Many skin diseases, including psoriasis, were considered taboo for quite a long time. Fortunately, public awareness is growing and people are no longer ashamed to talk openly about their problem
Dark red patches covered with white scales, can burn, itch, and immediately feel like scratching them? This is most likely psoriasis. Don’t scratch, don’t rub, first diagnose your condition and then treat it, of course after consulting a specialist, preferably a dermatologist.
Let’s start by explaining what psoriasis is, how we got it, and is it contagious? Psoriasis is a chronic disease, and doctors are still not 100% sure of its pathogenesis. It occupies about 10% of the body surface, not more, but we can name its different types and types. Psoriasis can affect the scalp, but also some parts of the body more than others. It is quite a troublesome disease, making everyday life a bit difficult. However, if diagnosed quickly enough, we have a chance to reduce its symptoms.
The main factor responsible for the appearance of psoriasis on our skin is genetic. In about 30% of patients, this chronic disease is hereditary. So if one of the parents has psoriasis, there is a high probability that their child will also inherit the disease (25% probability). However, the genetic factor is not the rule, there are also many external factors through which we can acquire this disease. What are they? Among the most common are hormonal disorders, alcohol abuse, menopausal women may develop psoriatic symptoms. The external causes of psoriasis include overweight, smoking, chronic stress, infection with microorganisms (e.g. staphylococcus or streptococcus) and taking some hormonal or anti-inflammatory drugs.
Type I psoriasis is hereditary and appears usually in youth, the acquired one gives its first symptoms usually at a more mature age and it is called adult type II psoriasis. It has a much milder course than hereditary psoriasis and responds more readily to treatment.
It can be said that the main symptom of psoriasis are significant skin changes in the form of eczema (quite strong red spots on the skin, covered with bright scales). Most complaints (burning, itching) appear in the most sensitive places on the body, that is on the knees, elbows, hands, feet, scalp. On the hands and feet psoriasis manifests itself mainly in the form of small but densely distributed pustules on the skin. More troublesome symptoms of psoriasis include skin cracking, even to the point of bleeding, which causes considerable pain. All these troublesome changes result from disorders in the process of epidermis regeneration
Unfortunately, but when it comes to the issue of genetic predisposition, that is psoriasis type I, it is an incurable disease. Symptoms can be alleviated by using external, topical treatments or phototherapy. The type of treatment should be chosen by a dermatologist, after careful diagnosis of the type of psoriasis. The key to relieve bothersome symptoms and prevent recurrence of the disease is strict compliance with medical recommendations. If you have acquired psoriasis through external factors, you need to eliminate the risk of aggravating your symptoms. Therefore, it is worth introducing a healthy and balanced diet, without any stimulants, avoid stress, care for the skin, preferably with natural cosmetics, absolutely not those based on alcohol, which further irritates the skin.
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Main photo: Monstar Studio/ stock.adobe.com
