2250 NW Flanders, Suite 205
Portland, OR 97210
503 223-3104
Office Hours
Our office is open 7:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.
Search Site
Useful Links
|
Education >> Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Topics: Herpes Simplex | Molluscum
| Scabies | Shingles
| Tinea Versicolor | Warts
|
Info:
The herpes simplex virus (HSV) can cause blisters and sores
almost anywhere on the skin. HSV infections can be very annoying
because they can periodically reappear.
There are two types of HSV - Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 virus
causes cold sores. Most people get Type 1 infections during
infancy or childhood. Type 2 virus causes genital sores. Most
people get Type 2 infections following sexual contact with
an infected person. The virus affects anywhere between 5 and
20 million people, or up to 20 percent of all sexually active
adults in the United States.
Symptoms: Sores usually occur either
around the mouth and nose, or on the genitals and buttocks.
The sores may be painful and unsightly.
Type 1 is often referred to as fever blisters or cold
sores which are tiny, clear, fluid-filled blisters that most
often occur on the face. There are two types of infections
- primary and recurrent. Although most people when exposed
to the virus get infected, only 10% will actually develop
sores or cold blisters when this infection occurs. The sores
of a primary infection appear two to twenty days after contact
with an infected person and can last from seven to ten days.
Type 2 usually results in sores on the buttocks, penis,
vagina or cervix, two to twenty days after contact with an
infected person. Both primary and repeat attacks can cause
problems including: a minor rash or itching, painful sores,
fever, aching muscles and a burning sensation during urination.
HSV type 2 may also occur in locations other than the genital
area, but is usually found below the waist.
Risk: For chronically ill people
and newborn babies, the viral infection can be serious, but
rarely fatal. Type 1 infections are usually caught from close
contact with family members or friends who carry the virus.
It can be transmitted by kissing, sharing eating utensils,
or by sharing towels. Type 2 infections are most commonly
a result of sexual intercourse with an infected person.
Treatment: Being aware of your condition
and safely stopping the transmission to others is a first
step to control your infection. Herpes can spread if there
is no sore! It is now estimated that over 80% of all genital
herpes is transmitted when there isn't anything on the skin
and no symptoms. While there is no known cure for herpes,
clinical studies are now ongoing to attempt to reduce or possibly
eliminate outbreaks. These experimental therapies, however,
have no potential to eliminate the virus from the affected
nerve.
|
Info:
Molluscum contagiosum is a common non-cancerous skin growth
caused by a viral infection in the top layers of the skin. They
are similiar to warts, but are caused by a different virus.
The virus and growths are easily spread by skin contact.
Symptoms: Molluscum are usually small,
flesh-colored or pink, dome-shaped growths. They may appear
shiny and have small indentation in the center. They are usually
found in clusters on the skin of the chest, abdomen, arms, groin,
or buttock. They can also involve the face and eyelids.
Risk: The molluscum virus is transmitted
from the skin of one person who has these growths to the skin
of another person. Often occurs where skin-to-skin contact is
frequent. Molluscum can also be sexually transmitted if growths
are present in the genital area.
Treatment: Many dermatologists advise
treating molluscum because they spread. They can be frozen with
liquid nitrogen, destroyed with various acids or blistering
solutions, treated with an electric needle (electrocautery),
scraped off with a sharp instrument (curette), treated daily
with a home application of a topical retinoid cream or gel,
treated with a topical immune modifier, or treated with a topical
anti-viral medication. If there are many growths, multiple treatment
sessions may be needed every three to six weeks until the growths
are gone.
|
Info:
A tiny mite has infested humans for at least 2,500 years. It
is often hard to detect, and causes a fierce, itchy skin condition
known as scabies. Dermatologists estimate that more than 300
million cases of scabies occur worldwide every year. The condition
can strike anyone of any race or age, regardless of personal
hygiene.
Symptoms: The microscopic mite that
causes scabies can barely be seen by the human eye. A tiny,
eight-legged creature with a round body, the mite burrows within
the skin. Within several weeks the patient develops an allergic
reaction. This results in severe itching, often intense enough
to keep sufferers awake all night. Early on, little red bumps,
like hives, tiny bites, or pimples appear. In more advanced
cases, the skin may be crusty or scaly.
Conditions: Crusted scabies is a form
of the disease in which the symptoms are far more severe than
usual. Large areas of the body, including hands and feet, may
be scaly and crusted. These crusted hide thousands of live mites
and their eggs, making treatment difficult because medications
applied directly to the skin may not be able to penetrate the
thickened skin. This type of scabies occurs mostly among the
elderly, in some AIDS patients, or in people whose immunity
is decreased. These cases are extremely infectious.
Risks: Human scabies is almost caught
from another person by close contact. It could be a child, a
friend, or another family member. Although, more prominent in
crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene - everyone is susceptible.
Treatment: Scabies is easy and quick
to treat with prescription drugs: 5 percent permethrin cream
is applied to the skin from head-to-toe at bedtime, and washed
off the next morning. Dermatologists recommend that the cream
be applied to cool, dry skin, over the entire body (including
the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, groin, under the
fingernails, and the scalp in small children) and left on for
8 to 14 hours. Second treatments are one week later, which may
be recommended for infants with scabies of the palms and soles,
or if new lesions appear after treatment. Another effective
prescription treatment is 1 percent lindane lotion. Also an
overnight treatment, lindane is effective after 1 to 2 doses.
Sulfur ointment and Crotamiton cream are other special care
treatment options. Ivermectin is an oral medicine which may
be prescribed for certain cases of scabies, especially the difficult
to treat crusted form of scabies. The critical factor in the
treatment of scabies is getting rid of the mite. See a dermatologist
as soon as possible to begin treatment.
|
Info:
Herpes zoster, also known as shingles or zoster, is a viral
infection caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox.
Anyone who's had chicken pox can develop herpes zoster. Most
people will get zoster only once. People with a weakend immunity
for any reason are more prone to develop zoster.
Symptoms: The first symptom of zoster
is burning pain, tingling, or extreme sensitivity in one area
of the skin, usually limited to one side of the body. Zoster
is most common on the trunk and buttocks. But can also appear
on the face, arms, or legs if nerves in these areas are involved.
Treatment: If diagnosed early, oral
anti-viral drugs can be prescribed to decrease both viral shedding
and the duration of the skin lesions. Corticosteriods, sometimes
in combination with anti-viral drugs, also are used for severe
infection.
|
Info:
Tinea versicolor (TIN-e-ah VER-si-color) is a common skin condition
due to overgrowth of a skin surface yeast (type of fungus).
This overgrowth results in uneven skin color and scaling that
can be unsightly and sometimes itch. The yeast normally lives
in the pores of everyone's skin. It thrives in oily areas such
as the neck, upper chest, and back.
Symptoms: The rash has small and scaly
white-to-pink to tan-to-dark spots. These spots are scattered
over the upper arms, chest, and back, and may sometimes appear
on the neck and face. On light skin, they may be faint or they
may show up as tan-to-pink spots, while on dark skin they may
be light or dark. Tinea versicolor usually produces few symptoms.
Occasionally, there is some slight itching that is more intense
when a person gets hot.
Risks: Most people get tinea versicolor
when they are teenagers or young adults. It is rare in the elderly
and in children, except in tropical climates where it can occur
at any age. Both dark and light skinned people are equally prone
to its development. People with oily skin may be more susceptible
than those with naturally dry skin.
Treatment: Tinea versicolor is treated
with either topical or oral medications. Topical treatment includes
special cleansers including some shampoos, creams, or lotions
applied directly to the skin, once or twice a day. Several oral
medications have been used successfully to treat tinea versicolor.
Each patient is treated by their dermatologist according to
the severity and location of the disease, the climate, and the
desire of the patient.
|
Info:
Warts are non-cancerous skin growths caused by a viral infection
in the top layer of the skin. Viruses that cause warts are called
human papilloma virus (HPV).
Symptoms: Warts are usually skin-colored
and feel rough to the touch, but they can be dark, flat, and
smooth. The appearance of a wart depends on where it is growing.
Kinds: There are several different
kinds of warts including: common warts, foot (Plantar) warts
and flat warts. Common warts usually grow on the fingers, around
the nails, and on the backs of the hands. Foot warts are usually
on the soles of the feet. They can grow in clusters which are
known as mosaic warts. Flat warts are small and smoother
than other warts. They tend to grow in large numbers, 20-100
at any one time.
Risks: Warts are passed from person
to person, sometimes indirectly. The time from the first contact
to the time the warts have grown large enough to be seen is
often several months. The risk of catching hand, foot, or flat
warts from another person is small.
Treatment: Common warts in young children
can be treated at home by their parents on a daily basis by
applying salicylic acid gel, solution, or plaster. Warts can
also be treated by "painting" with cantharidin
in the dermatologist's office. For adults and older children
cryotherapy (freezing) is generally preferred. Electrosurgery
(burning) is another good alternative treatment. Flat warts
are often too numerous to treat with methods mentioned above.
As a result, "peeling" methods using daily applications
of salicylic acid, tretinoin, glycolic acid, or other surface
peeling preparations are often recommended. Other treatments
for warts include: Laser therapy, bleomycin, immunotherapy &
interferon.
|
|
NEW TREATMENT Excimer laser
What is your risk of skin cancer?
