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Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Lesions on the Skin - Skin Lesions

Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors

A skin lesion is a condition in which an area of the skin has a change in appearance. It may affect one small spot of skin or the entire body.

What is going on in the body?

There are many types of changes that can take place in the skin. These include swelling, warmth, blisters, bumps, color changes, itching, and even pain. When several skin lesions occur at the same time, the condition is often called a rash. Causes for skin lesions can range from allergic reactions to infections and even cancer.

What are the causes and risks of the condition?

There are many possible causes of a skin lesion. General categories include:

injuries, including those resulting in bruises, cuts, punctures, scabs, and other damage to the skin

insect bites, including those from mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, gnats, flies, ants, bees, and others

infections, such as ringworm, Borrelia burgdorferi.\ It is passed to humans through tick bites. ',CAPTION,'Lyme Disease');" onmouseout="return nd();">Lyme disease, Treponema pallidum\ bacteria. Less often, syphilis is transmitted from a pregnant woman to her baby. This form of syphilis is known as \congenital syphilis.\ ',CAPTION,'Syphilis');" onmouseout="return nd();">syphilis, measles, chickenpox, scabies, infectious mononucleosis, HIV, genital herpes, and herpes zoster

allergic reactions. These can be from drugs or medications, metals, chemicals, soaps, foods, or other materials.

primary skin diseases, such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, or rosacea. These often occur for unknown reasons.

autoimmune disorders. These are conditions that occur a person's immune system attacks his or her own body for unknown reasons. Examples of autoimmune disorders include systemic lupus erythematosus and inflammatory bowel disease. Both of these conditions can affect many areas of the body.

pregnancy

other systemic conditions, such as diabetes

skin cancer, such as a melanoma or basal cell carcinoma

inflammation of blood vessels, called vasculitis, in the skin. An example of this condition is Henoch-Schonlein purpura, a condition that usually occurs in children after an infection.

poor circulation, which commonly causes skin lesions in the lower legs known as stasis dermatitis. The poor circulation can be caused by damaged veins or diabetes.

Other causes are also possible. Sometimes, the cause cannot be found.

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