Plaque Psoriasis

 

What is Plaque Psoriasis?

Plaque Psoriasis is a chronic (long term) inflammatory skin condition.  It is believed to occur due to a malfunction of the body’s immune system which triggers it to attack healthy skin cells.  It is not known why this happens but in doing so it causes the skin reproduction in those areas to increase dramatically.  Under normal circumstances the skin replenishes itself every two to three weeks, the result of this attack from the immune system will see the skin replenish every few days.  This creates raised red patches of skin covered with silver white scales.  The redness being due to the extra blood cells required to sustain the increase in cell production.

Like all forms of psoriasis it is not contagious but is believed to have a genetic component, approximately one third of all people who develop it have one or more family members with the same condition.  It is the most common type with about 80% of all people who have psoriasis, have this plaque type. The technical name for it is psoriasis vulgaris.

Symptoms and Indications of Plaque Psoriasis

Although official psoriasis causes have not been determined it has been found through multiple studies that there are two distinct age groups when the disease will appear:

•    Between sixteen and twenty two years of age and
•    Between fifty seven and sixty years of age
•    Both males and females can develop the disease
•    Generally females develop the condition at an earlier age than males
•    Can appear earlier in those who have family members already with it

Identified by:

•    Thick patches of red skin covered with silver white scales or flakes, very dry in appearance
•    Start as small red spots or bumps then grow into thicker patches
•    Patches can grow together to cover large areas of skin   
•    Generally found on the elbows, knees and scalp
•    Can appear on all areas of the body  
•    Sometimes itchy or painful, can crack and bleed easily if knocked

Treatment For Plaque Psoriasis

There is no actual medically recognized psoriasis cure, there are many treatments available and long term remission is about the best outcome possible.  Labeled a chronic disease for the reason that once acquired it is expected to appear in different stages for the rest of the patients life.

There is a diverse range of Treatments for Psoriasis options available due to two main factors:

1.    Unpredictability: Even while showing major signs of improvement during treatment, plaque psoriasis will flare up and break out for no apparent reason at all.

2.    Varying Effectiveness:  While one patient may experience success with a certain treatment another person with the same symptoms can experience no benefit at all from the same treatment.

Three Main Types Of Plaque Psoriasis Treatment:

1.    Topical Treatments
2.    Phototherapy (Light Therapy)
3.    Systemic (Oral or injection)

Topical Treatments

Used for mild to moderate cases, generally less than 10% of the body, creams, lotions, ointments and shampoos are used.  Some side effects include staining of the skin and cloths whilst some tar products have an unpleasant odor.

Phototherapy

Used for moderate to severe cases and while it can be used as a standalone treatment is usually used in conjunction with either topical or systemic medication. By the use of ultraviolet light either naturally, by controlled exposure to the sun, or by artificial means under the supervision of a medical professional.  Side effects include skin damage and other associated risks if too much exposure.

Systemic

Used for severe or disabling psoriasis and is given by oral medication or injection.  Due to the serious side effects they can only be used for short periods of time.  The majority of these drugs use a method by which the immune system is restricted which leaves the patient susceptible to serious infection.  They will only be used when it is believed that the benefit outweighs the risk.

A common technique used by Doctors is called rotational therapy whereby psoriasis treatments are changed roughly every six to twenty four months to minimize any side effects and also the possibility of the treatment losing its effectiveness.

It is the recommendation of Skin Care Help Online that those looking for information on plaque psoriasis are recommended to conduct as extensive search as possible due to the large amounts of information and treatments available today.