What is Psoriasis?

Feeling the need to scratch? Before you do, try to check the part of your skin that’s itchy. If your skin is patched with lesions and stacked with silver-colored scales on top, then you might want to see your doctor and have this checked.

This may be a sign of Psoriasis. This disease usually occurs on your elbows, knees, and even the scalp. It could also appear on your palm. soles of your feet or your torso.

Here are other signs and possible symptoms:

– Skin that cracks and may bleed
– Plaques on scalp that look like dandruff
– Ridged, discolored and thickened nails

Psoriasis may come in different forms or a combination of it:

Plaque Psoriasis shows up on the elbows, scalp, and knees in the form of silvery scales on top of the inflamed skin.
Nail Psoriasis is linked to psoriatic arthritis. People who have this type of psoriasis experience painful nails that are discolored and thickened.

Psoriatic Arthritis affects any joint causing it to stiffen and possibly deform.
Guttate Psoriasis which usually affects children or young adults commonly appears on the thighs, upper arms, and scalp as pink-red spots.

Pustular Psoriasis is an uncommon form of psoriasis that develops from red skin turning into pus-filled blisters. It shows up in patches of skin and is possibly accompanied by fever and chills.

Erythrodermic Psoriasis covers the entire body in the form of a red burning rash. Although it is the least common, it is a very serious type of psoriasis that needs treatment right away as it may also trigger a faster heart rate along with changes in body temperature.

Inverse Psoriasis is commonly found in the corners of the body such as the skin folds around the genital area, armpits, and under the breasts. They appear as smooth red patches without scales. The condition gets worse with sweating and friction.

Psoriasis is unpredictable. The disease may be hereditary and could be a result of an overactive immune response causing the body to create skin cells faster than usual. It may linger for weeks or even months then could subside or even go into remission then come back. It is also not fully known as to what causes psoriasis but here is a list of what may trigger it.

Some possible triggers of Psoriasis:

– Stress
– Infections
– Sunburn (getting too much UV without sunscreen)
– Scratching too much
– Too much weight (obesity)
– Drinking Alcohol
– Smoking
– Hormone change (including Menopause)

There’s no cure for Psoriasis, but the good news is the disease can be manageable with early detection and with the right treatment.

Some of the known treatments for Psoriasis are:

– light therapy
– steroid creams
– oral medications, etc.

Again, if you feel that you encounter any of the symptoms of this disease we do suggest that you seek medical attention immediately.