There are many different types of psoriasis but plaque psoriasis is the most common form. Nine out of ten people diagnosed with psoriasis actually specifically have plaque psoriasis, but there are other types such as pustular psoriasis, guttate psoriasis and inverse psoriasis.
Sufferers of plaque psoriasis’ skin will be red, itchy, inflamed and also appear to have silver scales. Usually this form of psoriasis is found on the knees and elbows, but also can be found on the arms, legs, and scalp and trunk skin of your body. Plaque psoriasis symptoms can be very common and has been diagnosed in 5.5 million Americans. This is an especially large number due to the fact that many psoriasis cases either go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
Plaque Psoriasis – Inherited?
Psoriasis is not a contagious, but is instead an inherited disease. If both of your parents have plaque psoriasis then you have a 50% chance of getting it yourself. It is believed to be autoimmune by many doctors and researchers, which mean that the body thinks the skin cells are a foreign object so they attack them, which causes them reproduce at a greater rate. There unfortunately is no cure for psoriasis but there are many plaque psoriasis treatments that are very effective.
There are certain triggers than can cause your plaque psoriasis flare-ups to happen more frequently. If you are HIV positive, stress, smoke, injury to skin, have a great deal of sun exposure or suffer from alcoholism then you are more likely to have more out breaks. Some people do have certain triggers that affect them personally; psoriasis is a disease that can be very different from person to person.
Plaque Psoriasis – Doctors orders
If you have severe plaque psoriasis then you will want to go to a doctor. Your doctor will usually be able to complete a diagnosis by doing a physical exam. If the diagnoses is uncertain or if you are not comfortable with a simple physical exam then you can have a skin biopsy done to secure an official diagnosis. Once you have your diagnoses you can begin treatment.
Plaque psoriasis is by far the most common form of psoriasis. If you are suffering from itchy inflamed red skin, then it is very likely that you have this skin disorder. This is not a reason to be sad or stress. Granted plaque psoriasis isn’t curable but there are a large amount of great treatments out there to help you.