It's itchy, red, scaly and embarrassing!
As with most conditions, the severity of
psoriasis changes from person to person and, the effects it has on each person,
is individual. One thing all sufferers have in common is that they don't want
it.
There are several different types of
psoriasis, the most common being plaque psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a long term chronic condition
that often lasts a life time, with flare ups that vary in severity. It is
caused by skin cells developing quicker than the body sheds them, resulting in
thick patches of red or silver plaques. Skin cells normally grow gradually and flake off about every 21 days, while
new skin cells are growing to replace them. In psoriasis the new skin cells
move quickly to the surface causing the build up.
The plaques can appear anywhere on the
body and range in size from small to large, almost complete covering of parts
of the body, for example, the whole back. Psoriasis is most common in adults, but anyone
can be affected; it isn't contagious.
People with psoriasis often notice times
when the condition worsens. This can be caused by infections, stress, dry skin,
and taking certain medication.
Experts believe that psoriasis occurs when
the immune system overreacts, causing inflammation and flaking of skin. Some
believe that psoriasis is genetic. Many cases of psoriasis are easily diagnosed
and mild.
Treatment begins with skin care, including keeping the skin moist with
unperfumed moisturiser and those specifically prepared such as Body Essentials, Soothe Your Skin.
In some cases, psoriasis can be hard to
treat and it may be necessary to try different combinations of treatments to
find what works for you.
About half the people affected by
psoriasis also have psoriatic nails, although psoriatic nails may occur without
psoriasis anywhere else. It is often seen in
the toenails and is sometimes difficult to tell apart from a fungal nail. In
fact, a psoriatic nail, is more likely to be affected by a fungus and so it
could be that both are evident. The signs of a psoriatic nail are:
- Pitting on the surface of the nails, probably due to defects in nail growth caused by psoriasis
- Separation of the nail from the bed causing white spots on the surface of the nail
- Redness around the nail
- Yellow Colour
- Dead skin under the nail
A
psoriatic nail is as difficult to treat as psoriasis itself and, it is
advisable to seek medical advice.
One thing
is certain about psoriasis is that many people are affected and it is nothing to be embarrassed about.
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