Treated properly, psoriasis won't cause you heartbreak

Some of you are old enough to remember the Tegrin commercials that purported to relieve the “heartbreak of Psoriasis.” But, the sixth most common skin disorder, behind acne, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis and skin cancer, seems to be more aggravating than heartbreaking.

Affecting more than 7.5 million Americans, psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the life cycle of skin cells. Cells build up on the skin’s surface forming thick silvery scales and itchy, dry, red patches that can be painful. It is inherited. It is not contagious. Let’s repeat that, it’s not contagious.

Psoriasis can occur at any age, but onset typically appears between the ages of 15 and 25. The most prevalent complication is arthritis, but there are a multitude of other risks, including high blood pressure, Crohn’s disease, depression and some cancers.

There are five types of psoriasis. About 80 percent of those affected have psoriasis vulgaris or plaque psoriasis. It’s usually found on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. Guttate psoriasis often starts in childhood or in young adults and appears as small, red, individual spots on the skin. It can be triggered by bacterial infections such as strep, stress or some medications.

Inverse psoriasis is found in the armpits, groin and skin folds of other private parts. The lesions appear bright red and are smooth and shiny. Primarily seen in adults, pustular psoriasis is characterized by white blisters of noninfectious pus (consisting of white blood cells) surrounded by red skin. And erythrodermic is a particularly inflammatory form of psoriasis that affects most of the body.

Only your medical provider can determine the cause and treatment for skin disorders, so if you experience an outburst of undeterminable origin, make that appointment and get professional help.

Symptoms such as red, flaky patches of skin, joint pain or aching, severe dandruff, lesions, nail changes including thick nails, yellow-brown nails, dents in the nail and nails loose from the skin beneath may indicate psoriasis.

At the present time there’s no cure, but medications will alleviate symptoms and prevent infections. Your medico may suggest topical treatments such as skin lotions ointments, creams and shampoos or body-wide treatments in the form of pills or injections that will affect the body’s immune response.

Some people choose phototherapy on the advice of their practitioner. In this procedure, skin is carefully exposed to ultraviolet light.

At home, oatmeal baths can be soothing and help to loosen scales. Oatmeal bath solution is available over-the-counter at most drug stores. Also, if one is extremely careful not to sunburn, sunlight may help the symptoms to subside. Relaxation and anti-stress techniques may also help.

Although a life-long condition, psoriasis can be controlled with treatment. It will disappear for a long time and then reappear unexpectedly. Treated properly it won’t affect a person’s general physical health.

So, really, the only heartbreak is the annoyance of the itch and pain and of having an exposed condition that may make people apprehensive about coming in contact with an affected person.

Kathy Hubbard is a trustee on BGH Foundation Board. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com, 264-4029. Source: Google psoriasis.