Since Many Skin Conditions Look Alike Its Important To Learn How To Tell Them Apart
If youre someone who frequents the skin care aisle often, you may have experience with different types of skin conditions. And you may also know that some of these conditions are pretty difficult to tell apart. So how do you know whether you have something that an over-the-counter lotion or treatment can handle or if its time to visit the dermatologists office for a consult?
Commonly confused skin conditions Hives. Some skin conditions arise as a consequence of allergic reactions. One such condition is hives, which causes red, itchy areas to develop on the skin. Most cases of hives resolve within a few days or weeks and can be treated with antihistamines. Although food, medications, or insect stings are often the cause of hives, viral and bacterial or other physical factors like cold, heat, exercise, pressure, and exposure to sunlight can also lead to a breakout.
Dermatitis. This condition causes a red, scaly, itchy rash. The most common types are called atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis.
Shingles. The varicella-zoster virus is responsible for both chickenpox and shingles. While chickenpox is characterized by itchy, red spots, in shingles, very painful skin blisters develop on the body or face, usually just on one side. Other symptoms of shingles include fever, headache, chills, and an upset stomach.
If you notice changes in your skin consistent with some of these symptoms, ask yourself the following:
What Side Effects Of The Vaccine Should People With Eczema Pay Attention To
So far, theres no indication that a COVID-19 vaccine will worsen eczema, Dr. Wright says. You may experience common side effects associated with the vaccine, however, such as pain and swelling at the injection site or tiredness, headache, chills, muscle pain, fever, and nausea, especially after your second dose if youre receiving the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines. In general, all three vaccines come with the same possible side effects. These reactions are normal and should resolve within a few days, per the CDC.
Its also not likely that the vaccine will set off an allergic reaction. Anaphylaxis is the severe allergic reaction that we worry about, and that’s very rare with the COVID-19 vaccinations, Wright says. It’s about five per one million doses.
If youre prone to allergies or have had a reaction to another vaccine, the National Eczema Association suggests waiting at the vaccination center for 30 minutes after receiving the shot to make sure you dont have an adverse reaction.
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Shingles Rash On Head
Shingles can lead to other health problems aside from long-lasting pain. For example, when the shingles rash develops on your face, it can affect your eyesight. Treatment can save your eyesight. A few people who get shingles develop pneumonia, hearing loss, or a disease that causes the brain to swell .
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If You Have An Autoimmune Disease Such As Rheumatoid Arthritis The Jurys Still Out On Whether The New Shingles Vaccine Is Safe For You
If youre an adult age 50 or older, your doctor will likely recommend you receive a new vaccine called Shingrix to protect against shingles, a viral infection that can cause a painful rash.
Shingrix was FDA-approved last fall the CDC recommends that people age 50 and older get two doses between two and six months apart. The CDC now recommends Shingrix over the Zostavax, an older shingles vaccine thats been approved for people age 60 and older since 2006.
But if you have an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, the jurys still out on whether the new shingles vaccine is safe for you.
Theres no question that people who have immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as different kinds of arthritis, have a higher risk of coming down with shingles than otherwise healthy adults, says Elizabeth Kirchner, CNP, of the Cleveland Clinics rheumatologic and immunologic diseases department.
This is likely due to both changes in the way the immune system works among people with these inflammatory illnesses as well as effects from the immune-suppressing medications people take to manage their disease.
For example: The risk of developing shingles among healthy 50-year-old U.S. adults is four per 1,000 patient years. For people with rheumatoid arthritis, the risk goes up to 10 per 1,000 patient years. People with lupus have a range of anywhere from six to 32 per 1,000 patient years.
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Who Should Get Vaccinated
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that people who should receive the shingles vaccine include:
- Adults who are healthy, aged 50 and older
- People who have not had shingles
- Those who are unsure if they have had chickenpox. Studies show that over 99% of Americans over age 40 have had chickenpox, this includes those who cant remember having the disease.
- People who have had shingles . Studies have shown that some people can get shingles twice, or even three times and the risk of getting shingles again is about the same as the chances of getting them in the first place.
- Those who received Zostavax .
