Preview

Psoriasis: Autoimmune Disease

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
993 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Psoriasis: Autoimmune Disease
What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin.
It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as pathogens and sends out wrong signals that speeds up the process of growth cycle of skin cells.

Where is Psoriasis found?
Common areas to find psoriasis is usually on the scalp, behind the ears, elbows, belly button, gentiles, knees, nails and toenails, but does not exclude other areas of the body; Psoriasis can appear body-wide.

Symptoms
Psoriasis symptoms can vary from person to person but can include one or more of the following symptoms.
Red patches of skin covered with silvery scales, small scaling spots, dry cracked skin that may bleed, itching, burning or soreness, thickened, pitted or ridged nails, swollen and stiff joints, nail changes and severe dandruff on the scalp.

There are five types of psoriasis:
Plaque (fig.1), 2. Guttate (fig.2),
Inverse (fig.3), 4. Pustular (fig.4), 5. Erythrodermic (fig.5)

Plaque

Plaque psoriasis appears as thick red patches of skin covered by flaky silver, white scales.(fig.1)
About 80 percent of people living with psoriasis have Plaque, which is also called “Plaque Vulgaris.” The most common areas to find plaques are the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp.

(fig.1)

Guttate

Guttate psoriasis appears as small,
pink-red
…show more content…
Psoriasis is generally passed by genes and a weakened immune system. Psoriasis is extremely complex that scientist are still studying the process of development. Scientists have discovered that when a person has been diagnosed with psoriasis, the T cells falsely trigger a wrong reaction to the skin cells, causing new skin cells to form in days rather than weeks. The reason T cells trigger this reaction seems to lie in our DNA. People who develop psoriasis inherit genes that cause psoriasis. Some important factors that can increase the risk for psoriasis include; stress, too much or too

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Epidermis (stratum corneum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum, stratum basale) and the upper region of the Dermis (papillary layer)…

    • 557 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Living with Psoriasis

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Yes, psoriasis can be treated This six-part KULIT article series by the Persatuan Dermatologi Malaysia aims to raise awareness of psoriasis. In this final article, PDM President Dr Allan K C Yee highlights an important message for people with psoriasis – there is no cure yet for psoriasis, but its symptoms can be effectively treated and managed. Be open-minded and willing to work with your doctor to find a treatment that will work for you. The object of treatment is to reduce the extent and severity of psoriasis – the red scaly stigmata, the tell-tale scaling on one’s clothes, the rough cracked palms that make handshakes awkward, painful joints that limit one’s activities. In short, the goal is to improve the quality of life which has been shown in studies to be as affected as much as other major diseases such as cancer, heart disease and depression. The good news is that with today’s medical armamentarium, much can be done to allow the sufferer a greatly improved quality of life.…

    • 1533 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    TDA 2.2

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages

    It is a fungal skin infection. It starts with a circular red patch of inflamed skin which is paler in the middles and the outer skin is red, like a ring has been drawn round. It gradually gets larger by spreading outwards.…

    • 377 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Skin, Hair and Nails (skin disease, changes in color, changes in a mole, excessive dryness or moisture, itching, bruising, rash or lesions, recent hair loss, changing nails, environmental hazards/exposures, medications):…

    • 1569 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Best Essays

    Long Term Conditions

    • 3957 Words
    • 16 Pages

    National Psoriasis Foundation, 2009. Report on the Psychosocial Impacts of Psoriasis [online], pp. 4. Available: http://www.psoriasis.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=619 [accessed 11 November 2010]…

    • 3957 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Skin, Hair and Nails (skin disease, changes in color, changes in a mole, excessive dryness or moisture, itching, bruising, rash or lesions, recent hair loss, changing nails,…

    • 1655 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLINESS: The patient is a very pleasant 57 year old white female, a native of Cuba, being seen for an evaluation and treatment of sores in her mouth that she has had for the last 10-12 days. The patient has a long history of severe and debilitating rheumatoid arthritis for which she has had numerous treatments, but over the past ten years she has been treated with methotrexate quit successfully. Her dosage has varied somewhere between 20 and 25 mg per week. About the beginning of this year, her dosage was decreased from 25 mg to 20 mg, but because of a flare of the rheumatoid arthritis, it was increased to 22.5 mg per week. She has had no problems with the methotrexate as far as she knows. She also took an NSAID about a month ago that was recently discontinued because of the ulcerations in her mouth. About two weeks ago, just about the time the stomatitis began she was placed on an antibiotic for suspected upper respiratory infection. She does not remember the name of the antibiotic. Although she claims she remembers taking this type of medication in the past without any problems. She was on that medication, three pills a day for three to four days. She notes no other problems with her skin. She remembers no allergic reactions to medications. She has no previous history of fever blisters.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are various factors that put risk to the skin.. These are Drug Abuse, Dehydration, Smoking, Poor or Unhealthy Diet, Exposure to the Sun (UV).…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many diseases that affect the Integumentary system, due in some part to the fact that it contains the largest organ in the human body, which is the skin. The some of these diseases can be seen as rashes, dark spots, or just patches of itchy areas. The disease that will be discussed in throughout this paper is called Alopecia Areata. One will cover areas such as a description of the disease, as well as the causes, signs and systems, diagnosis, treatments, and prognosis.…

    • 694 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Plaque Psoriasis

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages

    It is usually caused by the immune system being mistakenly triggered and causing skin cells to be…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Psoriasis is a chronic auto-immune disease that appears on the skin. Psoriasis happens when the immune system sends out faulty signals that increase the production of skin growth resulting in the typical appearance of thickened, raised, and dry skin. It is estimated that 2% of the world 's population suffers from this disease. There is no "cure" for those living with this disease. Psoriasis is commonly seen in fair skinned individuals. But slowly the rate in dark skinned individuals is rising. People living with Psoriasis are also reportedly more depressed, and living with the disease myself, I can see why it would lead to depression in some individuals. I have chosen to cover this topic because I am one of the many of people who suffer from it. I understand first hand (literally) how this disease affects you not only physically but mentally.…

    • 1577 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Asthma and Eczema Patient

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages

    but since it is not present in all cases of eczema, they believe that there is…

    • 913 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    We describe a 46-year-old woman with an erythematous round plaque on lower lip and both arms Her skin eruptions waxed and waned for 10 mounths and were associated with her menstrual cycle. We performed an intradermal test using progesterone, which was positive. After…

    • 354 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Keratosis pilaris doesn't hurt and doesn't get worse except for some itching. Many kids and tees get it, and it normally disappears as they get older.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Acne is a very common skin disease. It can come in from of blackheads, whiteheads, red spots and even boils. Although anyone can have acne, the majority of the cases are found in teenagers. Most of the acne problems are found on the face, chest, upper back, and shoulders. The regions of the body are most common because they have large quantities of pilosebaceous follicles, when are huge oil-producing structures.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics