What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that is characterized by red scaly patches suddenly appearing on certain parts of the skin. The appearance of these patches seems to come suddenly without any warning. This is due to the excessive production of skin cells by the body.

Psoriasis Causes
The underlying cause of psoriasis remains unknown to doctors and medical experts. But most experts believe that the disorder may have a genetic component to it. Some put the cause as something that the immune system is doing to the body. The reason for this is that doctors have widely observed psoriasis plaques, the red scaly patches growing on the skin, to have cleared while administering immune suppressing drugs.

Some experts believe that the overproduction of skin cells as triggered by psoriasis is brought about by T cells which normally protect the body against infection. By some reason, the T cells invade the dermis and cause the overproduction of skin cells, bringing about psoriasis plaques to appear on the various skin areas. What remains unknown to medical experts is what triggers the T cells of the body to initiate this action.

Another possible reason why psoriasis plaques appear is that it is simply a product of a disorder that causes the skin cells to overproduce and promote excessive skin growth. The primary fault, according to some experts lies in the epidermis and its keratinocytes. Psoriasis is still a very peculiar disease in that it seems to appear just as suddenly as it stops. There can sometimes no be apparent reason why this disease seem to worsen or improve during its course.

Psoriasis Triggers
Despite the relatively unknown cause of the disease, experts have determined some instances where psoriasis may be triggered and suddenly appear on the skin. Excessive stress is known to trigger the appearance of psoriasis plaques in some people. It can also be triggered in some by excessive drinking and smoking.

Psoriasis Types
There are different types of psoriasis that are determined based by the symptoms that they show. The most common form of the disease is called plaque psoriasis which is characterized by raised patches of inflamed skin that is covered by white scaly and dry skin. This is the type of psoriasis that affects around 80 or 90 percent of people.

Flexural psoriasis is another type of the disease but is known for having inflamed but smooth patches of skin. This usually is located in skin folds, more particularly around the genitals, the armpits and the skin folds usually seen in the stomachs of obese people.

Guttate psoriasis is another type of the disease characterized this time by several small round red spots on the skin. Several of these spots usually appear over large areas of the body particularly in the scalp, limbs and the trunk. Guttate psoriasis is usually associated with a strep throat infection.

Pustular psoriasis is another manifestation of the disease that appears as red bumps on the skin that are filled by pus. The skin surrounding the pus filled bumps are usually red and tender. Postural psoriasis can appear in a localized area of the skin, commonly on the hands and feet. They can also appear as widespread patches all over the body.

Nail psoriasis is another type of the disorder that generally appears under the fingernails or toenails. They are characterized by the discoloration of the nail edges, lines gong across the nails, the pitting of the nails, thickening of the skin under the nail or the nail becoming loose and fragile.