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Psoriasis is a skin condition that affects close to one out of every fifty adults

while at the same time causing considerable psychological distress to those people that are afflicted with the condition. One of the more intriguing discoveries related to what causes psoriasis skin disease is that its onset is rooted in the body's immune system.

The symptoms of psoriasis include skin that is salmon colored, cracked, flaky and irritated. One of the most predominant types is called plaque psoriasis where the affected area develops oval, circular or odd formed patches covered with scaly, silver colored skin. The form and sizes of the patches varies widely and several smaller areas can combine together to form one large shape of irritated scaly skin. As well as being not being very nice to look at, these larger areas tend to crack and start bleeding.

The area of affected skin can become very itchy and feel as though it is burning. Similar to the shape, there is no consistency as to how long a specific flare-up will go on for. It could last a week to twleve days or you might have to put up with it for a number of weeks. One of the worst aspects for those affected is that it is a lifelong condition and repeated flare-ups can happen at any time.

Body areas that are most often affected include the torso, scalp, elbows and knees although any body part can develop symptoms of psoriasis. One unexplained anomaly is that flare-ups tend to be symmetrical in as much that both sides of the body will be affected in the same areas at the same time.

Hereditary factors play some part in psoriasis which means that those individuals with parents or grandparents who have had psoriasis have an increased chance that they will develop it as well. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, T-cells, which are needed by our bodies to produce infection fighting white blood cells, cause inflammation of the skin. These same cells also trigger some bodily process which results in the over production of skin cells. Since these skin cells are surplus to requirements, they just stack up on top of each other and in turn create the telltale raised areas on the skins surface. To nourish these extra skin cells, an increased blood supply is needed which results in the red appearance.

Although not the causes of psoriasis, common triggers include sunlight, strep infections and injuries, both past and present, to the skin. Anxiousness and stress can also spark an outbreak as can alterations in hormone levels. Higher incidences of psoriasis have also been observed in those individuals with the early stages of HIV infection. Folks who smoke cigarettes who also drink alcohol increase their risks of developing psoriasis.

In the absence of any recognized cure for psoriasis, there are various effective treatments that can at least alleviate the symptoms. Start by keeping the affected areas damp and by resisting the temptation to scratch.

Topical treatments are applied first with a view to slowing the excess production of skin cells. Commonly applied topical treatments include anthrallin, coal tar, corticosteroids, salicylic acid and synthetic vitamin D. There are also a range of specially formulated skin moisturizers and bathing products. Systemic medications are prescribed to treat more severe cases. An additional effective means of psoriasis treatment is with the use of phototherapy, where, under strict medical supervision, the sufferer is exposed to UV radiation.

Published by Natural Health Trip

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Tags: causes psoriasis, chronic skin disease, hereditary factors, natural cures, plaque psoriasis, psoriasis, psoriasis skin disease, rooted in immune system, scaly skin, skin condition, symptoms of psoriasis, T-cells

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 7:55 am and is filed under Skin Care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.