Psoriasis Infections

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that happens when overactive T-cells cause skin cells to produce faster than they can shed. This results in scaly, silvery patches of skin that are thick, red, itchy, sore and inflamed. If psoriasis is severe, it can also cause bleeding, burning, pain, pitted nails and swollen or stiff joints.

Diagnosis

• A doctor can diagnose psoriasis by doing a visual inspection of the site and evaluating your symptoms. In some cases, your physician may do a biopsy, which involves taking a sample of the skin and examining it under a microscope to rule out other skin conditions that can have similar symptoms to psoriasis.

Types

• There are five types of psoriasis: plaque (the most common type), pustular, guttate, erythrodermic and inverse.

Severity

• Psoriasis can be localized and cover only small portions of the body, or it can be widespread and cover large areas. People with this autoimmune disease can go prolonged periods of time without any symptoms, but this skin condition almost always resurfaces.

Triggers

• There are several things in your life that can trigger the onset of psoriasis such as stress, cold weather, drinking alcohol, cuts on the skin, medications, burns, insect bites, strep throat, smoking and thrush.

Treatments

• Currently, there is no cure for psoriasis, but mild to moderate psoriasis can be managed with light therapy and topical medications such as corticosteroids and Vitamin D analogues. Severe psoriasis may require a combination of topical creams, light therapy and oral medications.

Considerations

• Psoriasis cannot be transmitted by having contact with someone suffering from the condition--even when symptoms are present.