Types of Psoriasis Disorder and Their Causes

Psoriasis is a common chronic skin condition that affects about 2% of the US population. In psoriasis, the immune system of the body mistakenly attacks healthy skin cells. This results in red patches on top of raised, silvery-white scales of dead tissue.

Let’s look at different types of psoriasis and their causes:

Plaque Psoriasis

Plaque Psoriasis is a form of psoriasis that is characterized by the buildup of thick white patches on the skin's surface. This type of plaque typically appears on the elbows, knees, scalp, behind ears, back of the neck, insides of elbows and knees, buttocks, and thighs.

Nail Psoriasis

Psoriasis of the nails is a condition where the nails on the fingers, toes, or both are scaly and red. Psoriasis of the nails may begin suddenly without any warning signs. Symptoms include scaling, cracking of nails, especially at tips, yellowed nail beds, which are often associated with white streaks running up from under cuticles to the tip of the nail ridge line, causing them to peel upward along with adjacent skin.

Pustular Psoriasis

People who have this condition react to an allergen, which triggers an immune response. This could be triggered by sunlight (UV rays), pollution, or other allergens. The first symptom of Pustular psoriasis is often a small red bump on the skin followed by pinhead-sized red bumps elsewhere on the body over time. These bumps can be itchy and feel like mosquito bites or hives.

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of chronic inflammatory arthritis that usually occurs in adults. It is caused by an overactive immune system that leads to inflammation and pain in joints, tendons, and ligaments.

People with psoriatic arthritis often experience symptoms such as:

• Joint swelling & pain
• Skin lesions (raised rash or patches of thick, silvery scales) on top of the joint and the surrounding skin
• Tendonitis (swelling, pain when using the joint)
• Loss of function in joints

Erythrodermic psoriasis

An erythrodermic psoriasis is a serious form of psoriasis that covers the entire body with red, peeling, red rashes and causes intense burning and itching.

This type of psoriasis is usually caused by an immune system disorder. It can also be caused by other factors such as alcoholism, infections, certain drugs, and systemic illnesses. Erythrodermic psoriasis can sometimes be inherited or occur randomly without any known reason. It may be fatal in the most severe cases where it does not respond to treatment.

If you have any symptoms of psoriasis, seek immediate professional help. Our professional virtual doctors and dermatologists provide thorough treatments for a range of skin conditions.
At TelMDCare, our expert online doctors are always available for you.

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