Psoriasis

Psoriasis

The skin disease which formed scaly patches on skin, knees, trunk, elbows, and scalp are the most common site of psoriasis. It is a chronic disease which has no cure but treatment available to reduce the signs and symptoms.

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of psoriasis include:Psoriasis Symptoms Causes Treatment

  • Swelling in joints
  • Itching
  • Red scaly patches
  • Red spot-on skin
  • Burning sensation
  • Stiff joint
  • Thickened pitted nails
Causes

The exact cause of psoriasis is still unknown but it is the autoimmune condition which cause cells to grow in abnormal manner in faster rate. The cells which produce due to defected growth are malignant cells and does not perform function properly. There are many things which stimulated the autoimmunity like infections, extreme dry conditions, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption etc.

Complications

If left untreated it may cause the following complications:

Diagnosis

After taking history and conducting physical examination your doctor might recommend the following tests:

  • Blood test to check the complete blood count
  • Skin biopsy to rule out the malignancy
  • Serum hormones level
Treatment

The focus of treatment is to reduce the symptoms because there is no cure of this disease. Treatment options include:

  • Corticosteroids to reduce the inflammation and suppress the autoimmunity
  • Vitamin D agonist to slow the growth of skin cells
  • Coal tar to reduce the itching
  • Retinoids
  • Salicylic acid to reduce the scale formation on scalp
  • Anthralin to remove the scales
  • Radiation therapy to reduce the growth of abnormal cells
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