Skin disease: ‘Keeping distance is a misconception’

Dermatologists point out how skin conditions make one suffer from anxiety and stress.

KARACHI: Dermatologists say that most of the skin diseases can be cured and that keeping a distance with a person who is living with a skin disease is a misconception, making skin disease a taboo.

During the launching ceremony of The U Within Association, a non-profit organisation working for patients with severe skin diseases such as urticaria and psoriasis, at Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, senior dermatologist Dr Manzoor Memon said that some skin diseases are hereditary while some attack a person owing to the environment. "If you use sub-standard detergent or makeup, a disease can make your life harmful," he said.

Talking about urticaria, commonly known as 'hives' and locally as 'pitti uchalna', Dr Memon said that the disease is marked by swollen, pale, red bumps, patches or the sudden appearance of red or white welts on the skin as a result of allergies. "Hives generally cause extreme itching, burning and stinging. They can appear anywhere on the body, including the face, lips, eyes, ears and tongue," he said.

According to Wajahat Khan, a clinical psychiatrist, both urticarial and psoriasis are more than just skin conditions as they last for a long time and adversely affect the social and professional life of a patient. "The patient suffers from extreme stress, anxiety, frustration and lack of self-esteem," he said.

"We want to help patients," said Dr Pir Syed Ijlal Haider, the president of the The U Within Association. "We have to remove misconceptions and taboos about skin diseases."

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2015.