What is psoriasis?

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder  due to a combination of immune, genetic, and environmental factors. It commonly affects more than one family member.

What causes psoriasis?

The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. If you have psoriasis, your skin cells grow faster than normal due to cytokines release by T-cells. The body naturally develops new skin cells every month to replace skin that sheds or flakes off. With psoriasis, new skin cells form within days rather than weeks. This rapid growth causes dead skin cells to accumulate on the skin’s surface. The redness is from the increased blood supply required for the increased growth of cells.

How do I know if I will get psoriasis?

Psoriasis is not contagious. However, the condition may run in families. Risk factors for psoriasis include:

• family history of the condition
• having a viral or bacterial infection
• it can also be triggered or worsened by uncontrolled stress, smoking , obesity and use of certain medications, such as those used to treat bipolar disorder and high blood pressure

What does it look like ?

There are about five types of psoriasis but the plaque type is the most common.

The accumulation of dead cells on the skin results in well demarcated areas of thickened, red or salmon pink  itchy plaques, often covered with silvery scales.

Lesions are symmetrically distributed, often involving the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back.

Guttate psoriasis refers to a special type of psoriasis where the lesions occur rapidly . It is commonly associated with underlying infection especially Streptococcal infection.

Psoriasis can cause nail abnormalities like multiple tiny pits or brittle ugly looking nails.

What other areas can psoriasis affect?

Psoriasis can increase your risk for other illnesses. Some people develop psoriatic arthritis, which can cause severe joint damage. You’ll need to see a rheumatologist for treatment if your dermatologist suspects this type of psoriasis.

You also have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes , heart  disease and celiac disease amongst others.

Because psoriasis can develop anywhere on the body and become a widespread problem, you may also deal with periods of low self-esteem, social isolation, and depression.

What can make psoriasis worse?

• Smoking and alcohol  tends to increase the severity of psoriasis as well as affect response to treatment.
• Emotional stress can contribute to the  initial onset of psoriasis and flares  of existent disease
• Skin trauma caused by  scratching, sunburn and viral infection may make exacerbate psoriasis
• Certain medications like steroid injections can worsen the disease

How is it diagnosed?

Psoriasis can be diagnosed by examining the skin. Occasionally, a skin biopsy or scraping may be taken to rule out other disorders. There is no blood test to diagnose psoriasis.

How do you treat psoriasis ?

There’s no cure for psoriasis. But with treatment, you can reduce inflammation and skin irritation. Some treatment options are described below.

Topical Therapy

Your doctor may prescribe creams or ointments for your skin or scalp. These can include:

• Combination of topical corticosteroids and vitamin D analogues
• Calcineurin inhibitors for sensitive areas
• Keratolytics to peel off the thick scales eg, salicylic acid
• Tar based formulation reduce the fast growth of skin cells

Light Therapy

This therapy exposes skin to artificial ultraviolet light under medical supervision. This treatment helps slow the growth of new skin cells. You may need to attend the clinic 2 -3 times each week.

Medications

If your psoriasis is severe or doesn’t respond to other treatments, the dermatologist  may prescribe medications to suppress your immune system. These require taking of blood and close monitoring.

Psoriasis Prevention

There’s no way to prevent psoriasis. You can reduce flare-ups by following your doctor’s treatment plan and recommendations and by avoiding common triggers like stress and smoking.

Psoriasis is a lifelong condition but it doesn’t have to negatively impact the quality of your life. Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms of psoriasis or if the condition causes depression or mood problems.