Psoriasis.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder that affects the skin. Experts are not exactly sure of its cause, but they do know that the immune system and genetics play a major role in its development. Normal skin cells take about 28-30 days to mature and slough off the body, but in patients with Psoriasis skin cell maturation speeds up and takes a short 3-4 days. Unfortunately, the shedding of skin cells doesn’t happen in Psoriasis patients thus skin cells pile up and create Psoriasis lesions or scales that commonly appear as raised, red patches with silvery-white tops. Psoriasis can develop anywhere on the body and is often associated with other health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and depression.
There are five types of Psoriasis that vary in degrees of severity: 1) plaque, 2) guttate, 3) inverse, 4) pustular and 5) erythrodermic. Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of Psoriasis. (Photo)
Psoriasis sufferers believe triggers may include stress, injury to skin and medications. Some people also think allergies, diet and weather can cause an outbreak.
Who gets it?
Psoriasis is not a common disorder, but the National American Health Institutes estimates that 7.5 million Americans suffer from Psoriasis. That means that 2.2% of the population is affected by this noncontagious condition.
Effects of the disease
Besides being painful physically, Psoriasis patients say it affects their day to day life, especially if they have moderate to severe cases. This can lead to depression and affect social interaction.
Treatment of Psoriasis
There are three main treatments for Psoriasis: 1) Topical medications applied to the skin, 2) Light therapy, and 3) Medications administered through a pill or injection. Some of these treatments are used in combination to provide the most effective outcome. Each person and case is different so what works for one person may not work for another. At this time, there is no cure for the disease, but it can be managed.
