13 Common Skin Diseases in Indonesia

In some developing countries especially those who are considered as tropical countries, skin disease is considered as Diseases in Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the countries who still familiar with skin disease problem, there are some skin diseases that still haunt the local people. The factors are varied,  ranging from temperature, environment, or even from personal hygiene.

Other factors such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and animals. Approximately what skin diseases that are common in Indonesia?

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1. Panu

Panu is one of the most common skin diseases in tropical countries such as Indonesia. This skin disease is known as panu in Indonesian language and tinea versicolor or pityriasis versicolor in medical language. The main cause of this skin disease is fungi which is malassezia furfur or pityrosporum ovale.

The fungus that causes this skin disease appears  due to poor hygiene, or through transmission from others.  Although it can affect any skin, it usually appears most often in the back, chest, neck, and upper arms. The disease is not contagious, so you do not have to worry about being around a person suffering panu.

2. Kurap 

Kurap is a fungal infection on the human’s skin. It can be transmitted through direct direct contact with infected skin or with contaminated objects, such as animals, towels, blankets, clothing, bed, and others. Kurap on human’s scalp can cause hair loss and even baldness.

This skin disease is characterized by the appearance of a reddish rash, with spreading ring-shaped lines irregularly wavy form. This skin disease has dermatophytic fungus that grows in the skin to eat keratin. The treatment can be done  by taking anti-fungal  medicines.

3. Kudis

Kudis or scabies  is an infection of the skin caused by mites, which are small insects from the spider family. Mites can move because of direct contact with an infected person. Mites can live only a few days on the body and can not jump or fly.

The signs of scabies are the appearance of a rash and very itchy, usually felt at night. For children,  the rash usually appears on the head, neck, palms, soles of the feet, and between the fingers. Scabies can be treated by using a topical cream containing insecticides to kill mites that breed.

4. Jerawat

Acne, also called acne vulgaris, is a skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles get clogged with dead skin and oils that cause inflammation. Acne can be a mild red nodule to painful cystic acne. Acne usually appears on the face, shoulders, back, and chest.

Acne can cause emotional stress and can leave marks of ‘bopeng’ or a blackened skin color. Acne is caused by excess oil production in the skin glands and the entry of bacteria in the oil glands, resulting in red spots that can enlarge to pop out. Acne is common in facial skin, and some are experiencing acne on the back or chest.

5. Frambusia

Frambusia or commonly known as patek, is a skin disease caused by bacteria that are transmitted through direct contact. The disease is mostly found in eastern Indonesia. This skin disease is a chronic infection that attacks the skin, bones, and cartilage. The cause is treponema pallidum bacteria, which none other than cause of syphilis.

Yet frambusia does not attack sex as syphilis. The disease is found in tropical countries that cause bumps and wounds in this skin. Since the 1990s until now, the disease is only found in several tropical countries including Indonesia.

6. Eksim

This skin disease is known as atopic dermatitis. It is a chronic skin condition that causes itching and then disappears for some time. Eksim  makes the skin becomes inflamed, itchy, dry and cracked. The dry skin can appear on the scalp, forehead and face.

The disease is common, and often attacks children up to the elderly. The cause of this disease  has not been identified. But researchers believe some of the triggers can cause eksim. People with allergies can have atopic eczema, such as people with food allergies or asthma.

7. Herpes Zoster 

The other names are chicken pox or smallpox. Caused by varicella virus, the skin will hurt like a burn and a few days later there appears a rash resembling a half-shaped. The rash is very common to be found in  in the abdomen and chest.

After that the rash will look like a blister and become a scab within 3-5 days. Herpes Zoster is similar to chicken pox, there is no special step to treat it, only you can reduce discomforts such as pain and pain in the skin.

8. Sariawan

Sariawan  is caused by a fungus called Candida albicans that attacks the mouth and usually will make the sufferer complained of pain in the mouth and difficult to eat and also talk. Some things can trigger the growth of the fungus such as the mouth is not kept clean, poor immune system,  the use of dentures and certain drugs consumption.

Sariawan can  usually be treated with a mouthwash containing anti-fungal.There are also gel and cream medication to heal sariawan.

9. Kusta or Lepra

Kusta or Lepra of Leprosy  is a type of skin disease that is difficult to observe and its  symptoms appear very slowly, such as numbness of the skin, enlargement of blood vessels, changes in face shape, nasal congestion, puncture wounds but no pain, until the loss of fingers.

Leprosy can be caused by Mycobacterium leprae bacteria that can spread to humans and animals through fluid secreted during coughing or sneezing. Leprosy can be treated with antibiotics consumption  to improve nerves, body shape, and restore the body function.

10. Cacar Air

Cacar air or Chicken pox  is a disease caused by varicella zoster virus, it usually comes once in a lifetime because it can only penetrate the immunity once. People with chicken pox will have a rash all over his body that feels very itchy. This rash will become ‘koreng’ and it will peeled within 1-2 weeks.

The disease is highly contagious, so usually  the patient will be isolated from the environment, especially from those who have never had chicken pox. There is no specific medicine to speed up the healing of chickenpox, but patients can reduce the itching with calamine powder.

Others

• Pediculosis: Kutu rambut are usually having parasitic characteristic, because they make human blood as food. Pediculosis is also highly contagious and can be excessive itching in the hair.
• Kutil: Kind of small coarse textured clumps on the surface of the skin. It caused  by HPV (human papilloma virus) which increases the production of keratin so that accumulate on the skin surface.
• Fish Eye: A skin disease that usually attacks the soles of the feet. These fish eye diseases generally grow on the skin surface of the feet, heels, toes, palms and fingers.

Those are complete explanation of common skin diseases in Indonesia that you can found.