Boerne Family Medicine
Skin conditions can be itchy, painful, embarrassing, and baffling because there are several variations. It takes experienced professionals like the doctors at Boerne Family Medicine to properly evaluate, diagnose, and treat each problem. When you or anyone in your family has a skin condition that doesn’t clear up, call the office in Boerne, Texas, or use the convenient online booking feature to schedule an appointment.
Skin Conditions Q & A
What is eczema?
Eczema refers to eight different types of skin conditions, but it usually means atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema.
Eczema affects about 20% of children, and it often appears before their first birthday and persists into adulthood for about 60% of cases. It may also develop for the first time in adults and can occur anywhere on the body.
What symptoms appear when you have eczema?
All types of eczema are itchy — sometimes severely itchy — and most of them cause red skin. The appearance of the rash differs from one form to another with variations that include swelling, a red rash, cracked or blistered skin, dry and scaly patches, or sores that ooze then crust over.
Eczema symptoms flare up in response to triggers, which are different for each person. A few examples of triggers include:
- Skin irritants: Soaps, fabrics, skin care products
- Allergens: Pollens, pet hair, foods
- Climate and environment: Heat, high humidity, low humidity
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis develops when your immune system releases hormones that make skin grow quicker than usual. The fast-growing skin cells accumulate into a thickened area of skin that turns red and becomes scaly.
Psoriasis often appears between the ages of 15-30 years when it’s caused by an interaction between your genetics and a specific trigger. Some of the most common triggers are infections like a strep throat, cuts and other skin injuries, stress, and cold weather.
What causes warts?
Warts are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). They spread through direct contact with another person who has warts or by touching an item also touched by a person with warts.
You can also get warts from walking barefoot in an area where HPV thrives, such as in dirt or moist areas like around swimming pools.
How are warts removed?
The doctors at Boerne Family Medicine often recommend removing warts because it can take a year or longer for them to disappear on their own. Treatment options include:
- Removal with salicylic or lactic acid
- Freezing the wart off with liquid nitrogen
- Destroying the wart with a safe electrical current
- Surgical removal with a laser
- Stimulating the immune system to fight the wart
If you or your child has any skin condition, call or book an appointment with Boerne Family Medicine.
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