Table of Contents
showPsoriasis is a non-contagious autoimmune skin disorder that causes the formation of silver-white flaky scales with red patches on the skin. More than 125 million people throughout the world are patients of this skin ailment [1]. It can affect individuals at any age. The affected areas have burning and itching sensations. Knees, elbows, and scalps are some of the most affected human body parts.
Psoriasis develops on the skin when the immune system leads to the rapid growth of skin cells. Normally, the process of growth and death of a skin cell takes almost 3 to 4 weeks [2]. If it is affected with psoriasis, this process ends within only 3 to 7 days. The dead cells do not shed off from the skin, which causes itchy plaques.
Symptoms | Silvery white scales, dry/cracked skin, itchy and burning sensations |
Complications | Hair loss, vision problems, cancer, anxiety and depression |
Causes | Genetics and improper function of the immune system |
Onset | There is no particular time period for the onset of psoriasis |
Diagnosis | Physical examination and biopsy |
Prevention | No scientific way is available to prevent psoriasis |
Medication | Emollients, steroid ointments, Vitamin D analogues, calcineurin inhibitors, coal tar, dithranol, methotrexate, adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, infliximab, ustekinumab |
Here’s a detailed overview of psoriasis – its symptoms, types, diagnosis, treatment, and complications. So, follow on!
Following are some of the major symptoms of psoriasis [3]:
Furthermore, some patients can also experience psoriatic arthritis, which affects the joints. It can cause tender, swollen and painful joints. It is imperative that you contact a specialist immediately if you experience these symptoms to get quick and effective care for this destructive form of arthritis.
Following are some of the causes of psoriasis [2]:
T-cells within the blood are responsible for the human body’s immune system. It helps the body fight against invading germs. However, in the case of psoriatic patients, it attacks healthy skin cells by assuming them to be pathogens. As a result, new skin cells develop over the deeper layer of skin rapidly. This leads to the development of psoriasis.
Psoriasis can be hereditary, so you can be more vulnerable to it if your family members have/had suffered from it. However, genetics only makes people more prone to get this condition, and it does not directly lead to the formation of psoriasis. The psoriatic condition may also appear if you are exposed to certain triggers. Following are some most common triggers causing psoriasis:
Here are all the types of psoriasis [4]:
It is the most common form of psoriasis. Out of all the psoriatic patients, 80 to 90% of individuals suffer from this type. You can witness plaques or thick patches that make your skin appear raised. Further, you can also notice scales on top of your plaques. It can develop on any part of your skin. However, knees, elbows, and lower back are some of the most affected areas. These plaques give off an itchy sensation, and they can grow and thicken if you scratch them. You should contact your dermatologists to get the required treatment.
Guttate psoriasis causes tiny pink or salmon-coloured and scaly bumps on the skin. These can erupt on your skin suddenly, especially on parts like legs, arms, and torso. Unlike plaque psoriasis, it generally does not remain on the skin for too long. It may take up to only a few weeks to months to get completely cleared out. However, guttate psoriasis can be chronic and its symptoms can return.
Inverse psoriasis forms on those parts in which skin from one area of the body touches another, like genitals, crease of the buttocks, armpits, etc. You can notice smooth and reddish patches with sporadic silvery-white bumps. This type of psoriasis causes soreness or painful sensations on the skin.
In this type of psoriasis, you will notice red, swollen layers of skin and dispersed tiny bumps filled with pus. It can develop on the hands and feet. From the appearance, you may think that the cause of this type of skin condition is infection, but there is no such issue. It contains no bacteria or germs. Pustular psoriasis can be excessively painful.
This is a life-threatening type of psoriasis, which makes the skin appear as if it has been burnt. Erythrodermic psoriasis causes severe itching sensation along with muscle weakness. It can cause a fever, making you seriously ill. It mainly forms when an existing psoriatic condition keeps growing instead of being cured. So, you need to ensure that you are under the supervision of certified dermatologists in case you have a psoriatic skin condition.
