Epidermolysis bullosa - Causes - Types and Treatment


Author: IrvinTristen
Epidermolysis bullosa is a genetic disorder, which causes the skin to become extremely fragile. The skin is so delicate that even if you scratch or rub it, it will cause blisters and/or painful sores. This disease is usually inherited and can be severe in infants when handled or even held. The unfortunate part is that there is no cure for this condition. Any person can get epidermolysis bullosa, but usually they appear in infants or babies. Since this disease is inherited, even one parent with this condition can pass it to the baby. It is also important to know that this disease is prevalent among all races and can affect both men and women. Thus, having a parent with this disease is a big risk factor for the infant.

The four types of epidermolysis bullosa are -
1. Dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
2. Epidermolysis bullosa simplex
3. Hemidesmosomal epidermolysis bullosa
4. Junctional epidermolysis bullosa

While some people with this condition may have minor blisters, others have severe blisters. Identifying the exact type of epidermolysis bullosa is difficult, as they differ in severity.

Some of the symptoms include -

Skin -

The first and foremost symptom is rashes, sores or blisters on the skin. These blisters can cause extreme pain, and make moving about very difficult. Especially in infants, it can cause permanent and severe damage to the skin. And lead to complications such as skin cancer.

Breathing problems -

Cough along with respiratory problems is also another symptom. This is generally because of the inability to take in adequate oxygen. Sometimes the child dies as it is unable to breath.

Internal blistering -

This can be a dangerous situation where the blistering occurs internally. Although many infants have the blistering at birth, the blistering can sometimes even spread internally. Several organs such as the stomach, bladder, throat, mouth, intestines and the urinary tract are affected.

Hair loss -

Hair loss is also a common symptom that is associated with epidermolysis bullosa. As it can lead to scalp blistering, it is important to make sure that the infants do not scratch the scalp.

Deformation -

Deformation of the teeth and nails is also a common symptom. Rotting and teeth decay are very common, especially in infants who are teething.

Treatments -

As mentioned above, there is no treatment for epidermolysis bullosa. And a lot of research is going into understanding this disease, and how it can be prevented and treated. Usually the treatment includes reducing the pain and infection. It is essential to keep the patient away from hot environments in order to avoid further damage to the delicate skin. Dressing might be required in some cases, and applying ointment is also necessary. Those having minor symptoms should be very careful and should take every care to not let the blisters spread.

In certain severe cases surgical treatment may also be necessary. Those individuals who have problems breathing or swallowing food will need to have surgery done to aid in the delivery of food. Certain individuals will have their toes and fingers stuck together; will need surgical aid as well.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com

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Please visit these links for information on Epidermolusis Bullosa and visit this site for Granuloma Annulare.

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