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Is Psoriasis curable?
signs and symptoms of Psoriasis
At present, Psoriasis Vulgaris is recognised as the most prevalent autoimmune disease caused by hyper activated cellular immune system. Health and quality of life are significantly affected by Psoriasis often altering everyday life. There are multiple medications recommended in different systems to treat psoriasis but there is no absolute cure. Understanding the pathogenesis of Psoriasis has revealed that an interplay of genetic, cellular and biochemical mechanisms have profound effect on the basis for developing treatments that can adequately control this physically and psychologically debilitating disease. Though there is no cure for psoriasis, there are many ways of care to get relief from symptoms of psoriasis.
Treatment for psoriasis is a lifelong ongoing process. First appearance of psoriasis signs followed by appropriate diagnosis leaves no option but to deal with the condition for rest of the life. Thus, psoriasis is a chronic condition that is not curable. But the good news is that, psoriasis appears in cycles and symptoms of psoriasis may not always show up. Psoriasis may sometimes get active causing a flare lasting for a period of time and then may improve going into remission period when there are no symptoms at all.
Psoriasis is an unpredictable condition and remission periods have no timeline. Lengthy remission allows absence of experiencing signs and symptoms for months or even years. Remission that are short term reappear with symptoms within a few weeks of disappearing. Psoriasis cycles and symptoms could be different for everyone but therapeutic control measures to prolong remission periods are successful.
Environment can influence the intensity of signs and symptoms of psoriasis. One common psoriasis cycle involving climatic factor is the experience of fewer symptoms and flares during summer months and increased signs and symptoms during winter months. It is based on how the two very extreme environments that affect the skin can trigger psoriasis symptoms. Awareness of such common triggers and avoiding them can help reduce frequency of symptomatic flares and extend remission periods.
Remission can be classified depending on individual experience of symptoms and history with psoriasis. Signs of the affected skin gets almost clear entirely of psoriasis and shows no physical symptoms during remission for some but symptoms may not always completely disappear for everyone. Symptoms often subside enough to no longer be bothersome whereas in severe cases of psoriasis, there can be scars remaining even during a remission. Successful treatment can induce and maintain remission and help prevent scars.
Spontaneous remission of psoriasis that occurs without treatment is possible when the immune system stops its attack on the body allowing the symptoms to grow faint. But it does not prevent another flare or guarantee symptom free life. Hence, to know and identify symptoms of psoriasis is important so as to begin early treatment on reappearance of lesions and rashes.
First signs of psoriasis could be few visible red bumps on the skin which may get larger and thicker and then progress with time to develop scales on top. The patches may appear to converge together and cover wide areas of the body. Itchy and uncomfortable rashes that may bleed easily if rubbed or picked are typical signs of psoriasis.
There are a variety of psoriasis types that manifest different signs and symptoms as:
- Plaque – the most common type of psoriasis that produces thick, raised, red patches of skin covered by a built-up flaky, silver-white dead skin called scales. These patches or plaques can appear on the scalp, knees, elbows, genitals and trunk.
- Erythrodermic – the rare type of psoriasis with redness of skin being very intense and affecting the entire body with itchy, burning, peeling and painful rash requires immediate medical attention or else may become life threatening.
- Guttate – affects childhood or people below 30 years of age and is usually triggered by a bacterial infection such as sore throat. Lesions are marked as small dot like sores on the trunk, arms, legs and scalp.
- Inverse – causes bright red lesions and irritation mainly in body parts of skin folds such as behind the knee or front of the elbow and also areas of overlapping skin like the groin and underarms. Overweight people are more commonly affected and rashes are worsened by friction and sweating.
- Pustular – an uncommon type that can occur in large patches marked by small white blisters containing pus surrounded by red tender skin. These pustules can appear anywhere in the body but occur most often on hands or feet.
- Nail – finger and toe nails become pitted with abnormal growth and discoloration. Nails with psoriasis can become loose and fall off and nail bed can undergo alterations.
- Scalp – appears as red, itchy areas with silvery-white scales on the scalp. Flakes of dead skin can be seen falling down on scratching the scalp. It may be restricted as a single patch or several patches affecting the entire scalp. It can also spread to the forehead, the back of the neck or behind and inside the ears.
Evolution of morphologically changing lesions makes psoriasis a dynamic disease. A newly formed lesion may transform into an advanced plaque with the ability to slowly enlarge as active lesions with histological features same as newly formed lesions. Otherwise the new lesion remains static with morphological changes of the advanced stage retained as stable lesions.
Signs and symptoms of psoriasis always present themselves in episodes while they either
- stay clear and have no psoriasis symptoms (remission)
- returns with symptoms looking and feeling the same as earlier (relapse) or
- returns with symptoms worse than before (rebound).
Remission, relapse or rebound of symptoms often depend on the treatment that helped overcome psoriasis and the management of psoriasis triggers in accordance with medical history.
Psoriasis is a disorder where factors in the immune system, enzymes and other biochemical substances that regulate skin cell division become permanently impaired. This abnormal immune response causing rapid proliferation of immature skin cells and inflammation continues to appear in cycles of symptoms throughout life. Since such events are usually triggered by environmental factors such as weather, stress or lifestyle habits in people with genetic factors that make them susceptible to symptoms, sustained control measures and safe treatment strategies are the best ways to care for psoriasis.