What is Psoriasis? What causes Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a dry, scaly skin disorder. Doctors believe that it is genetic and is caused by the immune system being mistakenly “triggered”, resulting in skin cells being produced too quickly. This is why it is sometimes also called an autoimmune disease.
Normally, skin cells take about 21-28 days to replace themselves. However, in patients with psoriasis they take around 2-6 days. Psoriasis affects approximately up to 3% of people globally and usually develops in patients between age 11 and age 45. Despite the fact that it is not a contagious disorder, people with the condition can sometimes suffer from social exclusion and discrimination.
What are the symptoms of psoriasis?
Normally there is a constant shedding of dead cells. However, due to the acceleration of the replacement process, both dead and live cells accumulate on the skin surface. Often this causes red, flaky, crusty patches covered with silvery scales, which are shed easily.
Psoriasis can occur on any part of the body although it is most commonly found on the elbows, knees, lower back and the scalp. It can also cause intense itching and burning.
Who is at risk?
Psoriasis affects approximately 3% of people globally. It can start at any age, but most often develops between the ages of 11 and 45, often at puberty.
The condition is not contagious and most people have only small patches of their body affected.
There is a genetic link and it tends to run in families. About 30% of people with one first degree relative with psoriasis develop the condition.
This genetic tendency appears to need to be triggered by infection; certain medicines, including ibuprofen and lithium; psychological factors, including stress; or skin trauma.
There is no way of predicting who will develop psoriasis. 50-60% of people who first experience it do not know of anyone else in their family who has had it.
What is plaque psoriasis?
About 80% of those who have psoriasis have this form of chronic stabile plaque psoriasis. It is characterized by raised, inflamed, red lesions covered by a silvery white scale. It is typically found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, although it can occur on any area of the skin.
What is inverse psoriasis?
Inverse psoriasis is found in the armpits, groin, under the breasts, and in other skin folds around the genitals and the buttocks.
This type of psoriasis first shows up as lesions that are very red and usually lack the scale associated with plaque psoriasis. It may appear smooth and shiny.
Inverse psoriasis is particularly subject to irritation from rubbing and sweating because of its location in skin folds and tender areas. It is more common and troublesome in overweight people and people with deep skin folds.
What is erythrodermic psoriasis?
Erythrodermic psoriasis is a particularly inflammatory form of psoriasis that often affects most of the body surface. It generally appears on people who have unstable plaque psoriasis, where lesions are not clearly defined. It is characterized by periodic, widespread, fiery redness of the skin.
The erythema (reddening) and exfoliation (shedding) of the skin are often accompanied by severe itching and pain. Erythrodermic psoriasis “throws off” the body chemistry, causing protein and fluid loss that can lead to severe illness.
Edema (swelling from fluid retention), especially around the ankles, may also develop along with infection.
The body’s temperature regulation is often disrupted, producing shivering episodes. Infection, pneumonia and congestive heart failure brought on by erythrodermic psoriasis can be life threatening. People with severe cases of this condition are often hospitalized.
What is guttate psoriasis?
This often starts in childhood or young adulthood and resembles small, red, individual spots on the skin that are not normally as thick or as crusty as lesions of plaque psoriasis.
A variety of conditions have been known to bring on an attack of guttate psoriasis, including upper respiratory infections, streptoccocal infections, tonsillitis, stress, injury to the skin and the administration of certain drugs (including antimalarials, lithium and beta-blockers).
This form of psoriasis may resolve on its own, occasionally leaving a person free of further outbreaks, or it may clear for a time only to reappear later as patches of plaque psoriasis.
What is pustular psoriasis?
Primarily seen in adults, pustular psoriasis is characterized by white pustules (blisters of noninfectious pus) surrounded by red skin. It is not an infection, nor is it contagious.
This relatively unusual form of psoriasis affects fewer than 5% of all people with psoriasis.
It may be localized to certain areas of the body, for example, the hands and feet. Pustular psoriasis also can be generalized, covering most of the body. It tends to go in a cycle: reddening of the skin followed by formation of pustules and scaling.
See also: Meyer Zall Laboratories’ page: https://www.mzl.co.za/what-is-psoriasis/
Brought to you by Linotar, in the interests of promoting an awareness about psoriasis and eczema. Linotar offers relief from the itch, burn and sting associated with psoriasis and eczema.
