The largest human organ
The skin is the largest organ in the human body and has to fulfil a variety of tasks. It protects us from environmental influences, performs metabolic tasks and is also a sensory organ. It contains sweat and sebaceous glands, cold and heat receptors, pain and pressure receptors as well as free nerve endings and tactile corpuscles. It is supplied by a dense network of blood vessels. Hair and nails are also part of the skin. Human skin is between 1.5 and 4 millimetres thick and has a total surface area of over 1.7 square metres in adults.
The medical speciality that deals with all skin diseases is dermatology. As allergies often affect the skin, dermatologists are also experts in the treatment of allergies. If allergies affect the respiratory tract, lung specialists, known medically as pulmonologists, take over the treatment.
Typical skin diseases
Our skin is increasingly exposed to harmful chemicals in clothing and cosmetics or from the environment. As a result, skin diseases are also on the increase. Repeated sunburns, especially during childhood, cause lasting damage to the skin. Sun exposure is now recognised as the primary trigger for skin cancer. However, hereditary factors can also play a role in some skin diseases, such as psoriasis.
Allergic reactions such as hay fever, asthma, hives, conjunctivitis and drug reactions have also increased significantly in recent years. The options for successfully treating skin diseases and allergies have improved considerably over the last two decades. Thanks to modern diagnostics, the experts in dermatology, allergology and pneumology at Ulm University Hospital are able to precisely determine the causes of diseases and apply effective therapies.
Focus on malignant tumours
A particular focus is on the treatment of malignant skin tumours. The Department of Dermatology and Allergology has therefore bundled the treatment of this very common cancer in a certified skin tumour centre. In the certified Allergy Centre, doctors work together on an interdisciplinary basis in the diagnosis and treatment of asthma and all types of allergic reactions.
- Asthma
- Wound healing disorders
- Skin tumours / Certified skin tumour centre
- Autoimmune diseases such as dermatoses, connective tissue diseases (collagenoses), psoriasis and neurodermatitis
- Infectious diseases of the skin and mucous membranes caused by bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites
- Allergies / Certified allergy centre
