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Psoriasis

Definition:

Psoriasis is a noncontagious common skin condition that causes rapid skin cell reproduction resulting in red, dry patches of thickened skin. The dry flakes and skin scales are thought to result from the rapid buildup of skin cells. Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that got its name from the Greek word meaning, “itch.

Location:

Psoriasis most often occurs on the elbows, knees, scalp, lower back, palms, and soles of the feet.The disease may also affect the fingernails and toenails, and the soft tissues inside the mouth. About 15 percent of people with psoriasis have joint inflammation that produces arthritis symptoms. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis.

Incidence:

Both males and females get psoriasis in equal numbers. It can strike at any age, but most often in adults between 15 and 35 years. However, a first-time diagnosis of psoriasis has been seen in very old people, and in newborn babies and small children.

Causes:

The exact cause remains unknown. There may be a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition and environmental factors. It is common for psoriasis to be found in members of the same family. The immune system is thought to play a major role.

Internal factors:

1. Defective immune system:

Recent research indicates that psoriasis is likely to be a disorder of the immune system. This system includes a type of white blood cell, called a T cell, that normally helps protect the body against infection and disease. Scientists now think that, in psoriasis, an abnormal immune system causes activity by T cells in the skin. These T cells trigger the inflammation and excessive skin cell reproduction seen in people with psoriasis.

2. Genetics and heredity:

In about one-third of the cases, psoriasis is inherited. Often, the person with psoriasis has a parent or grandparent who also has the condition. In terms of probability it has been estimated that a person with one affected parent has about a 10% chance of also being affected. Having two parents with psoriasis increases the chances to about 30%.

Researchers are studying large families affected by psoriasis to identify a gene or genes that cause the disease. (Genes govern every bodily function and determine the inherited traits passed from parent to child.)

External factors:

People with psoriasis may notice that there are times when their skin worsens, then improves. Conditions that may cause relapses of flare-ups include:

1. Climate:

Studies indicate that cold weather may be a predisposing effect or trigger for psoriasis, in contradistinction to hot and sunny climate that appears to be beneficial.

2. Infections:

Both dermatological and systemic infections have been known to trigger the onset of psoriasis or a worsening of psoriasis. Systemic infections that have been associated with triggering include viral upper respiratory disease, streptococcal pharyngitis (“strep throat”), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Staphylococcal skin infections (boils) have been a trigger.

3. Stress:

Psychological stress is the cause as well as out come of disease like psoriasis. It is a well-known fact that there is inseparable bond between mind and body and psyche plays vital role in maintaining health or causing diseases.

4. Certain medicines:

Certain medicines, most notably beta-blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure, and lithium or drugs used to treat depression, may trigger an outbreak or worsen the disease. The drugs may be listed as: lithium, anti-malarials, mepacrine, NSAIDs, beta-blockers, alcohol.

5.Physical trauma:

People often notice new spots 10 to 14 days after the skin is cut, scratched, rubbed, or severely sunburned. Analysis of patient records has indicated that up to 50 percent of persons with psoriasis have had a “Koebner’s phenomenon” experience—that is, have had a psoriatic lesion develop at the site of an injury or skin condition.

A broad range of skin injuries and skin conditions have been linked with Koebner’s phenomenon:

Skin Conditions:
• Boils
• Dermatitis
• Herpes blisters
• Lichen Planus
• Skin parasites (scabies)
• Vitiligo

Skin Trauma:
• Acupuncture
• Bites, Cuts and scrapes
• Bruises, Burns
• Chemical irritation
• Pressure against the skin
• Shaving
• Sunburn and peeling
• Adhesive taping
• Tattoos
• Vaccinations

Symptoms:

Psoriasis typically looks like red or pink areas of thickened, raised, and dry skin. It classically affects areas over the elbows, knees, and scalp. Essentially any body area may be involved. It tends to be more common in areas of trauma, repeat rubbing, use, or abrasions.

