Psoriasis Treatment

Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes a rash with itchy,
scaly patches, mostly on the knees, elbows, trunk and scalp.
Psoriasis is a long-term (chronic) disease.
The condition tends to increase in cycles, aggravation for a few weeks or months, then subsiding for some time.

Recommended Treatment Period: 3-5 Years

It is a chronic disease, hence need long term treatment to observe betterment in frequency and intensity of disease especially during aggravation period.

Symptoms:

• A patchy rash ranging from spots of dandruff-like scaling to major eruptions all over the body.
• Dry, cracked skin, cuts.
• Itching, burning
• Cyclic rashes that aggravate for a few weeks or months and then reduces.
• Rashes that vary in color, shades of purple with gray scale on brown or Black skin and pink or red with silver scale on white skin
• Small scaling spots (seen in children)

Psoriasis triggers:

• Weather, especially cold, dry conditions
• Injury to the skin, such as a cut or scratch, or a severe sunburn
• Smoking
• Alcoholism
• Infections like strep throat or skin infections
• Certain medications — including lithium, high blood pressure drugs and antimalarial drugs.
• Sudden withdrawal of corticosteroids

Types:

Plaque psoriasis (The most common type):

It causes dry, itchy, raised skin patches (plaques) covered with scales.
patches may be few or many. location are the elbows, knees, lower back and scalp.
The patches vary in color, depending on skin color.
The affected skin heals with temporary changes in color (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation),
particularly on brown or Black skin.

Nail psoriasis:

Can affect fingernails and toenails,
Causing pitting, abnormal nail growth and discoloration.
Severe disease may cause the nail to crumble.
Psoriatic nails might separate from the nail bed (onycholysis).

Guttate psoriasis:

Primarily affects young adults and children. It's usually triggered by a bacterial infection such as strep throat.
It's marked by small, drop-shaped, scaling spots on the trunk, arms or legs.

Erythrodermic psoriasis:

The least common type of psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis can cover the entire body with a peeling rash that can itch or
burn intensely.


Pustular psoriasis:

It is a rare type, causes clearly defined pus-filled blisters.
It can occur in widespread patches or on small areas of the palms or soles.

Inverse psoriasis:

Mainly affects the skin folds of the groin, buttocks and breasts.
It causes smooth patches of inflamed skin that worsen with friction and sweating.
Fungal infections may trigger it.


Risk factors:

• Family history.
• Having one parent with psoriasis increases your risk of getting the disease.
• And having two parents with psoriasis increases your risk even more.
• Smoking tobacco increases the risk of psoriasis also it increases the severity of the disease.

Complications:

• Psoriatic arthritis: causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in and around the joints.
• High blood pressure
• Cardiovascular disease
• Other autoimmune diseases
• Skin color changes (hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation) where plaques have healed.
• conjunctivitis, blepharitis and uveitis
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Mental health ailments
• Depression and
• Low self-esteem.