Whats Wrong With Me?

Ailments of the Integumentary System

By Priya Mekala

Acne
Symptoms:
Pimples on the face, chest, and back
What Really Happens?
The hair follicles get clogged and infected, and
therefore cause pimples
At puberty, the increased number of hormones
causes increased sebum production. The sebum
combines with dead skin cells and clogs the hair
follicles. Then, a bacterium known as
Propionibacterium acnes infests the follicles. (This
bacterium lives on the skin regularly.) The follicle
then bursts under pressure, and many substances
(such as sebum and bacteria) infect the tissues close
by. This is turn causes a pimple.
Treatment:
The point of the treatment is to clear away dead skin cells, lessen sebum production, and
eliminate skin bacteria.
Mild- washing skin with mild soap
Moderate- medication is applied to the skin or taken orally, along with washing the skin
Severe- light therapy or laser treatment
Other:
Affects 17 to 28 million people in the US.
85% of teenagers in the US are affected by this skin ailment in some form.
Usually begins at puberty and continues into the adolescent age.

Athletes Foot
Symptoms:
The skin between the toes becomes sore and itchy.
Inflammation will be present.
The other areas of the foot may also be affected.
The skin also cracks and peels away.
Blisters may also be present on the toes.
What Really Happens?
The fungus that causes this ailment is unusual and found only on dead tissue.
This fungus grows quickly in warm, wet environments. (Such as swimming pools, locker
rooms, and showers).
Sweaty feet, tight shoes, and damp feet after swimming can also promote fungus growth.
However, scientists and doctors arent exactly sure what actually occurs and why some
people are more prone to this condition than others.
Women are less likely to develop this condition.
Treatment:
Preventative Measures- Keeping shoes dry, wearing open- toed shoes, changing socks and
shoes after exercising, not sharing towels, washing towels, underwear, sheets, and socks in
hot water to destroy the fungus.
Slight- Antifungal creams or sprays
Severe- Oral Antifungal medication
Other:
This is a common fungus infection.
2nd most common skin disease in the US. It affects 15% of the population.

Burns
Symptoms:
1st degree- the outer skin has become red, and there is a little bit of swelling
2nd degree- the area is red, painful, and has a shiny, wet appearance, because there is exposed tissue, blisters
may form and become infected (if not taken care of)
3rd and 4th degree- the area is blackened or gray
Different Stages:
1st degree- only the epidermis is damaged
minor burns, not serious
2nd degree- up to the upper dermis is affected
3rd degree- the entire depth of the skin is damaged
The nerve endings have been destroyed,
therefore the area has no sensitivity.
Regeneration of the skin is not possible.
4th degree- these burns damage the muscle and
bone underneath the subcutis
What Really Happens?
The cells in the area are destroyed. This can occur due to many different reasons, such as intense heat,
electricity, UV radiation, severe friction, and chemicals.
As the cells are destroyed, the body could become dehydrated.
Infections usually occur 2-3 days after the burn has occurred.
Treatment:
1st degree- Can heal within a few days on its own
2nd degree- Takes longer to heal, but can heal on its own
3rd degree- Take weeks to heal and leaves a permanent scar.
Skin grafting- a piece of skin from an unburned portion is transplanted onto the burned area.
3rd and 4th degree burns need specialized treatment that can be found in a burn center.

Dermatitis
Contact Dermatitis

Seborrheic Dermatitis

Symptoms:
Mostly pink, red itchy rash
Seborrheic dermatitis- red, inflamed skin that is covered by a greasy, dry scales
What Really Happens?
Inflammation of the skin
The exact cause is unknown to doctors and medical researchers. But, high fat diets, emotional stress, oily
skin, and the weather plays a role.
Types:
Contact dermatitis- this is an allergic reaction to something that has come in contact with the skin
Source: poison ivy, poison oak, poison sumac (urushiol)
Seborrheic dermatitis- this is only found on the parts of the body that produce sebum
Source: chlorine, cleaners, detergents, soaps, perfumes, nickel, glues
Treatment:
Contact Dermatitis- medicated creams or ointments, and oral antihistamines and antibiotics
Seborrheic dermatitis- special shampoos, medicated creams and shampoos (containing coal tar)
Other:
Dermatitis affects more men than women and affects all races equally.
Seborrheic dermatitis in babies is sometimes called cradle cap.
Dandruff is a mild form of seborrheic dermatitis. It affects 15-20% of the population.
Severe seborrheic dermatitis is common in AIDs and Parkinsons disease patients.