Psoriasis has many different appearances. It may be small flattened bumps, large thick plaques of raised skin, red patches, and pink mildly dry skin to big flakes of dry skin that flake off.

Types of psoriasis:

Types of psoriasis :

Psoriasis has many variants. The common ones are as follows :

1.Plaque psoriasis

It is the most common type of the disease and is characterized by raised, thickened patches of red skin covered with silvery-white scales. Its scientific name is psoriasis vulgaris.

2.Scalp psoriasis

It is a common variant of Psoriasis, which is relatively more difficult to treat.

3.Pustular psoriasis

It is characterized by pus-like blisters. Attacks of pustular psoriasis may be triggered by medications, infections, emotional stress, or exposure to certain chemicals. Pustular psoriasis may affect either small or large areas of the body.

4.Erythrodermic psoriasis

It is characterized by intense redness and swelling of a large part of the skin surface, is often accompanied by itching or pain. Erythrodermic psoriasis may be precipitated by severe sunburn, use of oral steroids (such as cortisone), or a drug-related rash.

5.Guttate psoriasis

It is characterized by small, drop-like lesions on the trunk, limbs, and scalp. Guttate psoriasis is most often triggered by bacterial infections (for example, Streptococcus).

6.Palmo-planter psoriasis

It is a common variant of Psoriasis affecting either the palms or soles or palms as well as soles. Palmo-plantar psoriasis is a chronic, recurring condition that affects the palms of hands and soles of feet. Palmo-plantar psoriasis is characterized by appearance of red patches of skin topped with scales typical of psoriasis on the palms and elsewhere on the body. There is thickening and scaling of the skin accompanied with the formation of deep, painful fissures on the palms and soles. It is commonly seen that some substances, such as detergents, washing up liquid and cleaning products, irritate lesions and prevent them from healing. One should be careful not to wash hands too often, and not to use water which is too hot, as this dries the skin.

7.Inverse psoriasis

It is characterized by smooth red lesions in the folds of the skin like in the folds of the skin near the genitals, under the breasts, or in the armpits. Inverse psoriasis is related to increased sensitivity to friction and sweating and may be painful or itchy.

Psoriatic Nail:

About 50 percent of persons with active psoriasis have psoriatic changes in fingernails and/or toenails. In some instances psoriasis may occur only in the nails and nowhere else on the body. Nail changes in psoriasis fall into general categories that may occur singly or all together:

• The nail plate is deeply pitted or depressed
• The nail has a yellow to yellow-pink discoloration
• White areas appear under the nail plate. There may be reddened skin around the nail.
• The nail plate crumbles in yellowish patches (onychodystrophy)
• The nail may be entirely lost

Psoriatic arthritis:

Psoriatic arthritis is all the more difficult situation where you find psoriasis associated with joint pain (arthritis). This shows deeper affection of the underlying problems. The changes in the blood which lead to psoriasis are now also bringing changes in the joints, which could even be irreversible. Any joint could be affected in this process. The joint affection relatively becomes more difficult to treat. Interestingly, there is good treatment for psoriatic arthritis in homeopathy, especially if treated in the early stages.

Diagnosis:

The diagnosis of psoriasis is usually clinical which means that the doctors would diagnose psoriasis after a careful examination of the skin. The white silvery scales of psoriasis are very distinctive and guiding feature for diagnosis. Also, consideration of the history, family history, the spread on affected areas, etc. is taken into account to conclude the diagnosis of psoriasis. In cases of doubt doctor may ask the patient to do skin biopsy that means examining a small skin sample under a microscope. However this is not a routine practice.

Sometimes pulling of one of these small dry white flakes of skin causes a tiny blood spot on the skin. This is medically referred to as a special diagnostic sign in psoriasis called the Auspitz sign.

Suggestion about homeopathy treatment:

Homeopathic treatment for Psoriasis has been found to be extremely effective.

How does it work?

How much time does it take?

Psoriasis is an obstinate and chronic disease. There is no shortcut to its cure.
The length of treatment varies form case to case, depending of the following factors :

Category : Diseases and Treatment