderma
Scleroderma is a disease that acts primarily internally, which can make its symptoms harder to notice and also harder to diagnose. Compared to other skin conditions it also has a higher potential to become serious or even life-threatening. The disease attacks connective tissues throughout the body and causes hardening of the skin, blood vessels and organs. Symptoms include pale extremities, feeling cold, pain and inflammation. Thickening of the skin in the hands and feet is also a common occurrence. If left untreated, the disease can lead to serious complications, such as kidney damage, high blood pressure and heart problems.
Bullous disorders
Bullous autoimmune skin disorders encompass a wide variety of conditions that are typically chronic and are usually caused by autoantibodies or genetic defects. Disorders in this family include bullous pemphigoid, acquired epidermolysis bullosa, paraneoplastic pemphigus, and dermatitis herpetiformis, among many others. The specific type is usually determined by the location on the body where the disease occurs.
The most prominent feature of this family of autoimmune skin diseases is blisters, which cause rashes on the skin’s surface, as well as itchy rashes or hives in the affected area. These rashes sometimes look like severe burns and can develop anywhere on the body. The blisters typically develop in one region, such as the arms, inner thighs, groin, or abdomen. In some cases, however, they can appear all over the body.
alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is a skin disease that causes hair loss. In its most common form it can be isolated to the scalp but in some more advanced cases people can experience total hair loss all over the body which is called alopecia areata universalis. All variations of the condition occur when the immune system attacks the hair follicles. The condition most commonly occurs in childhood and can affect both genders. The cause is unknown, but studies indicate that a genetic influence followed by some sort of environmental trigger, such as a virus, could be responsible.
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