What is Psoriasis? Learn about the Types of Psoriasis.

People have been asking the medical profession 'what is psoriasis?' for many years, and seeing that it is a remarkably common ailment, it is quite surprising that it is also probably one of the most misunderstood conditions in human history. It seems that mankind has always suffered from psoriasis at least from some type of psoriasis - some think it was even mentioned in the Bible - but it has always been hard to diagnose correctly. The Greeks thought it might have something to do with leprosy due to the scaly skin symptoms but they were wrong! It wasn't until the 1800's that it finally became known as psoriasis when a Viennese dermatologist, Ferdinand Von Hebra, derived the name from the Greek word 'psora' meaning to itch presumably because around 60-70% of patients find the condition extremely itchy. The different types, though, were not actually recognized until the 20th century.

So, just what is Psoriasis?

Basically it is a chronic, and sometimes painful, recurring skin condition that affects around 2% of the world's population but, in spite of what many people may think, it is not in the least contagious. There are five main types that range from being quite common to extremely rare and each of these can affect someone in varying degrees of severity.

In a nutshell, it is the speed with which the surface skin cells replace themselves. The usual rate for skin replacement is around 3-4 weeks but with psoriasis the whole process accelerates and begins to take place every 2-6 days instead. The surface of the skin is not naturally equipped for this and it leads to dead skin cells accumulating on the epidermis forming something which is known as a 'plaque' - a red and scaly area which can be itchy and painful. It can occur on any part of the body and tends to come back without a moment's notice.

What is Psoriasis - the Symptoms

The skin develops small raised red patches that are covered in silvery white scales - these are the dead cells that the skin is producing at a highly accelerated rate. The skin becomes red because of the increased amount of blood vessels that are needed at the skin's surface as the body tries to deal with the increased amount of cell production.  Patches, when isolated can be small and measure only a few millimeters but these small patches can also join other patches and so larger areas measuring several centimeters can be covered in a relatively short amount of time. The patches can form in any shape but can be easily traced as the edges are well defined from the surrounding skin.

The different types produce different reactions. Guttate psoriasis is known to affect children and young adults and produces small red bumps while other, rarer types form red patches that develop into pustules. Inverse psoriasis which affects places of the body that become warmer and more moist than other areas such as under the breasts, the armpits and the groin area may be seen as red shiny patches that are smooth to the touch. The common trait, however, that all types of psoriasis have is that the affected areas are itchy and can become, tender, sore and even very painful.

This is a very brief overview of the symptoms, but the next time someone asks 'what is psoriasis?' perhaps you'll be able to give them an answer.