Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that is characterized by widespread pain in the muscles, joints, tendons and other associated soft tissues. Other symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, skin sensitivity, sleep problems and headaches, all of which may combine to cause depression and anxiety as well. According to MedlinePlus, there is no known cause for fibromyalgia and the condition is not well understood, but there are possible triggers such as physical or emotional trauma or infections. Mayo Clinic reports that fibromyalgia occurs in around 2 percent of the U.S. population and that women are much more likely to contract the condition than are men. Several different symptoms can occur on the skin of fibromyalgia patients.
Dry Skin
According to Fibromyalgia-Symptoms.org, between 70 and 80 percent of all fibromyalgia sufferers have some sort of skin symptom. These symptoms can be annoying by themselves, but can also aggravate other typical fibromyalgia symptoms. Examples of dermatological disorders can include dry and itchy skin that makes it more difficult to sleep and increases pain. Dry skin is one of the more common skin symptoms associated with fibromyalgia and many patients suffer with chronically dry and cracked skin in various areas of the body. Hands and fingers seem to be particularly affected and symptoms can become so severe that skin begins to peel and can become very painful.
Allodynia
Allodynia is a term that refers to an abnormal sensation of pain from a stimulus that would not normally cause pain. Allodynia is often associated with fibromyalgia. Patients develop multiple tender points throughout their body, which are very common on the neck, shoulders, sternum, low back, hips, elbows and knees, according to MayoClinic.com. Doctors are not sure why allodynia occurs in fibromyalgia patients, but it likely has to do with the brain's ability to interpret nervous signals from the skin.
Rash
One common symptom that many individuals with fibromyalgia experience is a skin rash. A rash may be the result of dry and itchy skin that is continually irritated. Fibromyalgia-Symptoms.org explains that rashes that are associated with the condition may appear as raised bumps and can be scaly to the touch.
A skin rash may also be associated with mottled skin. Fibromyalgia patients can develop areas on the skin that change color or tone and then become irritated when exposed to the sun, causing a rash. These mottled areas of skin can occur at any location on the body but are common on the inside of the arms and thighs.