As the name suggests, these types of psoriasis form on the nail. It is generally seen in the nails of individuals who already have psoriasis on their skin. It causes changes in the colour and structure in the nails of fingers and toes. Tiny dents with white, brown, or yellow colour appear on nails. Your nails may become crumbled and rough due to the formation of dead cells beneath them. Gradually, affected nails slough off from fingers or toes.
It develops in the joints causing stiffness and pain. Joints become tender and swollen. It cannot be cured completely, but you can stop it from getting worse with regular and timely medications. Generally, individuals already suffering from one type of skin psoriasis develop this type of arthritis. However, non-psoriatic patients suffering from autoimmune disorder may also have to deal with it.
You should initiate the psoriasis treatment process as early as you are diagnosed with it. This way, you can reduce the risks of developing more severe erythrodermic psoriasis, nail psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis. Although nail psoriasis does not leave much serious impact, psoriatic arthritis and erythrodermic psoriasis can. This is because the latter ones make your skin condition a painful affair, and you cannot get a complete cure for these illnesses.
The doctor will guide you about your treatment plan. This includes the medication you need to apply on your skin, whether you need to take any oral medicines, how you can care for your skin’s health condition, etc. They will also give you the necessary advice to prevent flare-ups of psoriatic scales.
Following are the different types of psoriasis diagnosis processes [5]:
Dermatologists carefully examine the appearance of the skin to find any observable signs of psoriasis. They will also ask you questions associated with the skin condition. These include whether you have a family history of psoriasis when you first noticed your skin condition, etc.
Sometimes it becomes difficult to diagnose psoriasis by merely physical examination. This is because your skin condition may match with other related diseases. Doctors may recommend the biopsy testing process. In this process, the healthcare expert will collect a sample of your affected skin tissue and perform the required diagnostic tests.
These above-mentioned psoriasis tests cannot help you with the diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. If your physician assumes that you have the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis, they can recommend you to an expert rheumatologist. Arthritis specialists may perform blood tests and x-ray checking to diagnose other conditions affecting your joints.
You cannot completely cure your psoriasis [6]. You can only control its spread or reduce it. The skin condition may even deteriorate later.
Patients who have suffered from psoriasis can develop symptoms of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity [7]. Blood sugar, triglycerides, blood pressure, and abdominal fat levels tend to increase in psoriatic patients. So, their vulnerability to cardiovascular diseases also increases significantly.
Patients can also encounter other immunological disorders, including rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, lupus erythematosus, etc. Furthermore, owing to the long-term usage of corticosteroids, you can develop stretch marks, spider veins, atrophy, etc.
Three categories of psoriasis treatment are available, as mentioned below [8]:
In the topical treatment facility, doctors prescribe ointments and creams which you need to apply on affected skin. It is the primary treatment facility for psoriasis in its moderate state.
Following are the different topical treatments doctors may recommend according to your skin condition:
These are moisturising creams that help in reducing the loss of hydration from the affected skin. As a result, it helps you control scaling and itching.
Doctors also recommend steroid creams if your psoriatic condition is moderate. These can reduce inflation and itching of your skin and stunt the production of new cells. You should ideally use these ointments according to what your doctors instruct. Overuse can negatively affect your skin.
Vitamin D analogues can also help you reduce inflammation and the growth of new skin cells. Doctors recommend using this along with steroid ointments. Some of these analogues are tacalcitol, calcipotriol and calcitriol.
Calcineurin inhibitors are ointments that decrease inflammation by slowing down the activities of the immune system in the affected area. Doctors prescribe this type of medication when the affected area of psoriasis is sensitive, and steroid creams are less effective. For example, you can use this cream if you get psoriasis on your face, genitals or folds of your skin.
In the initial period of its application, you can feel an itchy or burning sensation, but this ointment ameliorates your skin condition within or after a week.
The application of coal tar on psoriatic skin is one of the oldest methods of treatment. It improves the skin condition by reducing scales, itchiness and inflammation. You can apply this heavy oil on affected areas like the scalp, trunk, limbs, etc., when other topical treatments do not benefit you much.
