Eczema vs Psoriasis - Difference and Comparison

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	Eczema	Psoriasis
Cause:	Eczema is generally a response to environmental factors like exposure to products containing harsh chemicals	Psoriasis, on the other hand, usually has a genetic link and is the response to factors inside of the body
Allergy to food:	May be present	usually not present
Age distribution:	Usually in childhood	Generally a disease of adults
Appearance of skin lesion:	Eczema is described as dry skin that may appear to be small blisters or raised spots.	psoriasis is rough, red and raise skin, which can be itchy too.
Dennie Morgan fold i.e. extra fold of skin beneath the eye:	Present	Absent
Silvery scales over the skin lesion:	Absent	Present
Arthritis:	it is not associated with arthritis	It is associated with Psoriatic arthritis
Emotional distress:	usually not seen	May be seen with it.

There is a lot of discomfort felt whenever a person suffers from skin problems which make it very important to be able to identify each different type that in turn means getting your doctor to diagnose your condition and provide advice on how to treat it. In addition, you will also need to know about your particular skin condition to be sure whether it is eczema or psoriasis because the two can often are easily confused. Both words have a Greek origin.

Eczema, also called dermatitis, is a group of conditions in which the skin is hot, dry, itchy and scaly. In severe outbreaks the skin may become raw, red and bleeding. Eczema is thought to be a reaction to environmental irritants or allergies, and symptoms are worsened by stress and hormonal fluctuations

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition. It is marked by patches of raised reddish skin, covered with a whitish silver layer. The most common form (plaque psoriasis) are common on the knees, elbows, scalp and the lower back.

1 Different types
- 1.1 Of Eczema
- 1.2 Of Psoriasis
2 Causative Factors
3 Age distribution
4 Appearance of the skin lesion
5 Symptoms
- 5.1 Eczema
- 5.2 Psoriasis
6 Treatment
- 6.1 Of Eczema
- 6.2 Psoriaisis
7 References

[edit] Different types

[edit] Of Eczema

Atopic dermatitis or atopic eczema - Most common of them all
Allergic contact dermatitis
Irritant contact dermatitis
Dyshydrotic eczema or vesicular eczema
Eczema herpeticum
Adult seborrhoeic eczema
Discoid eczema
varicose eczema

[edit] Of Psoriasis

Plaque Psoriasis
Guttate Psoriasis
Pustular Psoriasis
Inverse Psoriasis
Erythrodermic Psoriasis
Nail Psoriasis
Psoriasis of the Scalp
Psoriatic Arthritis

[edit] Causative Factors

Eczema is generally a response to environmental factors like exposure to products containing harsh chemicals. Psoriasis, on the other hand, usually has a genetic link and is the response to factors inside of the body. Eczema can also be triggered by certain types of foods, which makes avoidance of those foods and effective way of controlling the condition. While diet may also play a part in reducing the severity of psoriasis outbreaks, it cannot affect whether they occur.

[edit] Age distribution

As a general rule, psoriasis tends to strike most often in the adult years, while eczema is usually considered a childhood condition. Although it often presents in children however, it can continue well into adulthood for some people.

[edit] Appearance of the skin lesion

The appearance of the affected skin in case of eczema and psoriasis may have some similarities but they do have evident differences that set them apart from each other. Eczema is described as dry skin that may appear to be small blisters or raised spots. It is also coupled with excessive itching. On the other hand, psoriasis is rough, red and raise skin, which can be itchy too. The main difference of eczema and psoriasis is that the latter is characterized by scaly flaking that may often cause skin bleeding.

[edit] Symptoms

[edit] Eczema

Itchy skin
Inflamed skin
Skin redness
Skin swelling
Skin cracking
Weeping
Crusting
Scaling
Blisters
Red cheek rash
Crusty rash on cheek
Arm rash
Crusty arm blisters
Leg rash
Crusty leg blisters
Rash inside the elbow
Rash behind the knees
Difficulty sleeping - because of the itch
Hyperpigmented eyelids
Allergic shiners (dark rings around the eyes)
Lichenification (leathery skin) - from excessive rubbing
Atopic pleat (Dennie-Morgan fold) - extra fold of skin under eye.
Papules (small raised bumps)
Ichthyosis (scaly skin areas)
Keratosis pilaris (small, rough bumps)
Hyperlinear palms (extra skin creases in the palms)
Urticaria - hives
Lip inflammation (Cheilitis)

[edit] Psoriasis

Small red patches - these gradually expand and become scaly
Red plaques (red scales)
Silvery scales
Skin rash may affect various locations like elbow , knees, trunk, arm, leg, scalp, back, buttocks etc.
Skin symptoms
- Skin pain
- Skin inflammation
- Skin itching
- Cracked skin
- Skin blisters - common in Pustular psoriasis
Restricted joint motion
Emotional distress
Arthritis - about 10% of cases get arthritis caused by psoriatic arthritis

[edit] Treatment

[edit] Of Eczema

UV Rays
- Sunbathing or using tanning beds
Moisturizing
- Moisturizing body wash, or an emollient like aqueous cream, will maintain natural skin oils and may reduce some of the need to moisturize the skin.
- Bathing using colloidal oatmeal bath treatments.
- Avoiding soap or
- Other products that may dry the skin (such as powders or perfume)
Eczema and skin cleansers
- Avoid harsh detergents or drying soaps
- Choose a soap that has an oil or fat base; a "superfatted" goat milk soap is best
- Use an unscented soap
- Patch test your soap choice, by using it only on a small area until you are sure of its results
- Use a non-soap based cleanser
Itch relief
- Anti-itch drugs, often antihistamine
- Capsaicin applied to the skin acts as a counter irritant
- Menthol
Corticosteroids
Immunomodulators
- Topical immunomodulators like pimecrolimus (Elidel and Douglan) and tacrolimus (Protopic)
Antibiotics
- When the normal protective barrier of the skin is distrupted (dry and cracked), it allows easy entry for bacteria. Scratching by the patient both introduces infection and spreads it from one area to another. Any skin infection further irritates the skin and a rapid deterioration in the condition may ensue; the appropriate antibiotic should be given.
Light therapy
- UVA is mostly used, but UVB and Narrow Band UVB are also used.
Immunosuppresants
- Cyclosporin, azathioprine and methotrexate.
Diet and nutrition
- Recent studies provide hints that food allergy may trigger atopic dermatitis. For these people, identifying the allergens could lead to an avoidance diet to help minimize symptoms, although this approach is still in an experimental stage. [17]
- Dietary elements that have been reported to trigger eczema include dairy products and coffee (both caffeinated and decaffeinated), soybean products, eggs, nuts, wheat and maize (sweet corn), though food allergies may vary from person to person.

[edit] Psoriaisis

Topical treatment
- Bath solutions and moisturizers
- Medicated creams and ointments
- containing coal tar, dithranol (anthralin), corticosteroids, vitamin D3 analogues (for example, calcipotriol), and retinoids are routinely used.
Phototherapy
- Narrowband UVB (311 to 312 nm), is that part of the UVB spectrum that is most helpful for psoriasis. Exposure to UVB several times per week, over several weeks can help people attain a remission from psoriasis.
  - Ultraviolet light treatment is frequently combined with topical (coal tar, calcipotriol) or systemic treatment (retinoids) as there is a synergy in their combination. The Ingram regime, involves UVB and the application of anthralin paste. The Goeckerman regime combines coal tar ointment with UVB.
Photochemotherapy
- Psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA) combines the oral or topical administration of psoralen with exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) light.
Systemic treatment
- Methotrexate, cyclosporine and retinoids.