How To Deal With Skin Irritations

Your skin can be a sensitive area of your body, and there are plenty of things that could cause it to become irritated. For example, touching a poisonous plant could cause a rash, eating a food you’re allergic to could cause hives and even using the wrong type of soap could dry out your skin.

Instead of succumbing to the skin irritation that ails you, it’s important to know the most common skin irritations and how to successfully deal with them.

Eczema

If you have a severely dry patch of skin, it is eczema. Eczema is not contagious and tends to form on the feet, hands, elbows and knees, and these flare ups tend to come and go. Most cases of eczema flare up due to stress, allergens and climate changes, and the best way to treat eczema is through the use of topical creams.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a non-contagious skin disease that affects many people. Dry patches of skin form on the body and become dark red or even silver and tend to look like scales. Psoriasis can be mild to severe, and even with treatment, those that suffer from psoriasis tend to suffer from the disease for their entire life.

If you have psoriasis, your doctor will most likely prescribe medications that you apply directly to the skin as well as an oral medication or injection. 

Shingles

Shingles is a contagious and painful skin irritation that affects many people. It generally starts with tingling or burning skin and is followed by small red dots that eventually turn into painful blisters.

Shingles can be easily treated with the use of steroids, antiviral medications and topical creams, and they will generally go away within two weeks, however the tingling feeling may last for the rest of your life. If you think that you may have shingles, it’s important to visit your doctor right away.

Hives

Most people get hives after eating or touching something that they’re allergic to. Hives look like giant red welts on the body and often itch or burn. Hives can be small in size or they can combine with other hives to make larger patches.

In order to cure hives, you will want to visit your doctor for a medicated cream or prescribed antihistamine to alleviate the itch and rash. You will also want to avoid eating or touching whatever it was that might have caused the hives in the first place to keep it from happening again.

Rosacea

If you notice that your face tends to become flushed and stays that way for a significant period of time, you probably suffer from rosacea. Rosacea tends to form around the eyes, cheeks and nose and can often lead to pimples, thick skin and visible blood vessels. Rosacea can be caused by extreme heat or stress, and while flare-ups may go away on his or her own, the only true treatment for rosacea involves dermabrasion and laser therapy.

Steven Peters is a health specialist from Boston.  He often shares information about skin irritations and how to cure them via blogging.