Psoriasis is a chronic, long term skin problem that causes normal skin cells to grow more quickly than they are supposed to. What this does is results in thick, silvery, white or red patches of skin in different places throughout the body. Normally skin cells grow in a gradual manner, and they flake off approximately every three to four weeks, with new skin cells growing to replace these lost outer layers of skin as they are shed. Unfortunately, when it comes to Psoriasis, new skin cells are moving rapidly to the skin surface in days rather than in a period of weeks. They build up over time and form plaques, which are thick patches of skin.
These Psoriasis patches are capable of ranging significantly in size, with some being relatively small and others growing to become very large. These plaques and patches often appear on the knees, the elbows, the scalp, the hands, the feet and the lower back. Psoriasis most commonly presents itself in adults, but children and teens are also capable of getting it as well.
Although no permanent damage is caused by Psoriasis, it is capable of being truly humiliating and embarrassing in nature. Many people who are suffering from Psoriasis, especially children and teens, avoid situations where these patches of skin can show, such as while swimming for example. Luckily, there are a number of treatments that can be used in order to keep the appearance of Psoriasis completely under control if not to make it go away completely.
Many experts believe that the cause of Psoriasis is brought on when the immune system creates inflammation as well as flaking of the skin by overreacting. In some cases, Psoriasis is a skin disease that is capable of running in entire families. Right now, researchers are working to study large families that are affected by this skin disorder so that they can determine how it is being passed to children from parents so that they can figure out how the condition is being triggered in both children and adults.
People who are dealing with Psoriasis often notice it the most in situations where their skin suddenly becomes worse. There are a number of different things that are capable of causing these Psoriasis flare ups, including cold climates, dry climates, stress, infections and normal problems with dry skin. There are also certain medications that are capable of causing flare ups including medications that are used to treat high blood pressure issues, depression medications and nonsteroidal anti inflammatory medications or NSAIDs. Researchers have found that if you smoke, especially if you are a woman, then you will be much more likely to develop Psoriasis. If you already have Psoriasis and you are smoking, the likelihood that it will become worse will also go up significantly. Psoriasis is not a contagious skin disorder, which means that it is incapable of being spread from one person to another by way of touching, though it does seem to have way of being spread through heredity, meaning that a parent can pass it to a child.