Dithranol gives a significant result in terms of reducing skin cell production. Nevertheless, if you apply concentrated dithranol, it can burn your skin. Typically, doctors use it under strict supervision. After applying dithranol, you need to leave it for 10-60 minutes and then wash it off.
It is an effective mode of treatment that doctors typically favour in case the topical treatment does not benefit patients. In phototherapy, your dermatologist will treat your psoriatic skin with natural or artificial lights like ultraviolet A or B, as mentioned below:
The therapist casts UVB light on your skin in this therapy. This light reduces the production of new cells. You may need to go to the doctor’s clinic twice or thrice a week for up to 1.5-2 months to complete the sessions of UVB therapy.
This is also commonly known as photochemotherapy. Your doctor will instruct you to take a psoralen tablet during this process. He/she can also apply the psoralen directly on the affected areas. This chemical compound increases your skin’s sensitivity to light. After this, your therapist will expose your psoriatic skin areas to UVA rays.
Generally, doctors recommend these therapies only in case of severe psoriatic conditions. It can sometimes lead to side effects like headaches, nausea, itchiness, and burning. Repeated exposure to UV can also be responsible for developing skin cancer. Therefore, these are to be performed only under strict medical supervision.
If other types of treatment fail to cure your psoriasis, doctors may recommend that you try systematic treatment. However, it can render serious side effects, which you must be aware of before initiating the procedures. Systematic treatment can be of two types which are non-biological medications and biological treatments.
Following are the different non-biological psoriasis medications:
Following are the different biological medications for psoriasis:
In this regard, you need to note that all these medicines come with the risk of developing side effects. You should consult your doctor properly about the merits and demerits before taking the dosages.
The best way to prevent psoriasis from spreading or developing is to know about the triggers that worsen your skin condition. These can differ from one individual to another.
Here are some of the ways you can follow to prevent your chances of aggravating your psoriatic conditions [9]:
Stress is more or less a normal phenomenon in day-to-day life. However, as a psoriatic patient, you should learn to control your stress. This is because stress can leave a negative reaction to inflammations. Resultantly, you can witness growth in psoriatic flare-ups. There are several natural ways to manage stress. For example, you can try yoga, psychotherapy, and meditation.
Some medications like lithium, indomethacin, Inderal, antimalarial drugs, etc., increase the body’s autoimmune response. As a result, the inflammatory conditions of your body escalate. This is why you should take your medicines according to your doctor’s guidance only, and you also need to inform them if you have consumed any over-the-counter medicines.
Injuries, including scratches and sunburn, can also trigger psoriatic reactions in some individuals. This condition is also popular as the Koebner phenomenon.
You need to take proper safety measures while engaging in physical work so that you reduce your chances of getting scratches. Furthermore, you also need to apply sunscreen before going outside in the daytime.
If you think the injuries are your trigger for the psoriatic condition, you should consult your doctor about the same to get the required advice. With early treatment, you can eliminate this phenomenon as the major reason for your psoriatic flare-ups.
Infection increases the immune response of the human body. For example, researchers have also found that strep throat can lead to the development of guttate psoriasis, particularly in children. Therefore, you need immediate treatment for your wounds, cuts, etc., so that these heal quickly.
Being overweight or obese can negatively influence your psoriasis. It can aggravate your psoriatic conditions. You need to maintain a healthy diet to prevent psoriasis from developing further. You can take advice from a licensed nutritionist to get the right guidance about your diet.
In this regard, you also should ideally decrease or eliminate your intake of foods that cause high inflammatory reactions. These include red meat, foods with high amounts of fat, refined sugars, processed foods, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, etc.
Besides psoriatic arthritis, which has been mentioned before, here are some of the complications of psoriasis that you can encounter [10]:
The cost of treating psoriasis varies according to medical centres and the type of treatment facility. The average psoriasis treatment cost is around Rs.1,000. Nevertheless, you may have to bear more costs depending on the treatment process you need to undergo. Whatever the cost may be, you should ideally try to find a doctor with a good reputation to ensure an effective treatment.
