Psoriasis

Psoriasis is not an infectious disease, so it can't be caught from other people. Sufferers are born with a tendency to the disease, which is often inherited. If both your parents have psoriasis, you have around a 75% chance of having it too. However, psoriasis is not always inherited, with a third of sufferers having no family history. Psoriasis can appear for the first time at any time of life, but is most commonly seen around puberty and in middle age.

The symptoms of psoriasis

The condition usually has the appearance of raised, rough, red patches which are covered in fine silvery scales. These patches can affect a few areas of the body or be more widespread, but they commonly appear first on the backs of the elbows and fronts of the knees. Some psoriasis sufferers also develop a type of arthritis, where the small joints of the hands, wrists, feet and ankles become inflamed.

As well as being uncomfortable and itchy, the appearance of psoriasis can cause feelings of self consciousness and distress. It can cause anxiety about exposing the skin, particularly when it comes to swimming or sunbathing. Therefore it's very important not to ignore these psychological effects, as the more anxiety, depression and fear that is felt about the condition, the worse it may get.

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition which is not curable, so it's likely that the symptoms will recur on and off throughout life. However, it is possible to keep the condition under control by treating the symptoms.

The different types of psoriasis

Chronic plaque psoriasis
Also called psoriasis vulgaris, this is the most common type of psoriasis. It features raised red scaly patches, or "plaques" of tissue on the skin. These "plaques" have a well defined edge and produce pin point bleeding if removed. This type of psoriasis is often found on the knees, elbows, lower back, scalp and nails.

Guttate psoriasis
This is most common in children and adolescents. Also known as teardrop or raindrop psoriasis, it appears as lots of teardrop shaped scaly patches on the skin. They are found all over the body, apart from on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands. It is often triggered by a throat infection, appearing about a week later. However, it usually doesn't last longer than 8 to 10 weeks, and over half of the people who get it do not experience it again.

Flexural psoriasis
This appears as reddening but with little scaling, in the armpits, groin, buttocks and underneath the breasts. Plaques are smooth and often appear glazed. This type of psoriasis is mostly found in the elderly.

Generalised pustular psoriasis
A severe but rare type of psoriasis, where superficial pustules erupt, the skin reddens and a high fever is experienced. This condition sometimes appears when large quantities of strong steroid creams or steroid tablets have been used to treat psoriasis. It should be dealt with in hospital.

Pustular psoriasis
This occurs most often in middle age. Yellowish-white pustules, which later go brown and scaly, develop on the hands and soles of the feet.

Psoriasis of the nails
This causes pitting in the surface of the nails and sometimes the nail can lift up away from the fingertip. An oily or salmon pink discolouration of the nail bed is seen.

Scalp psoriasis
Psoriasis of the scalp results in raised, red scaly patches. Whilst it is unlikely to affect hair growth or cause baldness, sometimes more hair falls out than usual. However this is not permanent and the hair will grow back.

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