Psoriasis is a non-contagious skin condition that causes skin redness and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches, called scales. Psoriasis commonly affects the skin of the elbows, knees and scalp.
Psoriasis is considered a non-curable, chronic skin condition. It has a variable course, sporadically improving and worsening. It is not unusual for psoriasis to unexpectedly clear for years and stay in remission. Many people note a worsening of their symptoms in the colder winter months.
Psoriasis affects people worldwide, in all races and of both sexes. Although psoriasis can be seen in people of any age, most commonly sufferers are first diagnosed in their early adult years.
Symptoms
Some people have such mild psoriasis (small, faint dry skin patches) that they may not even suspect that they have a medical skin condition. Others have very severe psoriasis where virtually their entire body is covered with thick, red, scaly skin.
Other symptoms may include:
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- Genital lesions in males
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- Joint pain or aching
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- Nail changes, including thick nails, yellow-brown nails, dents in the nail and nails that lift off from the skin underneath
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- Severe dandruff on the scalp.
Causes
The exact cause remains unknown. There may be a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition and environmental factors, but the immune system is thought to play a major role. It is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family. Usually, normal skin cells grow deep in the skin and rise to the surface about once a month. In persons with psoriasis, this process is too fast and dead skin cells build up on the skin’s surface.
The following may trigger an attack of psoriasis or make the condition more difficult to treat:
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- Bacteria or viral infections, including strep throat and upper respiratory infections
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- Dry air or dry skin
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- Injury to the skin, including cuts, burns and insect bites
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- Some medicines, including anti-malaria drugs, beta-blockers and lithium
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- Stress
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- Too little sunlight
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- Too much sunlight (sunburn)
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- Too much alcohol.
In general, psoriasis may be severe in people who have a weakened immune system. This may include persons who:
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- Have Aids
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- Have auto-immune disorders (such as rheumatoid arthritis)
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- Underwent chemotherapy for cancer.
Some people with psoriasis may also have arthritis, a condition known as psoriatic arthritis.
Treatment
Three treatment options are available:
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- Skin lotions, ointments, creams and shampoos. These are called topical treatments.
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- Pills or injections that affect the body’s immune response, not just the skin. These are called systemic, or body-wide treatments.
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- Phototherapy, which uses light to treat psoriasis.
Prognosis and prevention
While psoriasis is not curable, it is controllable. With appropriate treatment, it usually does not affect general physical health.
There is no known way to prevent psoriasis. Keeping the skin clean and moist and avoiding specific psoriasis triggers may help reduce the number of flare-ups.
Sources
http://www.medicinenet.com/psoriasis
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth