infections of the skin
Infections of the Skin
Skin being the major exposed organ, is often affected by a number of factors, the predominant one being infections. Read the article to learn about the different infections of the skin.
Infections of the skin are often unpleasant and painful, and if the problem persists, it could have adverse psychological effects on the person. Those with a weak immune system are more susceptible to such problems. It could be caused by microscopic organisms, fungi, and macroparasites. Amongst the different skin disorders, bacterial and fungal infections are the most common ones.
Bacterial Infections
They are the most common types. They are mainly caused by two types of bacteria - Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus. Given below is the list of common bacterial-infected problems, many of which are caused by the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
- Erisipelas: Also known as St. Anthony's Fire, this infection is a staph infection wherein the skin rash appears to be bright red, swollen with a shiny patch, which can easily be differentiated from the normal skin area. The affected person experiences an excruciating pain at the rash patches.
- Cellulitis: This affects the deeper layers of skin that includes the subcutaneous tissue and the dermis. As the infection starts at a deeper level before its appearance on the skin, the person experiences fatigue, fever, and chills. The rash is red and swollen in appearance and is very painful. The head and neck are the two areas that are affected by cellulitis in children, and in case of adults, it mostly occurs on the arms and legs.
- Folliculitis: It is nothing but inflammation of the hair follicle. The name is so, as the inflammation is confined to hair follicles only. There are different types of folliculitis, one of which is hot tub folliculitis, which is caused by the Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.
- Furuncle: While the folliculitis infection is confined to the hair follicles, furuncle affects a wider area called pilosebaceous unit, which includes the hair follicle, hair shaft, the sebaceous gland, and the pili muscle. The face, neck, buttocks, and armpits are the common areas where this type of infection mostly occurs. Another severe form of a furuncle infection is called a carbuncle. It is a more serious form of infection, as it is a group of closely formed furuncles.
- Erythrasma: This is often confused to be a fungal infection because of its appearance. The infected area initially appears to be pink in color with well-defined borders that distinguishes it from the surrounding normal skin, but later it blends into the normal skin color. This mostly occurs in areas where the skin touches the skin, such as the last two toe fingers, armpits, and groin.
- Impetigo: It affects the epidermis or the upper levels of the skin. Impetigo is a skin infection that occurs in areas with minor breaks such as a small cut or an insect bite. Impetigo can be classified in two categories, bullous and non-bullous. Non-bullous impetigo is a more common form and mostly occurs on the face and limbs. The affected area appears to be red with yellow colored crusts beneath it.
- Athlete's Foot: It is one of the most common ones, and as the name suggests, it occurs on the feet. It is found more commonly in men as compared to women, and is seen in those who wear tight-fitting shoes, which provide the best environment to the fungi's. There are mainly three types - interdigital, moccasin, and vesicular. Out of the three, interdigital athlete's foot is the most common infection.
- Tinea Versicolor: It is a superficial fungal infection, as it only affects the top layer of the skin or epidermis. This skin infection caused by the yeasts pityrosporum ovale and pityros porum orbiculare can be identified with hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation around the affected area.
- Jock Itch: Jock itch or tinea cruris is caused by a kind of fungus called tinea. It appears to be ring-shaped and red in color. This mostly occurs in moist and warm areas of the body, such as genitals, buttocks, and inner thighs. Itching and burning in the groin, thigh and redness of the skin are the symptoms that commonly associated with jock itch.
- Ringworm: Ringworm is a contagious fungal infection and is not to be confused with the worm. In this type, the skin appears to be a red and circular sore with scales. These round red patches of ringworm could be on different parts of the body.