Do I Have Darier Disease?

Do you have wart-like blemishes on your body?

Do you know anyone in your family who has been diagnosed with Darier Disease?

Is this a contagious infection?

Does it require any treatment?

Do these warts have a bad odor?

Do you have any neurological disorders?

Wart-like blemishes are the most prominent sign of Darier disease. It starts appearing from late childhood and starts at the scalp, forehead, chest, back, knees, and elbows. Sometimes, it can appear behind the ears too, so watch out blemishes in these areas.

Darier disease is an inherited skin infection, so if it is present in your family, there are chances that you may get it. But the signs of this disease are evident early, typically in your late childhood or early adulthood. The chances to develop this disease much later in life is rare unless you've missed out on the earlier signs. In all, if someone in your family has this disease, there's a chance for you to inherit it. In some rare cases, you can also be the first person in your family to have this disease, though the chances for it are quite rare.

When you see aberrations on your skin, most people tend to treat it as a contagious infection that can spread through touch and sharing of towels. But in reality, Darier's disease is not contagious. In fact, this is not even infection as it is not caused by any virus or bacteria, rather it is caused due to a mutation in the ATP2A2 gene and is inherited. According to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, this ATP2A2 gene is responsible for giving your body the instructions to make an enzyme that controls the calcium ions in your cells. Mutations in this gene affect the amount of enzyme that's made and in turn, it leads to this skin condition.

Darier disease does not require any treatment and most medical professionals will recommend the use of moisturizers and sunscreens to prevent your warts from flaring up. You're also asked to stay cool and avoid places that increase sweat and dirt and in some cases, topical retinoids are also recommended. These rashes could have bacterial growth, in which case, antiseptics are recommended to kill this bacterial growth.

The blemishes you see are mostly yellow and can emit a strong odor. Also, they are mildly greasy to touch and at the same time, feel very hard. These warts have alternating periods of flare-ups determined to a large extent by the environment. Most people tend to experience these warts during the summer months when they are exposed to heat and humidity.

Epilepsy, depression, and mild intellectual disability are some of the possible neurological conditions associated with Darier disease.

Research is still inconclusive on the relationship between neurological disorders and Darier disease. It depends on the circumstances and your doctor should make that assessment.