Skin conditions like psoriasis often affect the scalp, trunk, knees, and elbows. It causes a rash that has scaly, itchy patches. It is a typical chronic illness with no known treatment. It might hurt, keep you awake at night, and be challenging to concentrate on. The condition usually progresses in cycles, with a flare-up lasting a few weeks or months and then a decline. When a person has a hereditary propensity for psoriasis, infections, wounds, burns, and particular medications are common triggers.

Common psoriasis symptoms and indicators include:

• a patchy rash that appears very differently on each individual, ranging from little areas of dandruff-like scaling to significant eruptions over a large portion of the body
• Variable-colored rashes with a preference for purple hues with grayscale on brown or black skin, and pink or red with a silver scale on white skin
• tiny scaling marks (commonly seen in children)
• Bruising skin that is dry and cracked
• Soreness, burning, or itching
• recurring rashes that peak for a few weeks or months before going away

Causes of Psoriasis

Skin cell growth is moderate in healthy skin, but it is accelerated in psoriasis. The most common variety of psoriasis, plaque psoriasis, produces dry, scaly regions as a result of this rapid cell turnover.

Psoriasis' precise origin is unknown. It is thought to be a problem with the immune system wherein cells that combat infections unintentionally kill healthy skin cells. It is believed that both hereditary and environmental variables play a role. Others cannot transfer the disease.

For some patients, psoriasis symptoms go beyond just itchiness, skin scaling, and skin discoloration. Arthritis and swollen joints could arise from it. You might be more susceptible if you have psoriasis to:

• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• High cholesterol.

Psoriasis is not spread via contact. You cannot contract psoriasis by touching someone else's psoriasis skin rash.

Psoriasis can have an impact on your life in ways beyond your physical health, just like other chronic diseases. Psoriasis may affect all of your connections, including those with people and how you handle stress. It might even affect other facets of your life, like the clothes you decide to wear. Some people may find it challenging to manage their psoriasis. There are methods for overcoming such challenges and living despite having psoriasis, though.

Psoriasis has no known cure, yet there are more potent therapies available now than ever before. Treating psoriasis can help with symptoms as well as lower the risk of acquiring other health conditions such as psoriatic arthritis, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression. 

PDO I Kimberly M. Tanador, RND

References:

Psoriasis

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/psoriasis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355840

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6866-psoriasis

https://www.cdc.gov/psoriasis/index.htm#:~:text=Psoriasis%20causes%20patches%20of%20thick,psoriasis%20is%20called%20plaque%20psoriasis.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1943419-overview

About Psoriasis

https://www.psoriasis.org/about-psoriasis/