Causes and Symptoms of Psoriasis Skin Disease

June 4th, 2009 by admin

Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects about one in fifty adults while at the same time causing considerable mental suffering to those people that are afflicted with the condition. One of the most interesting discoveries related to what causes psoriasis skin disorder is that its onset is rooted within the body’s immune system.

The symptoms of psoriasis include skin that is salmon colored, scaly, flaky and irritated. One of the most predominant types is called plaque psoriasis where the afflicted area develops eliptical, circular or irregular shaped patches covered with scaly, silvery colored skin. The form and sizes of the patches vary widely and individual smaller areas can merge together to form one large shape of irritated scaly skin. As well as being not being very nice to look at, these larger areas tend to crack and begin bleeding.

The area of affected skin can become really itchy and feel as though it is burning. Similar to the shape, there is no consistency as to the length of time a specific flare-up will last. It could last a week to twleve days or you might have to endure it for several weeks. One of the worst aspects for sufferers is that it is a chronic complaint and repeated flare-ups can happen at any time.

Even though any part of the body can be affected by psoriasis, the most frequent areas are the hands, scalp, torso, elbows and knees. Flare-ups are inclined to be symmetrical, which means that both sides of the body will experience flare-ups in identical areas at the same time.

It appears that hereditary factors also have a bearing on who is likely to develop psoriasis. Folks whose parents or grandparents suffered with the ailment have a greater chance of developing it as well. For some unidentified reason, T-cells, which are necessary to make the white blood cells which help our bodies to fight infection, cause the skin to become inflamed. T-cells also in some way trigger the production of an excess of skin cells. With nowhere else to go, these extra skin cells amass on top of one another and produce the telling appearance of raised areas on the skin’s exterior. The red appearance is a result of increased blood supply that is necessary to nourish these skin cells.

Although not the causes of psoriasis, frequent triggers include sunlight, streptococcal infections and traumas, both past and present, to the skin. Anxiety and stress can also trigger an outbreak as can changes in hormone levels. Higher incidences of psoriasis have also been noticed in those people with the early stages of HIV infection. Folks who smoke cigarettes who also consume alcohol increase their risks of developing psoriasis.

Presently, there is still no known cure for psoriasis. Nevertheless there are many effective treatment options that can alleviate the symptoms. Resisting the temptation to scratch the affected area and keeping it damp is a good start.

The initial line of treatments are localized and are applied directly to the affected area with the ultimate goal of trying to stem the production of surplus skin cells. Coal tar, salicylic acid, corticosteroids, synthetic vitamin D, tazorac and anthrallin are common topical treatment options as are specially developed bathing products and moisturizers. For more serious cases where topical treatments maybe ineffective, systemic medications may be prescribed by the doctor. Phototherapy, where patients are exposed to medically-supervised ultraviolet radiation is also effectual in the treatment of psoriasis.