What Are Rare Skin Diseases?
Be it an abnormal-looking red bump on your skin or sudden itchiness at certain portions, issues related to skin conditions are quite common among people of all ages. While most complications regarding our skin are treatable and do not really require any such attention, there are a handful of other rare ones which demand immediate medical advice. In severe cases, these conditions might not be curable as well.
There are many skin diseases that are incredibly rare and affect only hundreds among millions of people. It is still crucial to know the details to stay informed regarding the symptoms and get yourself treated in case you see the symptoms appear on yourself. Read ahead to learn about the vital details of some rare skin diseases.
4 Rare Skin Diseases For You To Know
1. Harlequin ichthyosis
Description: This is a genetic disorder that often leads to the thickening of the skin at various parts of the body in newborns.
Symptoms: Infants born with this rare skin condition often have deep and shiny patches or plates of skin and thick erythematous fissures separating the layers of the plates. Other symptoms often include Eclabium, dehydration, severe ectropion, etc.
Treatment: Even though there is no such cure for this disease, you should still contact your dermatologist and follow their suggestions. In most cases, the doctors prescribe antibiotics for protecting the firm skin from causing further infection.
Prevention: As stated earlier, Harlequin ichthyosis is passed on to the next generation through autosomal recessive genes. The only way to know whether you are a carrier or not is by consulting with a genetic counsellor before conceiving. Besides, the newborn will have this rare skin disorder only if both the parents pass down the gene and not the other way round.
2. Morgellons
Description: This skin disease is often referred to as a delusional disorder. The person suffering from it often believes that foreign particles or insects are crawling inside or coming out of broken skin. Morgellons is usually misunderstood as a psychiatric disorder.
Symptoms: The primal symptom of this disease is skin rashes with thread-like coloured fibres coming out of the skin. A crawling sensation and intense itching in the affected area are also significant symptoms of this rare skin disorder.
Treatment: Based on the underlying cause of the disorder, it is treated in two different ways. In case of bacterial infections, the treatment procedure often includes a round of antibiotics consumption. The Morgellons are quite often treated with antipsychotic medications as well. However, there is no such proper treatment of this disease yet. All of the medications are prescribed just to ease the troubles for the time being.
Prevention: Morgellons is a poorly understood disease that does not have any such permanent cure options. Hence, there aren’t any ways to prevent it from affecting you. However, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor as soon as you notice open wounds on your skin without any cause and also if you experience tiredness and joint/muscle pain quite often.
3. Hidradenitis Suppurativa
Description: This skin condition often leads to bumps on different parts of the body, which is quite painful. It occurs mainly during the time of puberty and is more common in females than males.
Symptoms: One of the main symptoms of this skin disease is breakouts which look quite alike to a pimple. Some other symptoms of Hidradenitis Suppurativa also include painful and delicate nodules.
Treatment: Treatment varies based on the seriousness of the case, the modes of treatment vary from person to person. Both medication and surgery are equally fruitful options for this rare skin disease.
Prevention: Some of the most effective ways to avoid this skin trouble is by achieving a healthy body weight, opting to take warm baths and avoiding smoking habits.
4. Pemphigus
Description: This autoimmune skin condition leads to sores and blisters in the throat, mouth or in the genital area. Even though it is caused mainly to older adults, it can also affect people at any age, but the chances increase with ageing.
Symptoms: Pemphigus occurs in various types, and it depends solely on the place where it is affecting. The primary symptoms are blisters followed by fatigue, nail problems and burning sensations.
Treatment: Similar to several other rare skin diseases, there are no permanent treatment options for Pemphigus. However, dermatologists often treat the symptoms and go ahead with the treatment in order to stop the further spread of the infection.
Prevention: The cause of Pemphigus is yet to be found, and hence, there is no way you can take adequate prevention for this skin condition.
If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your skin, it is best to get medical advice from a dermatologist to find the root cause of the troubles you are facing. Most of the rare skin diseases are inherited and often have a genetic link. That is why there are no proper modes of prevention for most of them to date.