We all know someone who knows someone suffering from itchy, painful diseases. Psoriasis is one of those common skin disorders. Currently, its prevalence ranges between 0.09% to 11.3% and affecting around 100 million people globally. This proportion is making psoriasis a severe disease worldwide.
However, many people are not aware of it. Here is some necessary and useful information regarding psoriasis.
It is a chronic condition that doesn’t persist continuously for months or years, but often comes and goes triggered by various states. Usually, it stayed for a month.
It is an inflammatory disease and causes the skin cells to multiply ten times faster than its regular rate. Researchers suggest that there is some mutation in the genes that leads to psoriasis and is hereditary, i.e., runs in the family.
Due to the increased multiplication of cells under the skin, the area becomes bumpy and inflamed.
While it is genetic, the primary mechanism that plays here is the immune cells attacking the body’s healthy cells well, and it does it mistakenly.
The skin becomes red, and with whitish scaly thick patches in response to hyperimmune cells, these rough patches at times crack and bleed. Most commonly, it develops on the knee, elbow joints, scalp, hands and feet and, less usually affects the nails or mouth.
Consider Watching This video to know about Eczema. (Eczema is a group of skin-related diseases characterized by allergy caused inflammation on the skin.)
A biopsy of affected area or examination of scaly patches may be used to diagnose psoriasis and specify its type. Yes! There are around five types of psoriasis including
Plaque the most common with white scaly patches of dead skin
Guttate, the second most common with dotted lesions,
Inverse, with red lesions in body folds
Pustular, having blisters of noninfectious pus and,
Erythrodermic is the most severe form.
Some common triggers for psoriasis are co-disease conditions like diabetes or increased blood sugar, heart disease, anxiety, stress or depression, smoking, vitamin D deficiency, etc. Environmental conditions like humidity and atmospheric moisture increase flare production on the skin and complicate the situation.
Psoriatic arthritis is the most common complication due to its occurrence near the knee joints. Thus proper calcium supplements and vitamin D analogs must be taken.
You must see your doctor when the itching becomes painful and make the routine task challenging to perform. Though there is no cure for psoriasis, the symptoms can be managed through a vast number of options. These treatment options have the goal of reducing cell turnover, causing minimum side effects. These include
Topical steroidal creams that help to reduce inflammation, redness, and itching.
Vitamin A or retinoid that also fights against inflammation.
Over the counter salicylic acid products which work as a keratolytic agent, reduce scaling.
Other than this, the use of phototherapy using natural or artificial rays would also help. Daily sun exposure or sea bathing is the best possible way to relax and to make it better. It works as the UV B rays penetrate the skin and slow down the process of cell division. Using “psoralen,” a light-sensitive drug, while taking phototherapy increases its effects.
Current and targeted therapy includes the use of biologics. These are lab-made proteins or antibodies, injected directly in the blood, and blocked the immune system’s altered functions that bring about psoriasis. It has been found to reduce the complications by 75%.
Certain foods like red meat, processed foods, gluten, dairy products, and alcohol should be avoided in excess.
One should not get demotivated by this itchy, irritating disorder. Adapt positive changes in your lifestyle and eat the fruit of better outcomes!
Until Next time,
Team Doctor ASKY!