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Information
Provided By: Yahoo!
Alternative names: plaque psoriasis
Definition of Psoriasis: A common inflammatory skin condition characterized by
frequent episodes of redness, itching, and thick, dry, silvery scales
on the skin.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors: Psoriasis is very common, with
approximately 3 million Americans affected (or about 8 out of 10,000 people).
It can appear suddenly or gradually. It may affect any age but most commonly
begins between 15 to 35 years old. It occurs most frequently in Caucasians.
Psoriasis is characterized by frequent episodes of recurrences and remissions.
Psoriasis seems to be an inherited disorder, and it appears to be related
to the immune or inflammatory response. It is most commonly seen on the
trunk, elbows, knees, scalp, skin folds, or fingernails, but it may affect
any or all parts of the skin. Normally, skin takes about a month for its
new cells to move from the lower layers of skin up to the surface. In
psoriasis, this process takes only a few days, resulting in build-up of
dead skin cells and formation of thick scales.
Psoriasis may be aggravated by injury or irritation (cuts, burns, rash,
insect bites), and it may be severe in immunosuppressed people (such as
with chemotherapy for cancer, or with AIDS) or those who have autoimmune
disorders (rheumatoid arthritis). Medications, viral or bacterial infections,
excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, lack of sunlight, overexposure
to sunlight (sunburn), stress, general poor health, cold climate, and
frequent friction on the skin are also associated with flare-ups of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is not contagious.
Symptoms
• Skin patches dry and/or red usually covered with silvery scales
raised patches of skin with red borders may crack and become painful usually
discrete,
demarcated patches usually located on the elbows, knees, trunk, scalp,
hands/nails skin lesions, including pustules, cracking of skin, skin redness
or inflammation itching small scaling dots on the skin (especially in
children) joint pain/aching
• Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:
• Nail abnormalities
• Genital lesions (male)
• Eye burning, itching & discharge tearing, increased
Phototherapy Psoriasis Treatment
Sunlight or phototherapy is a long-term skin condition and Psoriasis treatment. Ultraviolet phototherapy systems can be used in the home and are effective for those who show responsive treatment to natural sunlight.
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