Psoriasis, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

Psoriasis is a medical disorder of the skin that normally consists of red patches covered by silvery-white scales particularly around the elbows, knees, trunk, and scalp.
Psoriasis is a skin disease that produces scaling and inflammation (pain, swelling, heat, redness).
Skin cells normally grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface.
This cell turnover normally takes about a month.
With psoriasis, it can happen in just a few days because the cells rise too fast to the surface and pile up on the skin.
Dead skin cells build up on the skin's surface
Most people with psoriasis have thick, red skin with flaky, silver-white patches called scales.
They are frequently found on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, palms, and soles of the feet.
But they can appear on other places such as fingernails, toenails, genitals, and inside the mouth.
Once the patient forms psoriasis it tends to come and go throughout life.
There are five types.

1. Plaque psoriasis is the most frequent type of psoriasis.
   These patches, or plaques, frequently form on the elbows, lower back, knees, and scalp.
2. Guttate psoriasis (small, red spots on the skin),
3. Pustular psoriasis (white pustules that are surrounded by red irritated skin),
4. Inverse psoriasis (smooth, red lesions form in skin folds)
5. Erythrodermic psoriasis (widespread redness, severe itching, and pain)
   Sometimes, a skin biopsy is done to rule out other possible conditions.
   3 treatment options are available:
6. Topical medications (such as steroid and tar lotion),
7. Systemic therapy e.g. methotrexate, cyclosporins
8. Phototherapy, which uses ultraviolet light to treat psoriasis.
   One treatment, called PUVA, uses a combination of a drug called psoralen that makes skin more sensitive to light and ultraviolet A light.
   Psoriasis can be a life-long condition that can be regulated with treatment.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Psoriasis
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Pemphigus
Chapter 8 Dermatomyositis
Epilogue

Every week for the past 15 years I have been giving this 50 year woman her subcutaneous dose of methotrexate starting with 0.7ml, then 1.0 ml and now 0.9ml in her arms.
It was an unpleasant experience for her with some nausea just smelling the medicine but she was told by her skin specialist to have it done for the sake of controlling her psoriasis.
It was not a pleasant experience for me either because it can cause her some pain.
She already had suffered from psoriasis since 25 years old and her left finger joints had become deformed because of psoriatic arthritis.
She also had side effects from the steroids that she had been taking since her psoriasis.
Nevertheless her psoriasis had improved greatly until her skin is fairly smooth.
But once she had stress, the plagues would start flaring up again
At one stage it was bad that they become infected and ulcerated and she had to be admitted to hospital for antibiotic treatment and daily dressing of her wounds
At the present moment she is still under control with her methotrexate and steroid.
She did ask to be given some of the newer drugs such as biologics and new immunosuppressants but her request was turned because of her age and her present controlled condition..

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