Psoriasis is a skin disease. It forms itchy scales and patches and requires a doctor’s checkup to diagnose it correctly. It is a chronic disease, with varying levels of severity.
There are some risk factors that predispose to the development of psoriasis: smoking, being overweight, family history, stress and frequent infections. But what is psoriasis and how can the discomfort it causes be alleviated?
Psoriasis: What it is, symptoms and treatment
Psoriasis is a skin condition that can appear at almost any age. This disease occurs either in childhood or in adulthood. Although sometimes the discomfort is mild, it is always advisable to see a doctor..
When scales, irritation and excessive itching appear in any area of the body, it is advisable to observe and keep an eye on the evolution. If daily use creams do not manage to combat this dryness, then it is necessary to make the appropriate review to rule out or confirm any skin disease, such as psoriasis.
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What exactly is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin.. It is a chronic, incurable and non-contagious condition, as long as the proper treatment is carried out. What happens is that the skin cells have an accelerated life cycle, which causes them to accumulate and form scales and red patches. These spots can range from small dots to rashes on large areas of the body.
When this desquamation causes itching, discomfort, joint pain or inflammation, it is imperative to see a doctor. It may happen that even with treatment, the discomfort continues or increases, in which case it may be necessary to modify the treatment. Medical supervision is necessary to prevent the process from progressing to diseases such as psoriatic arthritis, eye disease, Parkinson’s disease or cardiovascular disease.
The causes of psoriasis are not known at this time. It is believed to be related to a deficiency of the immune system, but the exact causes that lead the immune system to develop psoriasis are unknown. that lead the immune system to have this deficiency are unknown. However, it has been detected that there are factors that trigger it, such as having suffered from skin infections, skin lesions or vitamin D insufficiency.
Types
There are different types of psoriasis levels. Most of them have cycles that last from a few weeks to months. And although they seem to disappear, after some time they regularly reappear in the same area.
There are also people who get psoriasis on a few occasions and then go into remission without it ever appearing again. The degree of discomfort depends largely on the type of psoriasis, as there are various forms in which this disease appears.
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1. Plaque psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis is the most common form. They are red, dry lesions and, as the name suggests, in the form of plaques. They appear on any part of the body and cause a lot of itching, and can sometimes be painful.and can sometimes be painful.
2. Psoriasis in drops
Guttate psoriasis mainly affects children and young people. The desquamation appears in the form of small droplets scattered over very large areas. They usually appear as a single outbreak and then disappear without leaving any sequelae.
3. Psoriasis on the nails
Nail psoriasis appears on the hands and feet. It is a peculiar type of psoriasis that affects only the nails. It causes desquamation and in severe cases the nail may even splinter.. There is an abnormal growth and a change in the color of the nail.
4. Inverse psoriasis
Inverse psoriasis occurs after a fungal infection. This type of psoriasis appears in the armpits, groin, around the breasts and genitals. It appears as large smooth red patches without scales.
5. Pustular psoriasis
Pustular psoriasis is the least frequent. It appears suddenly as pus-filled spots and blisters on red, scaly patches.. These blisters come and go, but the red patch does not disappear easily.
6. Erythrodermic psoriasis
Erythrodermic psoriasis affects a large part of the body. It is also a rare type of psoriasis, where in addition to the rash there is skin sloughing, causing a lot of discomfort, burning and itching.
7. Psoriatic arthritis
This type of psoriasis causes pain in the joints. It is rather a type of arthritis with the presence of accompanying psoriasis. Fortunately, this type of arthritis does not cause as much pain and discomfort as other types.
How to relieve its symptoms
Diagnosis of psoriasis is simple and most of the time not very invasive.. In a first visit and treatment protocol, the doctor will examine the appearance of psoriasis on the skin. From this observation he can recommend the protocol to follow to eliminate the discomfort.
It may happen that the doctor requires a biopsy.In this case, he or she will apply some anesthesia to take a skin sample from the affected area, which will be examined under a microscope to determine what type of psoriasis is affecting the patient.
Once this diagnosis has been made, the doctor will recommend the best treatment to follow. There are several options to choose from and most of them are medications or products that require a prescription to be purchased.
1. Topicals
When psoriasis is mild to moderate, a topical treatment is sufficient.. Whether in the form of an ointment, ointment or cream, there are several medication alternatives to treat psoriasis. They may be corticosteroids, retinoids, anthralin or vitamin D analogues.
2. Phototherapy
If the diagnosis warrants it, topical medication can be combined with some phototherapy. In some cases, controlled exposure to natural light will be sufficient. However, ultraviolet light A and B, and excimer lasers are also an alternative.
3. Oral medication
In case the psoriasis is moderate to severe, oral medication will probably be used. They are usually combined with the rest of the treatments. Retinoids, cyclosporine or medications that strengthen the immune system are the most common options.are the most frequently used options.
4. Natural alternatives
For mild plaque psoriasis, natural alternatives may solve the problem. Although many doctors do not assure the success of these treatments, the truth is that they are harmless for mild psoriasis. Aloe Vera and fish oil are a natural alternative that is very helpful.