Psoriasis is a serious and chronic skin condition that can trouble you for a lifetime if you avoid treating it timely. It is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system does not function properly. It leads to the formation of skin cells at a rapid rate.
Treating psoriasis is a costly affair. But thanks to Navi Health Insurance, now you can get coverage of up to Rs.1 crore at a premium starting at just Rs.235 per month. Enjoy perks like 10,000+ network hospitals, unlimited online consultations, home hospitalisation and hassle-free claim settlements. Get a quote now!
Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional. Because of unique individual needs, consult your doctor to determine the appropriateness of the information for the reader’s situation.
You can treat your psoriatic skin by keeping it moisturised, bathing in lukewarm water, and reducing your skin's exposure to sunlight. You need to apply sunscreen before going out. Additionally, you need to be aware of the triggers that aggravate your psoriatic condition and avoid them.
Psoriasis patients should join a support group to bolster their mental health. It will also help them reduce depression and anxiety caused due to their skin condition. The support group can also teach about how a patient can deal with their daily life by reducing the self-consciousness about their problematic skin condition.
According to a report, 10-20% of psoriasis patients can develop psoriatic arthritis [9]. It is not similar to the normal type of arthritis. In such a situation, your dermatologists will recommend you to a rheumatologist to get the necessary medical guidance.
Both psoriasis and eczema are associated with itchy and burning sensations. The skin becomes reddish and bumpy. However, in eczema, you cannot easily distinguish the juncture of affected and unaffected areas in your skin.
Psoriasis is a non-contagious disease. This means you cannot get it from a person suffering from psoriasis. Rather, immunity-related complications and genetics can be the cause of this skin condition.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/psoriasis/causes/
https://www.psoriasis.org/psoriasis-statistics/
https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/psoriasis
https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/psoriasis/what/symptoms
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/psoriasis/
https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/psoriasis
https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/en/assistance/diseases/psoriasis/evolution-of-the-disease
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/psoriasis/treatment/
https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis-prevention
https://www.twssc.org/blog/complications-of-psoriasis
Health Insurance
Bunion – What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Bunion or hallux valgus is a common form of foot deformity. According to a study, 1 individua... Read More »Health Insurance
Brain Tumour – What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Brain tumour or intracranial tumour is an abnormal mass of brain tissue caused due to abnormal cell... Read More »Health Insurance
Bladder Cancer– What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Bladder cancer acquires the 10th spot among the list of most common cancer in the world, with appro... Read More »Health Insurance
Binge Eating – What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Binge eating disorder or BED is a very common eating disorder. People with binge eating disorder te... Read More »Health Insurance
Rheumatoid Arthritis – What Are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is an inflammatory disease caused by an autoimmune reaction, where the i... Read More »Health Insurance
Myositis – What Are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Myositis, also known as 'idiopathic inflammatory myopathy’, refers to muscle inflammation thereby... Read More »Health Insurance
Hepatitis – What are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Hepatitis refers to swelling or inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis virus. If not tak... Read More »Health Insurance
Ulcer – What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Ulcer or peptic ulcer is a condition characterised by open sores developing along the lining of the... Read More »Health Insurance
Typhoid – What are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Typhoid is a bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Salmonella typhi. It can spread throughout t... Read More »Health Insurance
Stomach Flu or Gastroenteritis – What are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Stomach flu or gastroenteritis is the inflammation of the intestinal system's lining caused by bact... Read More »Health Insurance
Scabies– What Are the Causes, Symptoms, and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Scabies is a highly contagious, itchy skin disease that is caused by a microscopic mite known as Sa... Read More »Health Insurance
Parkinson’s Disease– What are the Causes, Symptoms and How is It Diagnosed and Treated?
Parkinson’s disease is a disorder of the central nervous system. It is a progressive disorder and... Read More »All information is subject to specific conditions | © 2022 Navi Technologies Ltd. All rights are reserved.