A general overview of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a long-lasting skin disorder characterized by scaling and inflammation. Scaling occurs when cells in the outer layer of the skin reproduce faster than normal and pile up on the skin's surface. In normal circumstances, skin cells mature and shed every 28 days or so but in the case of Psoriasis, the skin mature in less than a week, sometimes within 2 to 3 days. Psoriasis is none contagious and cannot be spread through physical contacts.

Blood test is normally required to confirm Psoriasis since the external skin inflammation and rashes looks pretty much the same as other skin diseases such as eczema. In the olden days, Psoriasis is often mistaken for leprosy.

There are different types of psoriasis , at least 5 different types. Psoriasis is known to affect Caucasians more often than Asians or Africans. Some of the Psoriasis type can be life threatening. One to two percent of the population has what is known as "exfoliative psoriasis" , the form of skin disease which cause the skin to lose it protective functions and unable to prevent bacteria and other substances from entering the body.

The root cause of Psoriasis is not completely understood even though medical research indicates it has something to do with the body immunology. One hypothesis raised is that he T-cells, a group of blood cells becomes too active and causes skin inflammation and this in turn leads to the the skin to shed faster than it should. This skin disorder is also known to run in the family and pass on from generation to generation.

One of the explicable question regarding Psoriasis is as to what mechanism triggers the onset of the disease and as to why adult are more prone to contracting it. More even troubling is that this skin disease is also sometimes called the idiotic disease because of the nature of the skin inflammation that comes and goes without any apparent reason.

Psoriasis condition can be extremely difficult to cope with, both physically and emotionally. There is no known permanent cure for this skin disorder and those who has it can experience severe unbearable itch and pain that affect one's health. Furthermore, some people may feel socially alienated if their face or visible part of the body is affected. People may gossip or even avoid and stay clear away from you since they are afraid it might contagious.

Thanks to modern science and advancement in medical technology, there are now various treatments for Psoriasis. Even though there is no permanent cure, there are nevertheless various treatment methods to alleviate the pain and suffering associated with Psoriasis.

Psoriasis treatment include topical treatment in the form of external cream or gel applications on infected skin areas, ultraviolet broadband & narrow band light treatments and combination of oral, topical and light treatments, better known as systemic treatments. Medication treatments can only help to alleviate the symptoms at this point of time.