What Is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a common skin disease. It affects the life cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis leads to the rapid build up of cells on the skin’s surface and form thick silvery scales. They are itchy, dry, red patches of skin and can be painful at times and even disabling.

Psoriasis is a chronic disease. It is possible to relieve its symptoms or have periods of remission but you will always need to manage it for your lifetime.

Though there is no cure for the skin condition there are treatments that offer significant relief.

Psoriasis symptoms can vary from individual to individual but may include one or any combination of the following:

• Red patches of skin accompanied by silvery scales.
• Small scaling spots.
• Dry and cracked skin accompanied by possible bleeding.
• Itching, burning or soreness in skin.
• Thickened or ridged nails.
• Stiff and swollen joints.

Psoriasis patches can range from a few spotted areas of scaling to major eruptions covering large areas. More severe cases of psoriasis can not only be painful but disfiguring and disabling.

Most types of psoriasis follow a cycle, flaring up for a few weeks or even months and then subsiding for a time. Sometimes psoriasis can even go into complete remission. In most cases, however, the disease eventually returns so some form of treatment is constantly required.