Types of Psorisis

Psoriasis is a common, chronic disease of the skin, which causes skin cells to grow rapidly and irregularly. According to Mayo Clinic, the disease is very persistent, and often has periods of remission and aggression. While for some people psoriasis is merely a nuisance, which negatively impacts the appearance of their skin, for others the disease can be quite debilitating.

Plaque

• Plaque psoriasis is the most commonly occurring form of the disease. According to Emedicine Health, roughly nine out of 10 sufferers of psoriasis have the plaque variety. Symptoms of plaque psoriasis include reddening of the skin, which often occurs in circular or oval-shaped patches, and the development of silvery, scale-like flakes, which form on top of the patches.

  These symptoms appear most frequently on the knees, elbows, scalp and abdomen.

Pustular

• Pustular psoriasis causes skin irregularities that are quite different from what plaque psoriasis causes. Instead of scales, sufferers develop raised bumps, or pustules, which are filled with pus. Pus is a greenish or yellowish fluid that cells produce when they are infected. In addition to the pustules, pustular psoriasis may also cause symptoms such as headache, nausea, fever, joint pain and chills.

Guttate

• According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, guttate psoriasis occurs most commonly in children and young adults. The disease causes its sufferers to develop small, red, clearly defined spots, which are typically less thick than the lesions plaque psoriasis produces. A number of triggers can set guttate psoriasis in motion, including stress, tonsillitis, strep throat, skin injuries and adverse reactions to drugs.

Inverse

• While the above varieties of psoriasis most commonly impact open expanses of exterior skin surfaces, inverse psoriasis does not. Instead, it causes lesions to develop in and around folds in the skin, such as under armpits, belly folds and breasts and around the buttocks and genitals. The lesions that inverse psoriasis produces are bright red and, unlike the lesions from plaque psoriasis, are smooth as opposed to scaly. Due to the locations of the lesions, treating inverse psoriasis is especially difficult, as the infected areas undergo constant irritation due to day-to-day movements.

Erythrodermic

• Erythrodermic psoriasis is the most uncommon type of the disease, but can be one of the most serious. It causes sufferers to break out in red, itching or burning rashes, which can sometimes encompass the entire body.

Nail

• Nail psoriasis, or psoriasis of the nails, can impact toenails and fingernails. The disease can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms, including yellowing of the nails, the formation of red spots under the nails, the formation of horizontal lines on your nails and the swelling of tissues under the nails, which can make nails looser.