Psoriasis Essay Sample
Psoriasis is a chronic life-long autoimmune and skin disease that affects 125 million people worldwide. Skin cells normally regenerate every 10-30 days, but the skin cells of someone with psoriasis will grow new cells up to 10 times faster every 3-4 days. There are several different types of psoriasis characterized by red, itchy, thick, patches of silvery scales. It is a life-long condition but there are many different types of treatment available to help better manage symptoms, and overall quality of life living with the disease.
Psoriasis is caused when the immune system becomes inflamed and overactive resulting in rapid skin cell growth. What causes the immune system malfunction is not entirely clear. Your immune system will start to turn on healthy tissue instead of targeting bacteria and viruses, which speeds up how quickly skin cells multiply. The condition is not contagious and anyone can get it, ⅓ of cases being in pediatric years, but there are certain factors that can increase your risk of getting it. Some people diagnosed can be predisposed and may not even have symptoms for multiple years until the disease is triggered by some kind of environmental factor, infection, weather, injury to the skin, stress, family history, smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke, heavy alcohol use, certain medications or sudden withdrawal from corticosteroids.
This chronic life-long condition presents itself in red, itchy, thick, silvery scale-like patches most commonly found on the knees, legs, elbows and scalp but can also be found on the soles of feet, lower back and torso. It can also present itself in signs and symptoms like dry cracked skin that may bleed or itch, burning or soreness of the skin as well as thickened, pitted or ridged nails, swollen and stiff joints, and small scaling spots that are most commonly seen in children. Patches range from a few spots of dandruff like scaling, to major eruptions that cover a large area. Psoriasis flares up in cycles and may flare up for a few weeks or even months at a time but eventually dissipates or goes into remission. Unfortunately having psoriasis puts you at a much higher risk of developing other conditions like psoriatic arthritis, eye conditions, obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, and other autoimmune diseases.
There are many different types of treatment available to help manage symptoms and life living with psoriasis. Although the condition is life long and there is no cure, the goal of treatments is to help find the most effective way to slow cell turnover rate with the fewest possible side effects. Depending on how severe one psoriasis is and how responsive it has been to past treatments depends on which treatment they should use. Sometimes people may need to try a combination of treatments before they find something that works for them, but unfortunately the disease almost always returns. Options for therapy include topical therapy like creams and ointments, light therapy (Phototherapy) where your skin is exposed to certain kinds of ultraviolet light, and Systemic therapy which is oral or injected medications. Alternative medicine is also available for treatments however none have been proven to be effective. It is thought that they aim to ease the symptoms of itching and scaling in the mild to moderate cases of psoriasis. Although doctors choose treatments based on the type of psoriasis, severity of it, as well as where on the body it is located, the traditional approach is to start with the mildest treatment which would be topical creams and light therapy. Those who have pustular lesions or plaques usually need stronger treatments like systemic therapy if necessary.
Psoriasis is a serious disease and even though the disease may not be deadly, it is a chronically severe condition. It is important to know about psoriasis to not only help those affected by it but to also help bring awareness to one of the most common skin diseases.
