Psoriasis: What Exactly Is It?
America loves trends. Even down to sickness and health, certain ailments seem to get more attention for a period of time than others. Right now, it's all about the €P€ word - Psoriasis. It's is a skin condition that causes redness and irritation. The thick raised reddish sometimes covered in flaky silver-white scales skin is categorized in 5 types.
⤠Pustular - As the name suggests, white blisters are surrounded by red, irritated skin.
⤠Plaque - Most common type. Red and thick patches covered by flaky silver white skin.
⤠Inverse - Redness and irritation in armpits, groin, and in between overlapping skin.
⤠Guttate - Small, pink red spots on skin.
⤠Erythrodermic - skin redness is intense and covers a large area.
How to Recognize It
Psoriasis seems to have a mind of its own: It can appear instantly or over time, patch by patch or a full body takeover. It can even go away and come back later. It's most often seen on the elbows, knees, and middle of the body, but can appear anywhere, including the scalp. Doctors and nurses usually diagnose it with a quick look, although a skin biopsy might be needed to rule out other conditions.
How to Get It
Psoriasis is no respecter of person, race, or gender. Anyone can get it at any time, but most commonly onsets on people between 15 and 35 years old. It is said to be genetically passed down through families. Although reasonable clinical research has been conducted, doctors can only guess that it's an autoimmune condition. Basically, Psoriasis could be a disorder that occurs when the immune system goes on attack and destroys other healthy tissue, the skin. Dry air, dry skin, injury to skin, bug bites, stress, too little/too much sunlight, and alcohol intake all trigger the €P€.
A Quick Lesson on Skin
Skin cells usually grow deep in the skin and rise to the surface about once a month. With Psoriasis, the process transpires way too fast. The result is dead skin cells that have built up on the top layer of skin, the surface.
How to Treat It
Sorry to say it, but treatment is really just control and maybe avoiding possible triggers of future outbreaks. The most market research has been conducted on topical treatments. There are pills and injections available too. But they affect the rest of body's immune response, not just the skin. Phototherapy is also an option, just more costly
⤠Pustular - As the name suggests, white blisters are surrounded by red, irritated skin.
⤠Plaque - Most common type. Red and thick patches covered by flaky silver white skin.
⤠Inverse - Redness and irritation in armpits, groin, and in between overlapping skin.
⤠Guttate - Small, pink red spots on skin.
⤠Erythrodermic - skin redness is intense and covers a large area.
How to Recognize It
Psoriasis seems to have a mind of its own: It can appear instantly or over time, patch by patch or a full body takeover. It can even go away and come back later. It's most often seen on the elbows, knees, and middle of the body, but can appear anywhere, including the scalp. Doctors and nurses usually diagnose it with a quick look, although a skin biopsy might be needed to rule out other conditions.
How to Get It
Psoriasis is no respecter of person, race, or gender. Anyone can get it at any time, but most commonly onsets on people between 15 and 35 years old. It is said to be genetically passed down through families. Although reasonable clinical research has been conducted, doctors can only guess that it's an autoimmune condition. Basically, Psoriasis could be a disorder that occurs when the immune system goes on attack and destroys other healthy tissue, the skin. Dry air, dry skin, injury to skin, bug bites, stress, too little/too much sunlight, and alcohol intake all trigger the €P€.
A Quick Lesson on Skin
Skin cells usually grow deep in the skin and rise to the surface about once a month. With Psoriasis, the process transpires way too fast. The result is dead skin cells that have built up on the top layer of skin, the surface.
How to Treat It
Sorry to say it, but treatment is really just control and maybe avoiding possible triggers of future outbreaks. The most market research has been conducted on topical treatments. There are pills and injections available too. But they affect the rest of body's immune response, not just the skin. Phototherapy is also an option, just more costly
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