什么是牛皮癣？是什么原因导致牛皮癣？
牛皮癣是一种干燥，鳞状皮肤疾病，医生相信，它是遗传和免疫系统错误地被“触发”导致皮肤细胞生成过快，这就是为什么它有时也被称为自体免疫性疾病。
正常情况下，皮肤细胞大约21-28天自己会更换，然而，在牛皮癣患者身上，他们的皮肤细胞大约2-6天就会更换。牛皮癣影响全球的人口约3％，通常患者在11岁到45岁之间发病，尽管它不是传染性疾病，人们有这种皮肤病还是会被社会排斥和歧视。
什么是牛皮癣的症状？
通常皮肤会有死细胞不断脱落，然而，由于皮肤细胞更换的速度过快，死的皮肤细胞和活皮肤细胞会同时累积在皮肤表面上，通常会导致红色、鳞片、硬皮斑点覆盖着银色的鳞片，使得死细胞很容易脱落。
牛皮癣可以发生在身体任何部位，它最常见是在手、膝盖、下背部和头皮，它也可能引起剧烈瘙痒和灼热。
谁有患牛皮癣风险？
牛皮癣影响全球的人口约为3％，它可以开始于任何年龄，但最常见是发生在11到45岁之间，通常是在青春期。
牛皮癣是不会传染的，大多数人身体受影响只是出现小斑点。
有一个基因链接，它往往是在家庭中，直系亲属中有一位患有牛皮癣，其中30％的亲属就会患有牛皮癣。
这种遗传倾向需要由感染来触发; 因为某些药物，包括有布洛芬和锂，心理因素；包括压力或是皮外伤。
没有办法预测谁会得牛皮癣，50-60％得牛皮癣的患者，但他们不知道在家庭中谁是已经有牛皮癣。
什么是斑块型牛皮癣？
约80％牛皮癣患者有这种慢性的斑块型牛皮癣，它的特点是，肿起、发炎、红色伤口覆盖有银白色鳞片，虽然它可以发生在皮肤上的任何区域，它通常被发现在手肘，膝盖，头皮，下背部。
什么是反转型牛皮癣？
反转型牛皮癣是长在腋窝，腹股沟，乳房下面，和围绕生殖器的褶皱皮肤和臀部。
这种类型的牛皮癣首先表现的病变是很红，通常没有牛皮癣有关的鳞片，皮肤可能会出现平滑而有光泽。
反转型牛皮癣是特别容易受刺激，因为搓揉、出汗在皮肤褶皱和细嫩的位置，对过胖的人和皮肤有褶皱的人中是很常见和很困扰的。
什么是红皮病型牛皮癣？
红皮病型银屑病是牛皮癣的一个特别的炎症形式，往往影响到大多数身体表面，它一般在患者身上出现不稳定的斑块，病变的地方无法明确确认，它的特点是皮肤周期性的、大范围的发红发热。
红斑（发红）和剥离（脱落）往往伴有严重的瘙痒和疼痛，红皮病型牛皮癣病“摆脱掉”人体化学反应，引起蛋白质和体液流失，可能会导致严重的疾病。
水肿（由液体滞留肿胀），特别是在脚踝，可能还会并发感染。
人体的体温调节往往被打乱，寒颤發作。感染、肺炎和红皮病型牛皮癣带来的充血性心脏衰竭都可能危及生命，这种情况严重的患者经常需要住院治疗。
什么是滴状银屑病？
通常开始于童年或青年时期和襁褓期，有红色的，独立的皮肤斑点，通常患部不像斑块型牛皮癣有那样厚或硬的皮肤。
各种会攻击上滴状银屑病的条件已经都知道，包括上呼吸道感染、链球菌感染、扁桃体炎、压力、皮肤受伤和某些药物（包括抗疟疾药、锂和β阻断剂）的使用。
这种形式的牛皮癣可能自体可以消除，偶尔会有进一步爆发，或者它可以一次就被清除，到后来只出现斑块型牛皮癣的斑点。
什么是脓疱型牛皮癣？
主要出现在成人阶段，脓疱型牛皮癣的特点是白色脓疱（非感染性脓水泡）被红色皮包围，它没有感染性，也没有传染性。
这个比较特殊的牛皮癣形式在所有的牛皮癣患者中只有不到5％。
它可能限于局部的身体特定区域，例如手和脚，脓疱型牛皮癣也会扩大到覆盖身体的大部分，它倾向形成一个周期：皮肤发红后，接着形成脓疱和皮屑。
