SO TELL ME WHAT'S UNDER MY SKIN!

INTRODUCTION TO THE SKIN!
What It Looks Like
The skin is the largest organ in the body.
It is also the only organ in the human body which is constantly exposed to the external environment.
The skin is a waterproof, flexible, tough protective covering for the body surface.
The skin surface is smooth, punctuated only with hair and pores for sweat.
It is divided into three layers: epidermis (the outer layer), dermis (the middle layer), and fats (the innermost layer).

What It Does
Without the skin, life on earth is near impossible.
Bones, muscles and organs would be all over the place. The Skin is the one that holds everything together.
The skin provides a barrier to the environment, protects you from ultraviolet light, regulates bodily temperature, senses touch, provides insulation and helps to store calories.
However the skin can become infected with bacteria, viruses and fungi, and can be irritated by chemicals or other substances it is in contact with as well.

BLOG ENTRIES ON THE SKIN

Sunday, March 2, 2008

mmm. I remmber coming down with shingles when I was a kid and it was a really horrible experience. So today, i'm going to share with you guys what causes Shingles.

What is shingles? What causes shingles?
Shingles is a skin rash caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. The virus responsible for these conditions is called Varicella zoster. After an individual has chickenpox, this virus lives in the nerves and is never fully cleared from the body. Under certain circumstances, such as emotional stress, immune deficiency (from AIDS or chemotherapy) or with cancer, the virus is allowed to start multiplying and to move along nerve fibres towards the skin. The fact that the disease occurs more often in older people is because the immune response is believed to be weaker in older people.

What are symptoms of shingles? How long does shingles last?
The first symptom is a burning pain or tingling and extreme sensitivity in one area of the skin. This may be present for one to three days before a red rash occurs. A group of blisters then forms on a red base which looks like chicken pox lesions.
The blisters follow the path of individual nerves that comes out of the spinal cord. The entire path of the nerve may be involved or there may be areas with blisters and areas without blisters. Generally, only one nerve level is involved. In a rare case, more than one nerve will be involved.
Eventually, the blisters pop and the area starts to ooze. The area will then crust over and heal. The whole process may take three to four weeks from start to finish. On occasion, the pain will be present but the blisters may never appear. This can be a very confusing cause of local pain!

Where do shingles appear on the body ?
Shingles generally affect only one side of the body. Most commonly, blisters will appear on the trunk, including the buttocks and genitalia, or the fact. If the blisters involve the eye region, permanent eye damage can result. Your doctor will refer you immediately to an eye specialist when such a complication develops.

What are the complications of shingles ?
Post-herpetic neuralgia, a condition in which either constant or episodic pain persists for a long time after the skin has healed.
Infection of the blisters by bacteria can also cause delayed healing of the skin. Antibiotic treatment is needed.
Another complication is high fever and spread of the disease all over the body.

Is shingles contagious?
Shingles is much less contagious than chicken pox. People with shingles can spread the virus if blisters are broken and a susceptible person (someone who has never had chicken pox or who is already ill) is close by. For people who have not had chickenpox, instead of developing shingles, they develop chickenpox. Once all of the blisters are crusted over, the virus can no longer be spread.

How is shingles treated?
Shingles clears on its own in a few weeks and seldom recurs. Treatment consists of pain killers, as well as cool compresses to help dry the blisters.
The antiviral drug, acyclovir, may be given especially for patients with eye involvement or who are very ill. This is useful only if it is started early in the disease.
Acyclovir may occasionally cause headache, some stomach upset and giddiness. The earlier it is taken after the disease begins, the better the effect. The drug might prevent post-herpetic neuralgia.

a course of shingles

an example of a case of shingles

we may not be able to prevent shingles, but remember, dont ever scratch that itch!

take care,
Amanda!

i thought about my skin
at 3:55 PM