Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that can cause itchiness and too much discomfort. The most common type of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis which causes thick scales in the skin. Psoriasis condition can’t be cured but treatment can help in reducing symptoms. This condition can cause inflammation in the skin. Common symptoms of psoriasis include discolored skin with scales. These psoriasis scales are also known as plaques. It is a type of chronic skin condition that flares up unexpectedly and has no cure.
Types of psoriasis disorder
Plaque psoriasis
This is the most common psoriasis condition as more than 80% of people with psoriasis condition have plaque psoriasis. In this type, it causes red and inflamed patches on light skin whereas the patches appear brown on darker skin. Psoriasis patches are usually covered with whitish scales. These plaques mainly appear on elbows, scalp, and knees.
Guttate psoriasis
This type of psoriasis appears in childhood when the skin has small pink or violet spots. This type of condition appears in the arms, torso, and legs. These guttate psoriasis spots can be thick like plaque psoriasis.
Inverse psoriasis
In inverse psoriasis, the skin gets red, shiny, and inflamed. Psoriasis patches develop under the armpits, breasts, groin, and other skinfold areas.
Pustular psoriasis
This psoriasis is common in adults. In this condition, the skin gets white, pus-filled blisters. A broad area becomes red or violet depending on your skin tone. If the skin is dark then it may appear intensely violet. This psoriasis mainly appears in smaller areas of the body like hands or feet but it may be widespread to other body parts.
Nail psoriasis
It is a condition that causes skin discoloration, and pitting of toenails and fingernails.
Erythrodermic psoriasis
This is a severe rare type of psoriasis condition where a large section of the body gets affected. The skin looks sunburned and the scales appear in a larger area. Sometimes the person with this condition can also get a fever or become very ill. If you are getting these symptoms then you should get a psoriasis treatment Pennsylvania.
What are the most affected body parts in psoriasis?
Psoriasis rashes can appear anywhere on the body. Meanwhile, this condition mainly appears in:
- Elbows
- Knees
- Scalp
- Lower back
- Palms and feet
- Genitals
- Face and inside the mouth
- Fingernails and toenails
Usually, this condition appears in a small area of your skin. But if the condition gets severe then psoriasis may cover a large part of your body.
Common symptoms of psoriasis
The symptoms of psoriasis can differ depending on the type. The affected area can be small with few flakes or it may cover a large part of your body. The most common symptoms of psoriasis include:
- Raised, inflamed patches of skin that appear red in light skin and brown in dark skin
- Dy skin that may bleed
- White scales on red patches or gray scales on brown patches
- Soreness around the patches
- Itching
- Burning sensation
- Thick and pitted nails
- Painful joints
What causes psoriasis?
The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown but few pieces of research show that this condition appears due to genetics and the immune system. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition where the body starts attacking itself. The white blood cells start attacking the skin cells mistakenly. The role of white body cells is to attack foreign bacteria and create a defense against infection. But that starts attacking skin cells that cause overproduction. This attack sped-up skin cell production and new skin cells started developing. The new cells pushed to the skin’s surface and they piled up. Due to this, plaques appear in various parts. The skin becomes red and gets inflamed. People can also get this condition due to genetics. If any of the immediate family members have psoriasis then other members can get the same condition.
Common triggers for psoriasis
Stress: Your psoriasis condition may trigger due to stress. When a person is very stressed, psoriasis may flare up. If you have psoriasis then you must manage your stress to prevent flare-ups.
Injury: Any cut, accident, or scrape can trigger psoriasis. Sometimes, the condition may trigger due to injections, sunburns, vaccines, etc.
Alcohol: Alcohol abuse can also trigger this condition. If you drink alcohol a lot, it can trigger the condition often. To prevent this, you must quit alcohol.
Medication: Few medications like lithium, antimalarial medicines, and high blood pressure medications can trigger it.
Infections: Sometimes, your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells. When you have an infection, the immune system mistakenly builds an immune response against itself.
Treatment options for psoriasis
Topical treatments
If you have a psoriasis condition, you can use topical medicines. These medicines can manage mild to moderate psoriasis. Common topical treatments for psoriasis are:
- Topical corticosteroids
- Anthralin
- Topical retinoids
- Salicylic acid
- Moisturizer
Systemic Medications
If a person has moderate to severe psoriasis then the doctor may prescribe a few oral or injected medications. Most medications have side effects hence doctors prescribe them for a short period. Common medications for psoriasis are methotrexate, biologics, cyclosporine, and oral retinoids.
Homeopathy
To manage your psoriasis condition, you can use homeopathy. These remedies are safe and you can use them for a long time. Homeopathy not only reduces the psoriasis flare-up but also treats the cause behind it. Proper homeopathic treatment can prevent recurrence for a long time. These medications do not have any kind of side effects on your body.
Light therapy
Doctors can suggest light therapy to treat psoriasis. This treatment uses light either UV or natural light. The sunlight kills the overactive WBC that is attacking your healthy skin cells. This therapy helps in reducing rapid cell growth. UVA and UVB light is helpful to manage mild to moderate psoriasis.
Medications
If other treatments are not responding to psoriasis then your doctor may suggest certain medications. The most common medications for psoriasis are biologics, retinoids, cyclosporine, and methotrexate. Retinoids reduce skin cell production whereas cyclosporine decreases the immune system’s response. Biologic medications alter the immune system and prevent interaction between the immune system and inflammatory pathways.
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