What is Psoriasis?

Is Psoriasis a Common Disorder?

The best answer to the question as to what is psoriasis, is that it is a common skin inflammation that causes frequent episodes of reddening, itching, as well as cause dry, thick and silvery scales on the skin. It occurs quite commonly and it is also believed that approximately three million Americans suffer from it.

Psoriasis can appear all of a sudden or it may slowly emerge, and in many instance, it goes away only to flare up again with the passage of time. It can affect people of all ages though most often it appears when the person is between fifteen and thirty-five years of age.

An Inherited Disorder

What is psoriasis is a question that needs answering regarding its causes, symptoms as well as treatments. It is thought to be an inherited disorder that is also supposed to be related to an inflammatory response whereby the immune system accidentally targets its own body cells. It is a condition that is most noticeable on the elbows, trunk, scalp, knees, and skin folds as well as on fingernails of the patient, and it is also known to affect any or all parts of the skin.

Under normal circumstances, new skin cells require a month to move up from the lower layers to the surface, but a study of what psoriasis is, reveals that it may only take a few days thereby causing a build-up of dead skin cells and formation of thick scales. Furthermore, knowledge gained about what psoriasis is show that this disorder is often aggravated by injury or irritation including cuts, rashes, burns, and insect bites.

What is psoriasis? Well, there is evidence to show that this disorder can be severe in immunosuppressed persons such as those with AIDS or those that undergo chemotherapy for cancer or even those that have other autoimmune disorders of which rheumatoid arthritis are but one instance.

It is also necessary to be informed about what the causes of psoriasis is, which may include medications, viral or bacterial infections, excessive alcohol drinking, lack of sunlight, obesity, stress, sunburn as well as general poor health as too are cold climes, and frequent friction on the skin. However, psoriasis, in spite of all these causes is not a contagious disorder, and thus people that come in contact with a patient are not at risk of being struck with this disorder.

To complete the picture regarding what psoriasis is one need to also know the symptoms as well as signs and tests of this disorder before one can find a suitable treatment. Some of the treatments focus on controlling the symptoms as well as preventing secondary infections and can vary according to the extent as well as severity of the disorder. If psoriasis lesions cover all or most of the body, it may even require hospitalization.