Signs to know if you've psoriasis

How would you feel if you were stuck with an unwanted guest for life? It would probably overwhelm you, right? You may feel the same when you’re not able to get rid of psoriasis skin disease. Let’s understand this skin condition better.

Symptoms of psoriasis

The signs and symptoms of psoriasis differ depending on the type of psoriasis. The most common symptoms of psoriasis include:

• Red, thickened patches/lesions (called plaques) on the skin (may vary from small rain-drop-sized lesions to large ones covering an extensive area)
• Lesions covered with silvery scales
• Itching and a burning sensation after scratching
• Discomfort or itching on and around the lesions
• Scratching or cutting the skin may give rise to new lesions in the same areas (known as the Koebner phenomenon)
• Thickened, pitted, or ridged nails
• Swelling and stiffening joints

What causes psoriasis flare-ups?

Psoriasis is a chronic auto-immune condition. Your immune cells mistakenly attack the body’s own skin cells which causes an irregular response. This results in the rapid growth of cells. This quick build-up produces silvery scales of thickened skin, resulting in excessive shedding.

Certain triggers may make your psoriasis symptoms worse, including:

• Extreme stress:

  Mental stress is a major trigger for psoriasis as it causes the body to release chemicals that boost the inflammatory response. This results in a rapid build-up of skin cells, causing stress-induced flare-ups.

   

• Some medicines:

  These include some beta-blocker medications used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease, lithium used to treat bipolar disorder, and pills are taken to treat malaria.

   

• Infections:

  Infections such as strep throat, in particular, are linked with guttate psoriasis. Earaches, bronchitis, tonsillitis, or respiratory infections like a cold or the flu might also be triggers of psoriasis.HIV infection can also make it worse.

Also Read: How to spot and treat psoriasis disease?

When to see a doctor?

If you suspect that you might have psoriasis disease, consult your homeopath for an examination. You should seek immediate medical help if psoriasis causes you discomfort and pain as well as makes performing routine tasks difficult.