Many people think that psoriasis is a dermatological disease because most of its symptoms occur on the skin’s surface. However, psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system which occurs when the immune system mistakenly accelerates the growth cycle of skin cells.
Although psoriasis is a disease that occurs under the skin, its way of manifesting is through spots on the dermis, redness, and even scaly lesions. Psoriasis is a disease that so far has no cure, so the goal is to keep it under control. In this FastlyHealarticle, you can learn more about psoriasis’s causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Table of Contents
Types of psoriasis
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that manifests itself on the skin, but it can do so in many ways. Depending on its type, psoriasis suggests different symptoms and treatments. The types of psoriasis are:
- Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis and manifests itself through reddish, raised, and white-scaly inflammatory lesions. The plaques usually appear on the knees, lower back, elbows, and scalp.
- Droplet psoriasis: appears during youth through red spots on the skin of the trunk and extremities.
- Inverse psoriasis: these are small intense red spots that appear in the armpits, under the breasts, in the groin, and the folds of the intimate area.
- Pustular psoriasis: it is so-called because it manifests itself through whitish blisters with pus and is usually more common in older people.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis is the most inflammatory form of this condition, usually manifested by a reddish outbreak in almost the entire body accompanied by scaling.
Causes of psoriasis
Although the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, several factors have been linked to the appearance of this condition:
- Hereditary factor: although there is a lot of scientific confusion around this issue, it is considered that 3 out of 10 patients with psoriasis have a relative who suffers from the disease, so the importance of the genetic factor cannot be ignored.
- Environmental factors: Some scientists have concluded that certain environmental conditions can trigger psoriasis. Stress, infections such as pharyngitis, skin lesions, and some drugs are also associated with the disease.
- Immune factors: it is related to the excessive activity of the immune system. And it is that this condition happens because it attacks the skin cells, causing them to reproduce quickly and accumulate in the dermis as plaques, that is, a process that in a person without psoriasis can take weeks. In a patient psoriatic takes days.
People of any age can get psoriasis. It can be detected on the skin of newborn babies, or it can even appear for the first time when they are pretty old. Some people who suffer from this disease have it throughout their lives, although the severity can vary. Some factors, such as medicines, can make this problem worse.
Psoriasis is not infectious and cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.
Symptoms of psoriasis
This disease can appear suddenly or gradually, and in many cases, it can disappear for a time and then reactivate. Some symptoms that you may present are:
- Reddish and raised skin lesions.
- Red spots.
- Silver-colored scales.
- Dry skin that often cracks and sometimes bleeds.
- Itching, stinging, and burning of the skin.
- Dimples in the nails.
Psoriasis has triggers that can spark outbreaks or crises. Some are stress, cold, smoking, injury or cut skin, certain medications, and excessive alcohol consumption.
The effects of mild psoriasis (less than 10% of the skin with lesions) will be alleviated with creams or ointments on the affected areas. Still, the moderate ones (between 10 and 20%) and the most severe (more than 20%) will need more radical methods that can often have side effects, such as pills or biological treatments.
Treatment of psoriasis
The psoriasis treatment should only be prescribed by a dermatologist and depend on the type of psoriasis the person has and its severity. Although this condition has no cure, there are a variety of medications to control it.
Generally, it is treated with products applied directly to the skin or scalp, such as ointments, creams, or shampoos. Systemic treatments or even the application of phototherapy can also be used. In case of an infection, antibiotics will be included.
Each psoriasis is different. Two people with plaque psoriasis may have other manifestations, one person may have more severe lesions and plaques, and another is under control. Therefore, the treatment of this condition must be personalized since the medications or the doses can vary depending on the intensity of the flare-ups.
This article is merely informative. At FastlyHeal .com, we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor if you present any condition or discomfort.
If you want to read more articles similar to Psoriasis: causes, symptoms, and treatment, we recommend that you enter our Immune System category.
I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.