What is Psoriasis Skin Disorder
Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects about one out of every fifty adults while at the same time causing significant psychological suffering to those individuals that are afflicted with the problem. One of the more interesting breakthroughs related to what causes psoriasis skin disease is that its onset is rooted in the body’s immune system.
Common symptoms of psoriasis include skin that is salmon colored, scaly, tender and irritated. One of the more common forms is termed plaque psoriasis where the afflicted area develops oval, round or irregular formed patches covered with scaly, silvery colored skin. The shape and sizes of the patches varies widely and individual smaller areas can merge together to form one large shape of irritated scaly skin. Besides being not being very nice to look at, these larger areas tend to crack and start bleeding.
Affected skin can be extremely itchy and often has a burning sensation. There are no hard and fast rules as to how long any particular flare-up will last. It could go away within a week but then again, you may be suffering for weeks on end. Since psoriasis is classed as a long-term complaint, the risks of recurring flare-ups in the same or different area of the body are very high.
Areas of the body that are most often affected include the trunk, head, elbows and knees although any part of the body can develop symptoms of psoriasis. One unusual anomaly is that flare-ups tend to be symmetric in as much that both sides of the body will be affected in the same areas at the same time.
Hereditary factors play some part in psoriasis meaning that those folks with parents or grandparents who have had psoriasis have a greater risk that they will develop it as well. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, T-cells, which are needed by our bodies to produce infection fighting white blood cells, cause inflammation of the skin. These same cells also trigger some bodily process which results in the over production of skin cells. Because these skin cells are surplus to requirements, they simply pile up on top of each other and in turn create the telltale raised patches on the surface of the skin. To nourish these additional skin cells, an increased blood supply is necessary which results in the red look.
Although not the causes of psoriasis, common triggers include sunlight, strep infections and injuries, both past and present, to the skin. Anxiety and stress can also spark an outbreak as can changes in hormone levels. Higher incidences of psoriasis have also been noticed in those individuals with the early stages of HIV infection. Cigarette smokers who also consume alcohol increase their chances of developing psoriasis.
In the absence of any known remedy for psoriasis, there are several effectual treatments that can at least alleviate the symptoms. Start by keeping the affected areas moist and by resisting the temptation to scratch.
The initial course of treatments are localized and are applied directly to the affected surface area with the ultimate aim of trying to stem the production of surplus skin cells. Coal tar, salicylic acid, corticosteroids, synthetic vitamin D, tazorac and anthrallin are common localized treatment choices as are specially developed bathing products and moisturizers. For more serious cases where localized treatments maybe ineffectual, systemic medications may be prescribed by the physician. Phototherapy, where sufferers are exposed to medically-supervised UV radiation is also effectual in the treatment of psoriasis.