Healthy Skin

Common Skin Diseases & Infections: Know the Symptoms

Commonly Spread Skin Diseases and Ways to Prevent Them

When thinking of skin conditions, we typically will think of the most common ones including acne, eczema, and rosacea. However, there are thousands of skin conditions, and some of them are contagious from person to person. It is important to educate yourself on each common skin condition or skin infection to prevent and treat them.

 

Below is a list of some of the most common contagious skin diseases:

Molluscum Contagiosum

Molluscum contagiosum is a common skin infection caused by a virus that results in a mild skin disease.

  • Symptoms include small growths (bumps) anywhere on the skin that are:
    • Raised, small, round, and flesh-colored
    • Can be red, inflamed, or itchy
  • How it spreads:
    • The viral infection spreads and can be triggered on other parts of the body through scratching and can spread from person to person through skin contact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Athlete’s Foot

Athlete’s foot is a fungal infection that presents on the feet.

  • Symptoms appear as:
    • A blistered skin rash that causes stinging or itching
    • The skin rash starts on the sides of the feet or between the toes
  • How it spreads:
    • The fungus is commonly found on damp surfaces like swimming pools or public showers and spreads into the skin cells when the skin comes into contact with the fungus on these contaminated surfaces or from another infected person.

Request for More Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ringworm

Ringworm is a common skin disease that appears as a rash on the body caused by a fungal infection.

  • Symptoms of ringworm are:
    • Scaly round patch on the body (typically on trunk, arms, and legs)
    • Can itch and be slightly raised
    • Inside the ring, the skin might become scaly, red, and bumpy
    • If severe, rings can overlap each other
  • How it spreads:
    • The fungus that causes ringworm typically lives on gym mats and can be spread through skin-to-skin contact. Typically, ringworm is contracted through touching another infected individual.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staph Infection

Staph infections are bacterial infections caused by the staphylococcus bacteria, a germ that is found on the skin or in the nose of individuals.

  • Symptoms of a staph infection include:
    • Boils that are red and swollen
    • Painful rash that features large blisters
    • Skin redness and swelling
  • How it spreads:
    • Staph infections are triggered from skin to skin contact and are most easily spread through exposed cuts and wounded skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shingles

Shingles is a skin disorder caused by a virus that develops in adults and is caused by the same virus that gives children the chicken pox.

  • Symptoms of singles are:
    • Painful rash
    • Blisters on the sides of the face and body.
  • How it spreads:
    • Shingles are spread when a person comes into contact with the fluid from another person’s shingle blisters. Once healed, the blisters are no longer contagious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Skin Disease Prevention:

Certain skin conditions, including molluscum contagiosum, heal on their own within 12-18 months. However, most contagious skin diseases that start with fungal, viral, or bacterial skin infection require treatment (either over the counter or prescription treatment depending on the skin disorder and severity of it). These options include:

  • Topicals: Antibiotic creams, powders, and ointments will destroy the skin condition, help to heal symptoms, and will provide skin protection from further bacterial and viral infection.
  • Oral Medications: Oral medications that are antifungals and antibiotics work to kill the cells of a common skin disease on the body and prevent them from spreading further.
  • Surgery: In certain situations, surgery can be performed to remove bumps caused by contagious skin diseases, including molluscum contagiosum.

 

If you are showing symptoms of any of the following conditions, contact your dermatologist to receive the treatment you need to get rid of the disease. Once you receive your treatment plan for the skin infection, implement it immediately to start the healing process of the skin cells, and to get back your healthy skin as soon as possible.

 

Apotheco pharmacy can help by providing a range of dermatology treatment solutions for many different skin conditions and diseases. Get in touch with our skin care pharmacy today for treatment!

Contact a Pharmacist

Sources

This blog is based on research and/or other scientific articles and is written by our experienced Chief Strategy Officer and Pharmacist, Ronak Desai. This blog is fact checked by our educated Pharmacist in Charge, Darshan Patel, who additionally runs our Apotheco Manhattan location.

Here at Apotheco Pharmacy Group, our goal is to provide the most up to date and accurate information on health and dermatology related topics. We do this to ensure our readers can make informed decisions based on factual content. All blogs undergo an extensive review process before posted.

This blog contains trusted sources. All sources are listed at the bottom of this article with hyperlinks that take you directly to the source.