Lyme Disease, Poison Ivy, Bug Bites: Often Missed or Mis-Treated Skin Conditions to Watch Out for This Summer

Leading Skin Expert Offers Tips on Summer Skin Ailments.

Rochester, NY, June 10, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The sun is finally out. Unfortunately, so too are bugs, ticks and poison ivy. Would you be able to recognize a potentially dangerous tick bite from ringworm? How about poison ivy from ordinary hives?

From bites to burns, leading skin expert Dr. Art Papier reveals tips on identifying the top misdiagnosed summer skin ailments. Untreated, some of these can lead to potentially serious health problems.

So, if you’re planning on some fun in the sun this summer, keep the following in mind.

1. Lyme Disease: The red or pink “bull’s-eye” lesion resulting from a tick bite is one target you don’t want to miss. Twenty-five percent of affected people don’t see a bite mark or lesion at all, but experience flu-like symptoms including fever, muscle aches and chills. If a lesion appears, it can also be mistaken for ringworm due to the similarities in shape and color. http://www.visualdxhealth.com/adult/lymeDisease.htm

Dr. Papier’s Tip: It can take up to a month for a rash to appear, so continue to monitor if you think you’ve been exposed to a tick.

2. Poison Ivy/Poison Oak: Contact with poison ivy, oak and sumac causes itchy blisters and slightly elevated lesions that have visual characteristics similar to allergic contact dermatitis, hives, viral infections and scabies.
http://www.visualdxhealth.com/child/poisonIvy-Oak-SumacDermatitis.htm

Dr. Papier’s Tip: One way to tell the difference: in its early stages, poison ivy often has linear lesions – rows of red bumps or blisters.

3. Bites and Stings: Bites or stings from insects and spiders (arthropods) are very common. Most bug bites leave a similar round pink or red lesion, making it hard to identify the source and severity of the bite. While ants, mosquitoes, flies, spiders, ticks, bugs and mites cause a mild reaction, bees, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets pack a punch in their stings. Some people have severe reactions and require emergency help.
http://www.visualdxhealth.com/firstaid/firstAidBugBitesorStings.htm

Dr. Papier’s Tip: Flying insects tend to hit exposed skin areas, while bugs such as fleas hit the lower legs and around the waist and often have several bites grouped together.

Dr. Art Papier is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Medical Informatics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He is also founder of Logical Images, a leading developer of visual diagnostic software systems that help doctors and the general public diagnose and treat skin conditions, ailments and diseases. Logical Images’ technology is used by thousands of doctors and medical organizations around the world, as well as more than 700,000 consumers every month.

If you are interested in speaking with Dr. Papier about this timely issue of summer skin safety, please call 781.684.0770 or email LogicalImages@schwartz-pr.com.

About Logical Images
Based in Rochester, NY, Logical Images develops visual health care tools to elevate diagnostic accuracy, enhance medical education, and heighten patient knowledge. Logical Images is a company of digital imaging experts, leaders in computer-based design and knowledge management, skilled image archivists, and practicing physicians. The company’s products include VisualDx, visual clinical decision support software for diagnostic accuracy, and VisualDxHealth, online consumer skin health and wellness resource located at www.visualdxhealth.com. Logical Images has developed the most comprehensive digital medical image library with over 50,000 images including all age ranges and skin types. This extensive collection is the foundation for both the VisualDx professional tool and the VisualDxHealth consumer tool - designed to speed disease recognition for faster, more accurate decision making and patient understanding. www.logicalimages.com

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