Table of Contents:
- What is psoriasis?
- Symptoms
- Causes of psoriasis
- Prevention
- Diagnosis
- What is the treatment?
What is psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that causes skin irritation and redness. It appears as a consequence of a dysfunction in the immune system and can develop on any part of the body, although it usually appears on the elbows, knees or scalp; although it can also appear in the folds of the skin, on the soles of the feet, on the hands and on the nails.
It manifests itself in outbreaks with periods of improvement and periods of remission or worsening, but the disease develops in a particular way in each patient.
There are several types of psoriasis, depending on its form and location. For example, there is pustular psoriasis, which occurs in a generalized or localized form, most frequently around the fingernails and toenails. Another type of psoriasis is seborrheic or guttate psoriasis.
As pointed out by the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV), this disease has serious repercussions on the physical, emotional, sexual, occupational and economic aspects of the patient, reducing their quality of life.
What are the symptoms of psoriasis?
The main skin symptom is irritated, red, scaly patches of skin, known as plaques. The skin is cracked, dry and pink to red in color. The size and shape of the plaques vary from patient to patient, and in the same patient they can be as small as a few millimeters or cover large areas of the body.
Other symptoms that may occur are:
- Genital lesions in men
- Joint pain
- Nail changes
- Abundant dandruff on the scalp
- Thickened, pitted or grooved nails
Causes of psoriasis
Psoriasis is a very common, non-contagious disease. Anyone can get it, although it usually begins to develop between the ages of 15 and 35. In some cases, it can be transmitted from parents to children. Specialists say it may be an autoimmune disorder.
There are conditions that can trigger an attack of psoriasis, such as:
- Bacterial or viral infections
- Dry air or dry skin
- Injuries to the skin, such as cuts, burns and insect bites
- Stress
- Lack of sunlight and also excessive exposure to the sun (sunburn)
- High alcohol consumption
Psoriasis is an immunological disease.
Can psoriasis be prevented?
Psoriasis cannot be prevented. However, keeping the skin moist and clean helps to reduce the number of flare-ups.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of psoriasis is mainly clinical and should be made by a dermatology expert by visualization of the lesions. It can sometimes be difficult to diagnose because some of its symptoms are also characteristic of other skin diseases. A classic exploratory maneuver is also the methodical Brocq scraping, which is performed with a metal spoon on an untreated plaque.
What is the treatment?
Currently, there is no definitive cure for psoriasis. Treatment is aimed at controlling symptoms and preventing infection. It is based on alleviating symptoms and discomfort by means of topical preparations (creams, ointments or lotions) or oral administration of drugs. In addition, there are also complementary phototherapy techniques that offer significant benefits.
In addition, you can also take into account certain home care that can help in the treatment of the disease; such as:
- Taking a daily bath or shower.
- Take oatmeal baths.
- Keeping the skin clean and moist.
- Exposure to sunlight, but taking special care with sunburn.
- Perform relaxation and anti-stress techniques
- Reduce alcohol consumption