Sorting Out Psoriasis

WHAT IS PSORIASIS? Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that affects 2 percent of the population, or between five and six million Americans. It typically surfaces on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, or lower back. The condition occurs when skin cells multiply up to ten times faster than normal. As underlying cells reach the skin's surface and die, their volume causes raised red patches and silvery scales to form. Psoriasis is thought to be genetic and is not, in any way, contagious. Fair-skinned people between ages 10 and 40 are particularly susceptible to the condition.

There is no blood test to diagnose psoriasis. Instead, doctors typically examine the affected skin to determine whether a patient has the condition. There are five different types of psoriasis: guttate, inverse, erythrodermic, pustular and plaque. The most common form is plaque psoriasis, which affects about 80 percent of patients who have the disease. Typically, patients have only one form of psoriasis at a time, but occasionally two different types can occur together, one type can change to another, or one type can become more severe.

TRIGGERS: A psoriasis episode can be triggered by any of the following:

Emotional stress

Injury to the skin

Some types of infection

Reaction to certain drugs

SYMPTOMS: Some symptoms of psoriasis may include:

Deep pink, raised patches of skin with silvery white scales

Excessive itchiness and burning sensations

Pitting, discoloring and thickening of the fingernails and toenails

Red, scaly, cracked skin on the palms of the hands or on the soles of the feet

TREATMENT OPTIONS: There is currently no known cure for psoriasis, but the condition does respond well to most treatments. Moderate sunbathing or using an ultra-violet lamp sometimes helps clear up outbreaks of psoriasis. Also, many doctors recommend soaking in a warm bath for 10 to 15 minutes, then applying a topical ointment that helps skin retain moisture. There are more than 300 over-the-counter and prescription products available to treat the condition.

For More Information, Contact:
National Psoriasis Foundation
6600 SW 92nd Ave.
Suite 300
Portland, OR 97223-7195
(800) 723-9166
www.psoriasis.org