Plaque
Psoriasis
Plaque
psoriasis is the most widespread form of psoriasis. In
this case, the skin tends to be scaly, red and inflamed.
Characteristic symptoms of plaque psoriasis are blotches
of circular or oval-shaped red plaques that itch or burn.
Affected areas are often the arms, legs, scalp or trunk.
However, the patches can be found elsewhere on the body.
They are commonly found on the elbows and knees.
Psoriasis in general is not contagious and can be caused
by genetic factors and/or environmental factors like HIV
infection, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, smoking
and under/overexposure to sunlight. All these factors may
affect how often the psoriasis shows up and how long the
flare-ups stay.
Plaque Psoriasis
Statistics
About
1 to 2 percent of individuals in the United States suffer
from plaque psoriasis—that is about 5.5 million
Americans. Psoriasis is found among children, adults,
males, females and all races Females tend to develop
plaque psoriasis sooner compared to males. The first peak
incidence of this specific type of condition is in
individuals aged 16 to 22 years. The second peck is in
individuals aged 57 to 60 years. Research has indicated
that more individuals with psoriasis in western European
and Scandinavian populations compared to those in other
population groups.
Plaque
psoriasis is a chronic disease, which means it is
something that can last for several years to an entire
lifetime. Although many individuals who develop plaque
psoriasis will experience this skin problem for a
lifetime, the condition appears on and off where 80
percent of sufferers will get
remissions.
Symptoms of Plaque
Psoriasis
The
plaques in plaque psoriasis are often disc shaped and
pinkish-red with noticeable and clear edges. Silvery
white scales tend to wrap over them. They could cause
itchiness and in some cases, could bleed as well.
Although it may seem the plaques could infect others,
they are not contagious. Plaque psoriasis can be found in
any part of the body, but symptoms are commonly
identified on the elbows, knees, lower back, scalp and
hairline. There may also be some noticeable differences
in the nails, such as discolored portions, irregular
pitting and the nails coming off of the nail bed
underneath.
Risk Factors of Plaque
Psoriasis
There
are several risk factors known to play a role in
triggering the onset of plaque psoriasis. Genetic and
environmental factors have been suggested. Common risk
factors include trauma, sunlight, infection, certain
drugs, alcohol, psychological stress and
HIV.
Treatment of Plaque
Psoriasis
Lots
of safe and effective treatment options are accessible
for treating the affected areas of the skin. Generally,
treatments for plaque psoriasis aim at lessening redness,
swelling, flaking and itching linked to the skin disease.
But since psoriasis is a chronic condition, treatment
could be difficult to administer. Usually, the first step
advised by physicians is the administration of the least
powerful treatment. If the patient is does not respond
well or at all with the first treatment, then a stronger
one may be administered. This same process will carry on
until a certain combination of treatments is deemed most
suitable for the patient and his/her individual
circumstance. Common treatments for plaque psoriasis
ranging from least to most powerful are topical
treatments (coal tar, moisturizers, ointments), UV light
therapy (PUVA, UVB, lasers), and systemic
(oral/injectable) drugs such as Alefacept, Methotrexate,
Cyclosporine and Acitretin.
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