Psoriasis tends to cause milder itching, but you may feel extreme burn.
Psoriasis and eczema (atopic dermatitis) are common, chronic inflammatory skin diseases that cause patches of red, raised, itchy skin. These visually similar symptoms make self-diagnosis harder. While psoriasis and eczema may look similar to the untrained eye, an experienced dermatologist may be able to spot the differences easily. Tape-stripping can also help distinguish eczema from psoriasis, say researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.
Tape stripping method, which involves pressing transparent adhesive films to the surface of the skin, is usually used for the assessment of quality and efficacy of cosmetical and dermatological formulations. It is also a quick and efficient method of collecting material from the skin surface to identify the presence of parasites, hair abnormalities and cytology.
In a new study, the tape stripping method helped researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine identify a single gene biomarker that accurately distinguishes atopic eczema from psoriasis.
For the findings, they evaluated the tape strips from both normal and lesional skin in 20 adults with either moderate to severe eczema and psoriasis or healthy controls. They found huge differences in the genes expressed in lesional compared to normal skin for both diseases. Most importantly they identified nitric oxide synthetase2 as a single gene biomarker that tells the conditions apart. The gene that produces nitrous oxide subsequent to stimulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines was only found to be present in psoriasis patients.
Here are some clues that can help you differentiate between eczema from psoriasis.
Eczema and psoriasis have different causes. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, which occurs when your immune system becomes dysfunctional and your skin cells start to grow too fast. The cells that pile up on the top of the skin then lead to the formation of a white scale.
Both genetic and environmental factors may cause eczema. It may be due to the mutation of the gene responsible for creating a protective layer on the top of the skin. Thus, the mutated gene leaves the skin prone to infection and flare. Dry climate can also play a role in triggering eczema.
Eczema can cause very intense itching. Sometimes it can get so bad that you may feel scratch your skin so hard that it bleeds.
Psoriasis tends to cause milder itching, but you may also feel something extra going on - your skin may sting or burn. Some people say it feels like being bitten by fire ants.
Both eczema and psoriasis can cause patches of red, raised, itchy skin. But the skin is thicker and more inflamed in psoriasis than with eczema. Both the conditions can show up anywhere on your body, but they have their own favorite areas.
Psoriasis often shows up on the: scalp, elbows, knees, buttocks, face, lower back, palms of your hands, soles of your feet. It may also appear in other areas, such as: fingernails and toenails, mouth and lips, eyelids, ears and skin folds.
Eczema most often affects parts of your body that bend, like your inner elbow or behind your knees. It can also appear on your neck, wrists, and ankles.
Although both diseases can affect people of any age group, eczema is more common in children than psoriasis. Babies may have eczema on their chin, cheeks, scalp, chest, back, arms, and legs. Psoriasis usually shows up in people between ages 15 and 35. It rarely occurs in babies.
