Psoriasis is one of the most annoying, persistent skin diseases characterized by faster cell turnover rate than normal. Ones affected, a person’s life is changed forever. Today I am going to shed some lights on this skin condition which we all must more or less know. Psoriasis can appear at any age and comes and goes unpredictably. It affects men and women equally. It is an autoimmune disease, not an infection. Which means there is no chance of transmitting this disease from one person to another through touching or sharing clothes. Psoriasis can be controlled but not fully cured.
Causes of Psoriasis: It is an autoimmune disease, that means there is some problem in the patient’s immune system. Immunity is body’s own mechanism to fight against enemies ( infections, diseases). In case of Psoriasis immune system gets activated by mistake. They activate other immune cells resulting in faster cell turnover.
Why some people suffer from this rare disease is still not clear but there are some triggering factors. Such as:
1. Infections
2. Stress
3. Medicines ( Lithium, Antimalarial, Quinidine, Indomethacin, Inderal etc.)
4. Injury to the skin
5. Genetics ( About 10% of cases are believed to be hereditary. But researchers believe that a person must have a combination of genes and triggering factors exposure to develop Psoriasis.
Types of Psoriasis: Psoriasis can be of many types such as –
- Psoriasis Vulgaris
- Guttate Psoriasis ( small, drop-like)
- Plaque type Psoriasis
- Inverse Psoriasis ( in areas such as armpit, navel, groin)
- Erythrodermic Psoriasis (the entire skin is affected)
- Pustular Psoriasis ( pus filled blisters)
When to see a doctor?
- When you see raised skin which is red in color with thick silvery white scales.
- When you see Psoriatic changes in other parts of the body after an injury.
If you see any of these signs and also have exposure to any of the triggering factors you should seek a dermatologist’s medical advice.
So this is the first part of my blog on Psoriasis. More to come next time. Till then Goodbye.
