Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition characterized by red patches covered with white flakes. The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown. We suspect that it is an immune disorder in which our immune system gives a wrong signal so the growth cycle of skin cells is accelerated. The epidermis (outer layer of skin) accelerates to produce new cells. Normal skin is renewed approximately every month. In a psoriasic system, however, the cell division in the epidermis occurs in a very high rate, so the cells are moving approximately 6 times more than normal in the direction of the outer layer of the skin. This occurs hyperkeratosis or flakes. Flakes are therefore nothing but immature skin cells that are immature divested.

The rash occurs mainly on the scalp, the extensor side of knees and elbows, lower back, legs and arms, hands, feet and body folds. On the face is rarely the result, just like overall of the body.

Only people with genetic predisposition get this skin ailment. Genetic factors play a major role in the predisposition to psoriasis, but the exact mode of inheritance is still unknown.

Or, when and to what extent a person with the genetic predisposition is actually getting the disease is not genetically determined. It is possible that neither parent has or has had psoriasis, while the disease itself develops to their child . If both parents have the genetic predisposition, 60% to 70% of these children have it too. If one parent has the construction, there is a 30% chance the children also have this construction.

To actually getting the disease, there are also, alongside predisposition, other partly unknown factors. These triggers can be manifold: injuries to the skin, pressure spots on the skin, mental stress, alcohol and drugs, infectious or metabolic diseases, hormonal factors, etc ...

Psoriasis is above a stress-sensitive disease. Stress should be understood in its broadest sense. Proven example is that students in the block period, or when married with family problems, there is a sudden outbreak of psoriasis or it gets worse. But psoriasis may also diminish or even disappear when a person feels happy or is on a holiday.

Proceedings of the disease

Psoriasis disease is not that bad for all patients and the age at which the disease manifests itself can vary.
Some patients have only a speck here and there, others are filled from head to toe.
Psoriasis also has an undulating course: periods in which the psoriasis manifests very much alternate with periods of improvement (remissions). Very often the first signs of psoriasis occurred during the teen age, around the 25th or around the age of 50 years.

Degree of degradation

- Light damage (ca. 5%): occurs in approximately 75% of patients.
- Moderate damage (between 5 to 20%): occurs in approximately 20% of patients.
- severe degradation (between 20 to 100%): occurs in less than 5% of patients.

Doctors currently use the PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) score for mapping the severity of the disease. It divides the body into 4 zones and they look in each zone to the percentage of the infected skin.

Considerations

Psoriasis is NOT contagious but often visible and does not correspond to the ideal of a healthy skin.

The people close to the patient give often dismissive comment. Or the patient thinks that they only give negative comment. Therefore one must learn to cope with the disease. One must realize that there may be potential problems in the family. With the partner, with sexuality and in the workplace. Good information about the disease in all its facets is very important.