Psoriasis is a medical disorder that happens when the cells of the skin grow too fast. Defective signals from the immune system lead to the formation of the new skin cells within days instead of weeks. The body does not shed the excess skin cells, which results in cells piling up on the skin surface then lesions are formed.

Psoriasis is not a transmissible disease. The lesions of psoriasis are not contagious.It is a not condition that you can get or other people can get from you.

What are the signs and symptoms of psoriasis?

The lesions appear differently by the type of psoriasis. There are five different types of psoriasis: Erythrodermic, inverse, guttate, plaque and pustular. Roughly 80% of individuals who has psoriasis are experiencing plaque psoriasis which is also known as “psoriasis vulgaris”. Plaque psoriasis leads to skin patches that are thick and scaly and may be white, red or silver in color. Termed plaques, these skin patches can grow in any parts of the skin. The most common regions where plaques are present are in the lower back, elbows, knees and the scalp.

Psoriasis may also affect the nails. For people who have psoriasis, 50% of them will notice changes in the toenails and/or fingernails. When the nails start to pull from the nail bed or start to have pitting or a yellowish-orange in color, this may be an indication of psoriatic arthritis. Without proper treatment, psoriatic arthritis worsens and can be debilitating. It is vital to seek the help of a dermatologist if there are changes in the nail or joint pains are present. With early treatment, deterioration of the joints maybe prevented.

What causes psoriasis?

Psoriasis is not infectious. You cannot acquire psoriasis simply by touching somebody with psoriasis, taking a swim in the same pool or intimate contact. Psoriasis is a lot more complex.

It is so complex that scientists are continuing to study on what really transpires during the development of psoriasis. It is known that an individual’s genes and immune system play vital roles. From studying the immune system, a discovery was made that in psoriasis, the white blood cells that combat unwanted intruders known as T cells wrongly trigger a reaction in the cells of the skin. For this reason, psoriasis is also known as the “T cell-mediated disease.”

This reaction triggers a chain of events, leading to the formation of new skin cells in days instead of weeks. The cause for T cells to trigger the reaction seems to originate from the DNA. For those who have psoriasis, they inherit genes that lead to psoriasis. Not like other autoimmune diseases, it seems that a lot of genes are associated with psoriasis.

Scientists are still in the process of determining the genes involved. One gene that has been determined is PSORS1 (SORE-ESS-1). This gene is one of those responsible in regulating how the immune system combats infection.

Scientists have also learned that not everybody who has genes for psoriasis catches psoriasis. For psoriasis to come out, that person must have the “correct” mix of genes and be exposed to certain triggers. Some of the triggers are skin injury, stressful life events and strep throat. A lot of people claim that their psoriasis initially appeared right after going through one of the triggers. These triggers are not considered universal. Psoriasis is triggered differently from one person to another.

Who gets psoriasis?

Numerous people around the world develop psoriasis. About 7.5 million people in the United States have psoriasis and roughly 150,000 newly discovered cases are identified every year. According to studies, psoriasis is equally developed among males and females. Studies also show that Caucasians has the greater chance of developing psoriasis as compared to other races. A United States study has discovered the incidence was 1.3% in African Americans and 2.5% in Caucasians.

The risk of developing psoriasis increases if an individual has a family history of psoriasis. It is imperative to know that having a family history of psoriasis does not assure that somebody will acquire psoriasis.

When do people get psoriasis?

Psoriasisdevelops anytime, from infancy throughout the golden years. But, there is a certain period in which psoriasis is likely to develop. Several people initially get psoriasis from ages 15 to 30. Around 75% acquire psoriasis before turning 40 years old. Another time for psoriasis to develop is from 50 years old to 60.

How Is Psoriasis Treated?

There is no known cure for psoriasis, however there are a lot of different treatments, both topical and systemic, can clear out psoriasis for a span of time. Sometimes, diagnosed people are required to try different treatments before finding the most effective treatment.

The treatment depends on:

The severity of the disease
The extent of the psoriasis patches
The kind of psoriasis
How the patient responds to specific treatments.
The treatments do not work the same for each person. Doctors may have to shift treatments if one did not work, it there is an undesirable reaction or if the treatment does not continue to work.

What is the best and worst food for individuals with psoriasis?

There are no solid scientificevidences that pertain to certain foods that may affect psoriasis; however there is a suggestion that taking off extra weight can relieve symptoms. Doctors and nutritionists suggest that a balanced and healthy diet helps in controlling weight and psoriasis, and at the same time lowering the risk of diabetes, stroke and heart disease. The grounds for a healthy diet are composed of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and low fat dairy products.

Aside from peppers and potatoes, tomatoes are vegetables that are not that great. A number of people having psoriasis claim that the mentioned veggies worsen their skin condition. There is not enough scientific evidence to back this up, but if you see signs of worsening when taking these veggies then stop eating them and try to check if your skin condition improves.

Alcohol intake is considered to trigger outbreaks in psoriasis through increasing inflammation. And taking alcoholic beverages impede on how treatments are working and is even considered dangerous when combined with certain psoriasis medications such as methotrexate.

Processed sugar is regarded as a villain for overall health and probably for psoriasis. Intake of excess sugar does not just promote inflammation but it also contributes to weight gain, and as we know that excess weight can worsen psoriasis. So, steer away from extra sugar.

It is also important to stay away from fried food whether at home or in fast-food establishments. But if you want to indulge, you can do it occasionally. Fried foods are known to stimulate inflammation in the body, which leads to an increase risk in heart disease and other conditions.

Some people who have psoriasis claim that lowering intake of dairy products also help in lessening symptoms. If dairy is okay for you, then just make sure that you choose fat-free, low-fat or 1% fat milk, cheese and other dairy products, which are also good for your health. Several people with psoriasis have established that soy milk is a good replacement for cow’s milk.