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Get Medical Care For Shingles Immediately
If you have a blistering rash, you want to see a doctor as soon as possible. Should you have shingles, starting prescription medication within 2 to 3 days of developing the rash can dramatically:
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Reduce your symptoms, such as pain
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Lessen the amount of time you have shingles
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Lower your risk of developing other health problems, such as a condition called postherpetic neuralgia, which is pain that can linger for months or years after the rash clears
If youve had the rash for longer than 2 or 3 days, its still important to see a doctor. Shingles can lead to other health problems aside from long-lasting pain. For example, when the shingles rash develops on your face, it can affect your eyesight. Treatment can save your eyesight.
A few people who get shingles develop pneumonia, hearing loss, or a disease that causes the brain to swell . Its important to find signs of these early, so that you can receive treatment.
When you see your doctor, you may hear the medical term herpes zoster. This is the medical name for shingles.
Get medical care immediately
Getting medical treatment within 3 days of developing the shingles rash can greatly reduce your risk of developing long-lasting pain.
Can You Catch Shingles
If you are in contact with someone who has shingles, you will not get the symptoms of shingles yourself. However, direct contact with fluid from a shingles rash can still spread the varicella-zoster virus, which can cause chickenpox in people who have not had chickenpox before or the chickenpox vaccine.
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Administering And Storing Shingrix
- Adults 50 years and older should receive 2 doses of Shingrix. Give the second dose 2 to 6 months after the first.
- Administer Shingrix intramuscularly in the deltoid region of the upper arm with a 1- to 1.5-inch needle.
- Both vials of Shingrix must be refrigerated at a temperature of 36-46° F. Do not use if exposed to temperatures below 36° F.
Skin Reactions And Psoriasis: Tips To Avoid The Koebner Response
Any type of skin trauma can lead to formation of a psoriasis plaque, or Koebner reaction, in the area of the trauma. The Koebner response may occur in anyone with psoriasis. It may sometimes cause the first symptoms of psoriasis or other skin diseases, like lichen planus. Cuts, scratches, tattoos, and vaccinations are common triggers for this response, said Moore.
Other causes may include sunburn, poison ivy, or even a bug bite. These minor traumas can cause a psoriasis plaque to form at the site of trauma within one to two weeks of the injury. About 50 percent of people with psoriasis experience the Koebner response.
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Should You Get The Shingles Vaccine
People looking to receive the shingles vaccine now have two options. The Food and Drug Administration in 2017 approved Shingrix. It’s the preferred alternative to Zostavax, which was approved in 2006. Both vaccines are approved for adults age 50 and older for the prevention of shingles and related complications, whether they’ve already had shingles or not. You may get the Shingrix vaccine even if you’ve already had shingles. Also, consider getting the Shingrix vaccine if you’ve had the Zostavax vaccine or if you don’t know whether you’ve had chickenpox.
Zostavax is a live vaccine given as a single injection, usually in the upper arm. Shingrix is a nonliving vaccine made of a virus component. It’s given in two doses, with two to six months between doses. The most common side effects of either shingles vaccine are redness, pain, tenderness, swelling and itching at the injection site, and headaches.
Some people report a chickenpox-like rash after getting the shingles vaccine.
Although some people will develop shingles despite vaccination, the vaccine may reduce the severity and duration of it.
Talk to your doctor about your vaccination options if you:
Zostavax has been shown to offer protection against shingles for about five years. Although Zostavax is approved for people age 50 and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that Zostavax be given at age 60, when the risk of shingles and its complications is highest.
Shingles Rash On Face
Eye: A shingles rash might appear around the eye and over the eyelid.Also called ophthalmic herpes zoster, eye involvement can lead to burning, swelling, and pain in the eye, eye watering, and blurred vision. Shingles of the eye accounts for 10%20% of shingles cases. Ear: When shingles affects the ear, it is called herpes zoster oticus.It can affect the inner, middle, and external ear, and .
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Who Should Get The Shingles Vaccine
The CDC recommends it for healthy adults over the age of 50., but the FDA has approved Shingrix for people 18 and older who are or who will be at increased risk of shingles due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression caused by known disease or therapy. This includes those who have already had shingles, which you can have more than once. Vaccination lowers the chances of a second round of the painful rash and of a serious outbreak and complications, Kistler says.
Thats why Duncan Isley, who had shingles at 45, recently got vaccinated. The outbreak he had was fairly mild compared with the stories hes heard from others. But its something he doesnt want to repeat.
I had the classic torso rash and back pain. It was a very painful experience to be sure, and I still have some lingering, minor nerve sensations from time to time, says Isley, who is now 53 and lives in Durham, NC. I tell my close friends they should get vaccinated.
