Is Psoriasis a Chronic Skin Disorder?
Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease of the skin, typified by raised, inflamed patches with a white or silvery scale. Psoriasis occurs when skin cells become programmed to replicate too rapidly and accumulate rather than being shed. It is not contagious.
-
Onset
-
Stress, skin injury and certain medications are known triggers, but there is also a genetic component. It can occur at any age.
Types
-
There are five variations of psoriasis, each with a slightly different rash, but all are chronic and one type may lead to another. Eighty percent of cases are plaque psoriasis.
-
Prognosis
-
Typically there will be periods when the skin is calmer and periods of flare-up. People with psoriasis have increased risk of developing other chronic illness, including heart disease, irritable bowel disease and diabetes.
Flare-ups
-
Psoriasis usually worsens in winter and improves with sunlight exposure in summer. Massage, yoga and meditation are recommended as ways to control flare-ups.
Treatment
-
Psoriasis requires lifelong treatment with topical or systemic medications. Patients should wear only cotton or silk underclothes. Synthetic fabrics irritate psoriasis. Moisturizers and cool showers soothe inflammation and itching. Dead Sea salts are producing positive results for many sufferers.
-
