Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic autoimmune condition that causes rashes and inflammation in the body. The condition known as psoriasis is typically associated with scaling red plaques that develop on the skin as a result of skin cells rapidly accumulating on the surface. This is due to an overactive immune system, which causes the process responsible for the natural turnover of skin cells to speed up.

The journey of a skin cell from its birth below the surface to its transition up through the layers to its eventual sloughing off takes about a month in an otherwise healthy person. For psoriasis patients, the journey takes only a few days. This rapid skin cell creation does not give the outermost cells the proper time to die and flake away, so they instead “pile up” into layers. This creates raised scaly patches, known as plaques, that tend to be red and uncomfortable. Certain patients say they experience itching, burning, or stinging sensations in the skin where their plaques develop.

There is no cure yet for psoriasis, but the symptoms can be managed.

The causes of psoriasis are not yet fully understood by scientists, but research suggests that the condition is linked to the immune system and genetics. It’s an autoimmune condition, so it is caused by the body attacking itself. White blood cells protect your body against infections by destroying bacteria. Psoriasis is believed to occur when the immune system doesn’t function properly, and infection-fighting cells—white blood cells called T cells—mistakenly fight healthy skin cells instead.

It’s also believed that there could be hereditary factors that make some patients more likely to develop psoriasis than others. Having a family member who has this chronic condition is one of the risk factors. Smoking may also increase the risk of the disease and make flare-ups more severe.

Triggers that result in the formation of plaques are not the same for everyone and may change over time. The rashes can occur because of exposure to an environmental factor, and common external triggers are stress, heavy alcohol consumption, medications, infections such as strep throat or skin infections, injuries that break the skin such as a cut, bug bite, or sunburn, anything that causes the immune system to kick into high gear, smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke, low temperatures, dry climates, and more.

The symptoms of psoriasis vary widely in how they look from individual to individual and based on the type of the condition. Patients may not experience all of these symptoms, or may see their symptoms evolve over time.

Psoriasis also varies in severity. For some patients, it may only cause mild irritation, while for others, it may interfere with their quality of life.

The most common symptoms associated with this condition include raised, inflamed, patchy rashes on the skin, whiteish-silver or gray dandruff-like scales on the patches, dry skin that may crack or bleed, soreness on the areas surrounding the patches, itching and burning around the patches, thick and pitted nails, and painful, swollen joints.

On pale skin, the rashes may be red or pink, while on darker skin, they may look purple or brown. Rashes flare up in cycles for a few weeks or months at a time before clearing up and becoming almost unnoticeable. Flare-ups may then occur again if the patient is exposed to a trigger. The symptoms show up or become worse in response to specific stimuli. You might not have any symptoms for a while, or only mild symptoms, but this may be followed with a period of time when the symptoms become more severe.

The rashes can flare up anywhere on the body, even on areas such as the eyelids, ears, lips, feet, and nails. These plaques are frequently found on the body’s larger joints (knees and elbows), as well as the scalp and lower back. In the majority of cases, patients will have small rashes or flakes, but for some patients, the rashes may cover most of their body. Some people with psoriasis—roughly one in three—also have arthritis, which manifests as joint pain. The condition is not contagious; you won’t develop it by touching a lesion on another person.

Types of Psoriasis

Several types of psoriasis exist, with each form developing specific symptoms that would be recognizable to a trained dermatologist.

Plaque

The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is marked by scaly patches that may be red, silvery, or even purple. Although the scalp, knees, and elbows are typical areas where plaques develop, they can also form on the lower back, around or even in the navel, and virtually anywhere else on the body.

Inverse

Only about a quarter of patients develop the inverted form, which presents as very red, very itchy, but smooth patches of skin, often in areas that crease into folds: the underarms, beneath the breasts, and the buttocks. Perspiration and friction can cause the sensations to be quite painful.

Guttate

Guttate psoriasis—developing in about eight percent of patients—frequently takes the form of reddened and inflamed circles on the torso and limbs, though it can show up anywhere.

Pustular

Somewhat resembling acne, pustular psoriasis appears as painful bumps filled with pus. About three percent of patients have this form, which can also involve inflamed skin around the pustules on the hands, feet, and elsewhere.

Erythrodermic

Only two percent of psoriasis patients have the erythrodermic form, which is dangerous in the way it causes large-scale redness, skin pain, and shedding.