You should also get vaccinated with Shingrix if you got an older shingles vaccine called Zostavax, which was withdrawn from the market in 2020. Zostavaxs protection wears off with time, says Kathleen Dooling, MD, MPH, a medical officer and shingles disease expert at the CDC.
In the first year after vaccination, Zostavax prevented shingles about 60% of the time. That decreases in subsequent years, so that after a number of years its not clear that the vaccine is providing any protection, she says.
How Is Apremilast Taken
When you first start taking apremilast, youll be given a special starter pack which contains all the doses for the first six days. The pack is clearly labelled to make sure you take the right dose at the right time, starting with a low dose and working up to the maximum.
Once youve finished the starter pack, youll remain on the higher dose. Most people will take one tablet in the morning and one in the evening. However, if you have kidney problems, your specialist may suggest just taking one tablet a day.
If you miss a dose, contact your specialist team immediately for advice on when to take the next one.
Because apremilast is a long-term treatment, its important to keep taking it, unless you have severe side effects:
- even if it doesnt seem to be working at first
- even when your symptoms improve, to help keep your condition under control.
Your doctor may decide to stop the treatment after four months if there hasnt been enough improvement in your symptoms.
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Will Shingles Vaccine Reactivate Psoriasis That I Have
- Asked
- 21 Jul 2012 by vancartist
kaismama
I’m sorry but I really have to do this. Why would it even occur to you to wonder if a vaccine for something totally unrelated would flare your psoriasis? No, it wouldn’t flare anything.
+1vancartist
I feel since both are skin disease, that they both have some similarities and might ‘overlap’ each other in symptoms. Still have mild psoriasis and so am leery that it will flare up again w/shingle vaccine. Your comments…
kaismama
Psoriasis is an auto immune disease, and shingles is caused by a virus. There are many skin diseases and they aren’t all related.
Newyorker
Kaismama,That’s a pretty cavalier answer and it happens to be incorrect. There are many things that can cause a psoriasis flare up including a number of infections that are not at all related to psoriasis… strep for example. In fact it is not at all clear that the shingles vaccine is completely safe for people with psoriasis as no studies have been done. Anybody with psoriasis should discuss this with his or her dermatologist.
justmeloo21
Actually, it’s plausible that the Shingles virus could aggravate Psoriasis. Psoriasis exists because the skin is always in “injured”mode, thus the faster production of more skin cells. When Shingles hits the dermal area it affects, it could trigger the “injured” mode of Psoriasis. Just because they are two, separate things doesn’t mean they’re mutually exclusive.
+1Jossers+0psy999
Does Having An Additional Health Condition Besides Eczema Affect My Place In Line
Potentially. The CDC recommends that individuals between ages 16 and 64 who have underlying medical conditions that put them at increased risk of developing serious, life-threatening complications from COVID-19 be included in the phase 1c rollout of the vaccine. If you have one of these health conditions, you may qualify to receive the vaccine earlier than the general population. Again, its up to the state you live in to determine when you will become eligible and which underlying health conditions qualify.
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What Npfs Community Has To Say
âI have psoriasis and take a biologic and got the COVID-19 vaccine, and all is good.â Sarah E.
âI have psoriatic arthritis and got the COVID-19 vaccine. No side effects for me. After my own research and speaking with my doctors as well as people I respect in the medical field, I made this decision, with my husband, for our family, for our friends and for our community.” Renee O.
âI have both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I have already taken the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I was sick for 4 days. My healthy coworkers were just as sick. I would take it again, but hopefully never have to.â Carol P.
âI have PsA and got the vaccine. No side effects besides a sore arm the day after. I am also on biologics.â Vanessa S.
“I got both shots. No side effects related to my psoriatic disease. Felt like a bit of a hangover the next day, after my first shot, but it was gone by noon. I was a little tired the day after my 2nd shot. Iâm 71 and have had psoriatic disease for 47 years.â Joe D’Annunzio
Staying Informed
As information regarding COVID-19 continues to evolve, the NPF COVID-19 Task Force will continue to update the guidance for people with psoriatic disease.
“I just got my second dose this past Tuesday. I didn’t feel well for about 36 hours or so, but that was the normal symptoms folks tend to have after the second dose. Both my parents had the symptoms too and they don’t have psoriasis or PsA, both of which I have.”Jen C.