Psoriasis

Symptoms:
Inflamed lesions with white scabs of dead skin
What Really Happens?
Normal skin cells take 28- 39 days to run through the whole cycle of maturing and
replacing dead skin cells. In this disease the skin cells mature much faster. The cells run
through the cycle is less than a week. Since, the body does not have the capacity to shed
dead skin faster to oppose the faster skin cell cycle, dead skin starts building up.
The exact cause is unknown. However, it is seems to be triggered by infection, injury, cold
temperature, smoking, obesity, steroids, medications, and other factors. Sometimes, it has
even been considered heredity.
Treatment:
Mild to Moderate- Steroid creams and ointments
Severe- Medications along with UVB treatments
Extreme- Strong medications
Other:
Affects about 6 million people in the US.
This disease affects both genders equally, but is more common in fair skinned people.

Skin Cancer
What Really Happens?
There is an abnormal growth of skin cells. These cells can destroy other cells.
The causes of most skin cancers are unknown. However, overexposure to UV
radiation and heredity are considered to be factors.

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Most common form of skin cancer.
Consists of 75% of the cases.
This type of skin cancer rarely grows and
spreads in the body, therefore it is the least
harmful form of skin cancer.
This tends to be associated with heredity.
The basal cells are altered so that they no
longer produce keratin.
Dome shaped lesions develop on the face in
the areas that are exposed to sunlight. Later
these lesions can also develop on the ears,
hands, shoulders, and arms.
The lesions can be removed by doctors or
patients can be given imiquimod cream.
99% of patients recover fully.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

This affects cells in the second layer of the epidermis.
This type of skin cancer affects the areas of the body
that are exposed to frequent sunlight (face, hands, arms,
ears).
But, they also affect the mouth, throat, and esophagus.
Smoking greatly increases the risk for this type of skin
cancer.
The symptoms include small, raised bumps with
crusting centers. These bumps can spread to the lymph
nodes locate nearby.
These bumps can be removed through radiation or by
surgery.
There is a high rate of recovery.
Malignant Melanoma
5% of skin cancer cases
The most serious type of skin cancer
More common in Caucasian red- headed males
This cancer affects the melanocytes, which reside in
the lower epidermis. These cells produce melanin.
The melanomas appear like moles, but soon they
expand into a black patch.
Later on, the cancer spreads to the other major organs.
Overexposure can be the cause, but heredity seems to
play a greater role.
The only treatment is the surgical removal of the area
affected, before the cancer becomes thicker than 1
millimeter.
This type of skin cancer is considered not curable, if
it has spread to the other parts of the body.

Vitiligo
Symptoms:
Patches of milky white skin

What Really Happens?

There is a loss of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the melanin (a color pigment).
The cause is not known, but some researchers have theorized.
Some believe that the skin might have released chemicals that kills melanocytes.
Others think that this disorder is caused due to the environment.
It is also thought that this disorder is an autoimmune disease (when the body targets and
destroys its own cells).
Treatment:
Cannot be cured
Cosmetics can be used to blend the skin with the normal skin
Experiment Treatment: transplanting melanocytes into a pigmented area of a patients body, and
then after 3 weeks, exposing the area to UV light.
73- 84% of the patients saw complete repigmentation of their skin
Other:
Affects 1-2 % of the population.
It is usually an inherited disorder.
It is usually observed in people with darker skin, but affects all races.
50% of the cases started before the patient was 20 years old.

Warts
Symptoms:
Small growths
What Really Happens?
Warts are caused by a viral infection in the upper
layer of the skin or in the mucous membrane.
Types:
Hand warts
Foot warts
Flat warts- can occurs anywhere on the body and
are usually smaller in size.
Genital warts
Treatment:
Nonprescription remedies are found in
pharmacies.
Doctors use stronger chemical medications for
larger warts.
Warts can be frozen with liquid nitrogen.
They can also be removed by laser surgery, or
burned with an electric needle.
Other:
Warts are highly contagious.
Affect 7- 10 % of the population.

Works Cited
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Hand warts. Digital image. Sick! Gale, 2007. Science in Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
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"The Integumentary System." Body by Design. Gale, 2007. Science in Context. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.
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