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What does
psoriasis look like? |
It generally appears as patches of raised red skin covered by a flaky white buildup. In certain kinds of psoriasis, it also has a pimple-ish (pustular psoriasis) or burned (erythrodermic) appearance.
Psoriasis can also cause intense itching and burning.
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What are the common
symptoms of psoriasis? |
Psoriasis occurs in different forms, but usually involves the thickening and reddening of patches of skin. Patches of psoriasis typically occur on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. These patches may have a thick silvery-white scale of dead skin on the top, and may be itchy.
Most people with psoriasis have the condition for life. But it tends to comes and go, often for no apparent reason, and the severity of each flare-up can vary.
If it covers the whole body psoriasis can cause a more
generalized illness.
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Psoriasis
Psoriasis (sore-EYE-ah-sis) is a common immune-mediated chronic skin disease that comes in different forms and varying levels of severity. Most researchers now conclude that it is related to the immune system (psoriasis is often called an "immune-mediated" disorder).
It is not contagious. In general, it is a condition that is frequently found on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet or lower back. Many treatments are available to help manage its symptoms. More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have it.
Between 10 percent and 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop a related form of arthritis, called psoriatic (sore-ee-AA-tic) arthritis.
What causes
psoriasis?
Researchers believe the immune system sends faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle in skin cells.
Certain people carry genes that make them more likely to develop psoriasis, but not everyone with these genes develops psoriasis. Instead, a "trigger" makes the psoriasis appear in those who have these genes. Also, some triggers may work together to cause an outbreak of psoriasis; this makes it difficult to identify individual factors.
Possible psoriasis triggers:
- Emotional stress
- Injury to the skin
- Some types of
infection
- Reaction to certain
drugs
Once the disease is triggered, the skin cells pile up on the surface of the body faster than normal. In people without psoriasis, skin cells mature and are shed about every 28 days. In psoriatic skin, the skin cells move rapidly up to the surface of the skin over three to six days. The body can't shed the skin cells fast enough and this process results in patches also called "lesions" forming on the skin's surface.
Published by BUPA's Health Information Team
August 2003 |