An autoimmune skin diseases is a disorder in which the body attacks itself. The defenses in the body currently attack the foreign (viruses, bacteria, etc.) in autoimmune diseases, the defenses are autoreactive to the self, recognizing it as foreign, mounting a hypersensitivity response that generates tissue damage.
This causes various symptoms in tissues, organs, and systems that can sometimes affect functionality.
AUTOIMMUNE SKIN DISEASE
Autoimmune diseases can affect many parts of your body, including your skin. Because it is so visible, you can often see the symptoms of the autoimmune disease first on the skin.
Understanding disease onset in the skin may allow early identification of patients with impending autoimmunity, reveal new therapeutic targets, and enable interventions to prevent both the skin and the system.
SYMPTOMS OF AUTOIMMUNE SKIN DISEASES
Autoimmune skin diseases can present with a variety of skin lesions, including red, scaly plaques, blisters, hives, redness, psoriasis, or photosensitivity.
SOME OF THE MOST COMMON AUTOIMMUNE SKIN DISEASES INCLUDE:
– Scleroderma: thickening and fibrosis of the skin, can affect other organs
– Psoriasis: causes red, scaly patches on the skin.
– Dermatomyositis: causes muscle weakness, pain, and stiffness.
– Epidermolysis bullosa: causes fluid-filled blisters to develop on the skin.
– Bullous pemphigoid: causes blisters to develop on the skin.
TREATMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE SKIN DISEASES
Autoimmune skin diseases cannot be cured, but we can help control flare-ups with treatment. Patients should be treated by a dermatologist specializing in autoimmune skin diseases.
WHAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES CAUSE BLISTERS?
Healthy skin will only blister after your skin is damaged or dies. In skin suffering from an autoimmune blistering disease, your body’s immune system mistakes normal skin tissue for something it needs to fight off and then attacks this healthy skin tissue. This causes blisters to form.
Various autoimmune skin diseases are responsible for causing skin blistering, including:
– Epidermolysis bullosa acquired
– IgA-mediated bullous dermatoses
– Penfigoide cicatricial ocular
– Penfigoide
– Bullous pemphigoid
EVIDENCE
– Physical exploration
Through a medical skin examination, we can accurately diagnose and determine the best way to treat autoimmune dermatopathy.
– Blood test
The dermatologist may use a blood test to check for elevated levels of certain antibodies produced by your immune system.
– Biopsy
To confirm the diagnosis of the condition, we may remove a small section of the affected skin (biopsy) and send it to the laboratory for testing.
TREATMENTS
Your doctor may prescribe medications to treat the symptoms of autoimmune skin disease, as well as to treat the underlying cause.
– Therapy
Your doctor may recommend that you work with a physical or occupational therapist to help relieve pain, improve strength and mobility, and maintain independence to complete daily tasks. The therapy is especially useful in the case of debilitating diseases.
– Surgery
In extreme cases, you may need surgery for scleroderma-related complications, including amputation or transplantation.
– ointment or cream
You may need to apply an ointment, cream, or lotion to the affected area to help reduce bothersome skin disease-related symptoms. In more severe cases, a topical corticosteroid cream may be prescribed.
– Phototherapy
In some cases, your doctor may recommend phototherapy to reduce condition-related rashes and control itching.
– laser treatment
In this treatment, your doctor uses a highly targeted medical laser to treat the symptoms of autoimmune skin disease.
– vitamins
Your doctor may recommend that you take certain vitamins, which can help the body fight the underlying autoimmune skin disease that is causing the bothersome symptoms.
