2024-02-04 12:05:41
It serves as a sunscreen, a shield against germs, a reserve of vitamin D and even regulates our body temperature… These are just some of the many functions that the skin has and that are often overlooked. Sometimes we don’t pay enough attention to the outer layer of our body, but it is the largest organ that humans have, representing around 15% of our body mass.
Furthermore, being the most visible of our organs, the skin allows us to have a view of the body tissues it protects. Therefore, it is essential to look at the skin not only from an aesthetic point of view, but as a reflection of our state of health. Many pathologies such as disorders of the intestine, blood, hormones and even heart can first manifest themselves on the skin through a rash.
Professor at the Faculty of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, Dan Baumgardt reports in the scientific journal Science Alert about some of the diseases that your skin alerts you to and that you should pay attention to so that your health does not get worse. Do you want to know what they are?
A form of bullseye
If you walk through the countryside, it is likely that when you return home you will find a tick bite. While it is true that in most cases these pecks do not make you sick, if they cause a major rash on the skin, it could be a sign that it is time to visit the doctor.
Erythema migrans is a rash with a great ability to spread across the skin and is a hallmark of Lyme disease, a serious bacterial disease. Its target shape will help you quickly identify it on your body.
Thus, it is advisable to monitor the area of the bite a few weeks after it occurs and check that the erythema migrans does not affect your skin. If you notice a red lump that wasn’t there before, changes in temperature, or muscle pain and headaches, you should go to the doctor for a check-up. The condition is treated with antibiotics and catching it early can prevent long-term complications.
Purple color
The colorful namesake, also known as purple, is a rash derived from a mollusk that was used to make purple dye. This condition manifests itself on the skin with small red and purple dots due to an accumulation of blood in the dermis, the deepest layer of the skin. Also, if you press the area with a finger, you will not get it to whiten.
This rash could be indicating a deficiency in platelets, the small fragments of cells that allow blood to clot. It could also be bone marrow failure or an autoimmune disease in which the body turns against itself and attacks its own cells.
In the worst cases, the colorful namesake could also be a symptom of septicemia, a potentially fatal disease caused by an infection that spreads through the bloodstream from the lungs, kidneys or the skin itself.
Shape of spiders on the skin
Skin spiders, or arachnid nevi, are rashes caused by a problem within the skin’s arterioles (small arteries that supply blood to the skin), which open and close to control heat loss from the body. However, sometimes they can get stuck and take the shape of a spider’s body.
The open arteriole would be the trunk of the arachnid and the capillaries, which fan out in all directions, would be the legs. If you squash the spider’s body with your finger and it disappears, then your touch would be temporarily stopping blood flow.
These rashes can appear on the skin without necessarily being associated with any specific condition. However, having more than three may suggest high circulating levels of the hormone estrogen, which could be due to liver disease or hormonal changes during pregnancy. Normally, skin spiders disappear over time, although this process can be delayed and they may even come back again.
black velvet
Changes in the folds of the skin, especially in the armpits or on the neck, may denote a disease known as acanthosis nigricans, especially if they become thicker and velvety to the touch. This condition is known as ‘black velvet’ and usually occurs in darker skin.
Generally, this pathology is closely related to metabolic disorders with type 2 diabetes or polycystic ovary syndrome. In other cases, it can also be a symptom of cancer stomach, but it is not very common. If these conditions are treated, the rash should disappear.
Butterfly-shaped rashes
Heart disorders can also be reflected in the skin. The heart valves are responsible for correctly directing blood flow, but sometimes the mitral valve, located between the chambers on the left side of the heart, can narrow, causing a deterioration in the heart’s activity. In these cases, the body tries to preserve central blood volume and shuts off flow to the skin.
If this occurs, you are likely to develop a purplish-red rash on the cheek area and bridge of the nose that is shaped like the outstretched wings of a butterfly. This is known as mitral facies and, depending on the extent of damage to the heart, it may persist despite treatment.
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