Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes patches of red, scaly, and sometimes itchy skin. It can occur on the scalp, elbows, knees, hands and feet, and genitals. We don’t know exactly what causes psoriasis, but we do know that the immune system plays an important role.
Psoriasis may start at any age, but it usually strikes between ages 15 and 25. Psoriasis is not contagious. Only 1 to 3 percent of the population has psoriasis.
Most people have a mild form of psoriasis called plaque psoriasis. It affects less than 5 percent of their body surface area. Some people have a more severe form called erythrodermic psoriasis or pustular psoriasis. It affects more than 10 percent of their body surface area or is widespread over their entire body.
Psoriasis
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales. These patches normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, but can appear anywhere on your body. They are often itchy and uncomfortable, and they sometimes hurt. Psoriasis affects around 2% of the population of the UK. It can start at any age, but most often develops in adults under 35 years old.
What causes psoriasis?
The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. We know that people inherit genes that make them more likely to develop psoriasis, but the condition only appears if triggered by something in the environment. The trigger isn’t the same for everyone – you may develop psoriasis after an injury to your skin, a severe sunburn or because of an infection like strep throat. Psoriasis is not contagious; it cannot spread from person to person. Stress can also exacerbate symptoms of psoriasis.
How is psoriasis treated?
There is no cure for psoriasis so treatment focuses on improving symptoms and preventing new plaques from developing. Most people find moisturising creams helpful; these are particularly
Psoriasis is one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases in the world, affecting as many as 125 million people worldwide, including approximately 7.5 million Americans.1
The most common form, plaque psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells known as scale. The plaques can itch and burn and are often painful.
The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. Psoriasis is not contagious.2
Psoriasis has no cure; however, there are many treatment options available to control the disease and its symptoms.
Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing and remitting skin disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a hereditary, chronic autoimmune disease. Skin cells grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface.
Normally, this takes about a month. In psoriasis, this process may be shortened to days. This causes dead skin cells to pile up on the skin’s surface, forming red patches and silvery scales.
There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic. The most common form is plaque psoriasis. It appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells or scale (plaques). Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of psoriasis and it affects about 80 percent of people with psoriasis.
Guttate psoriasis is characterized by small (less than 1 cm in diameter) drops or spots on the skin that occur suddenly following an illness such as strep throat or tonsillitis. Guttate psoriasis can be chronic with repeated occurrences over time or it may be acute with one episode lasting one to three months and clearing spontaneously without treatment. It usually begins in childhood or young adulthood and may be triggered by infectious illness such as streptococ
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that produces thick, pink to red, itchy areas of skin covered with silvery scales. Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the surface of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to mature. Usually this movement (also called turnover) takes about a month, but in psoriasis it may occur in only a few days.
There are different types of psoriasis, including psoriasis vulgaris, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, and pustular psoriasis. Symptoms vary depending on the type of psoriasis the patient has. Treatment of psoriasis may include creams, lotions, oral medications, injections and infusions of biologics, and light therapy. There is no cure for psoriasis.
Psoriasis is generally thought to be a genetic disease that is triggered by environmental factors. In twin studies, identical twins are three times more likely to both be affected compared with nonidentical twins. This confirms a genetic basis of the disease. The disease may be triggered by an injury to the skin (called Koebner phenomenon). Stress , heavy alcohol consumption, and smoking may worsen symptoms of ps