Plaque Psoriasis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
What exactly is Plaque Psoriasis? Well, for one thing, it’s a chronic skin condition. Meaning it’s not going to go away for good. A person with this condition will have to deal with it for the rest of their life.
It’s a disease of the immune system, and its severity differs in each person. It’s also the case regarding how it responds to treatments. Some people will respond well, while others will not. So let’s get into some other questions about this chronic skin condition.
Is Plaque Psoriasis a contagious condition?
Even though this skin condition is not pretty, if you see someone with it, you will be apprehensive; the disease is not contagious. You can’t catch it from someone else, and if you have it, other people can’t catch it from you. In addition, the lesions someone might have are also not infectious, which means you don’t risk getting a secondary infection from someone else.
What exactly causes someone to get Plaque Psoriasis?
Even though doctors have been dealing with this condition for quite some time now, the actual causes of it are still unknown. All doctors know is that the immune system and even genetics seem to play a role in someone getting it. However, most people who research this disease agree that the immune system gets triggered somehow, which causes the growth cycle of skin cells to quicken along with many other immune reactions.
How does a person go about getting diagnosed with this condition?
No specific blood tests or diagnostic tools are used to diagnose this condition. Usually, a dermatologist or other health professional examines areas of the skin, and then they make the determination. Sometimes, a portion of a person’s skin is looked at carefully through a powerful microscope for a better assessment.
Psoriasis is a prevalent skin condition (around 6% of the population experiences psoriasis). It is characterized by the appearance of thick, reddish patches covered with silvery scales. The regions of the body concerned will often be the elbows, knees, scalp, buttocks, or lower back.
There are different kinds of Psoriasis:
- Psoriasis Vulgaris: the most common form, with plaques as defined above.
- Classic Psoriasis: smaller plates scattered on the body. Often before the age of 20.
- Psoriasis of the scalp: Psoriasis Vulgaris, but centralized on the scalp. Thick plates cause itching, scaling form of large flakes, or bleeding.
- Nummular Psoriasis: plates the size of a coin.
- Inverse psoriasis (psoriasis folds): slightly scaly plaques in the skin folds.
Is there any cure for this skin condition?
At the moment, there is no known cure for Plaque Psoriasis. On the plus side, a person can get plenty of treatments. There are topical treatments and systemic treatments. These are designed to minimize or clear the condition for specific periods. Unfortunately, most people with this condition usually have to try out an assortment of different products to find the best they will respond to.
What areas of the body does Plaque Psoriasis usually affect?
This skin condition can affect just about any part of the body, but there are areas where it shows up more. Plaque Psoriasis usually appears on a person’s scalp, knees, elbows, and torso. However, you can also get it in your nails, palms, soles, genitals, and sometimes your face.
At what age is a person most likely to get Plaque Psoriasis?
You can get this skin condition at any age. But, in most cases, it shows up in people between the ages of 15 and 35. About 10 to 15 percent of people who get this disease usually get it before they turn ten. Some babies get the condition, but these instances are rare, though.
Do women or people who belong to specific ethnic groups have a higher risk?
Plaque Psoriasis is a condition that happens in women and men equally. It’s prevalent in all racial groups, as well. However, the rates are not all the same. For example, plaque Psoriasis seems lower in African Americans than in Caucasians.
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