What is psoriasis.

Not everyone knows what psoriasis is. This disease affects the skin and is chronic. This disease manifests itself as follows: on the surface of the skin there are either small spots or rashes that occupy a rather large area. Psoriasis is not an infectious disease, it can not be transmitted from person to person and from the affected part of the body to healthy ones. Detection of ailment is not carried out by blood examination, the diagnosis is made using visual examination of the skin. If the rashes are not typical, an additional study is scheduled-biopsy.

What is psoriasis and how is it manifested?

The very first sign of the disease is the appearance of lichen, which is a flaky rash of red color. This kind of rash occurs mainly on the elbows, knees and head. At first, the spots are almost invisible, but gradually they expand, merging into plaques of large sizes, the surface of which over time is covered with silvery dense scales. Rashes may appear in other areas of the skin of the patient. The specificity of this disease lies in the fact that the person susceptible to this disease does not feel pain, it is functional and can actively move.

Causes

Modern medicine can not accurately determine the factors contributing to the appearance of the disease. It is known that heredity and genetic factors play an important role in the development of psoriasis. Therefore, scientists tend to argue that the disease of psoriasis is a hereditary affliction. But do not think that all the children whose father or mother were affected by this disease will also suffer from it later, like their parents. There is just a chance that psoriasis will manifest itself in the next generations.

It is also believed that the ailment can arise in connection with endocrine pathologies, immune changes, metabolic disorders, because of frequent stresses and neuroses. However, until the end to determine all the causes of the onset of skin disease, medicine is hampered.

What is psoriasis and what is its danger?

The disease does not cause any complications and does not affect the general well-being and health of a person. However, with an eruption covering vast areas of the skin, a feeling of discomfort, an unpleasant sensation on the skin and emotional stiffness may appear, which can affect work, general mood and lifestyle. But in the majority of patients, lesions of the skin of minimal size are observed.

In 10% of cases with psoriasis there may appear a specific form of arthritis, called psoriatic arthritis. To confirm this serious diagnosis, a special medical examination should be carried out. Psoriatic arthritis can occur in people of all age groups, but more often it appears with the extensive spread of the disease.

Treatment

It is impossible to completely get rid of psoriasis. However, there are a number of drugs and treatments that can reduce the disease and keep it under control for a long time. Psoriasis can periodically arise and again disappear often for quite long periods.

Having determined what is psoriasis and what are its causes, it should be mentioned that the course of the disease can aggravate certain factors:

• Damage to the skin. Try to exclude mechanical ruptures of skin. For the first time the disease can occur on a site damaged by a scratch or burn.
• Sun and sunburn.
• Food. It is believed that more psoriasis appears in people who are overweight and who abuse alcohol.
• Stress.
• Medicines. Some medicines that include lithium, gold and beta-blockers can lead to exacerbation of psoriasis.
• Infections. Especially if it's a respiratory and throat disease.