Shedding light on psoriasis

MANILA, Philippines – Psoriasis is one such medical condition that remains taboo in the general society — and sadly, its physical manifestations play a significant role in people’s preconceived notions about the disease.

As such, there is a need to increase awareness and shed light on what psoriasis really is and how it affects the sufferer, as well as the people surrounding him or her.

Psoriasis Philippines (PsorPhil) uncovers the basic facts on psoriasis and lets people in on what they really need to know about the condition.

What is psoriasis? In a nutshell, it is a type of skin disease that results in scaling and inflammation (which can manifest as swelling, redness, heat or pain).

It is often caused by the hastening of a bodily process called “cell turnover,” wherein skin cells grow and develop deep within the skin, and eventually move toward the surface.

Normally, cell turnover takes a month to complete, but for a person afflicted with psoriasis, the process speeds up and happens in mere days.

Psoriasis affects various parts of the body, such as the knees, elbows, parts of the legs, scalp, lower back, palms, and face, even unlikely areas including fingernails and toenails, the inner part of the mouth and the genitals.

Is psoriasis contagious?

Contrary to popular belief, psoriasis is not contagious. While anyone can develop the condition, certain individuals are predisposed to get it, particularly those with a family history of psoriasis.

For these predisposed individuals, certain ways of life serve as triggers to the development of the condition — beginning with the speeding up of cell turnover.

Those afflicted with psoriasis know that certain external factors also make the condition worse, such as infections, stress, some medicine, and even a change of weather that causes dryness to the skin.

While there is no definite or universal cure to psoriasis, it is a manageable condition that can be treated depending on the severity of the condition.

A patient’s doctor will need to diagnose this by looking at the size of the psoriasis patches, the type of psoriasis or the patient’s reactions to certain medications.

Generally, however, two types of treatments apply to psoriasis. Topical treatment consists of the use of prescribed creams, gels, and ointments, which work to reduce inflammation and cell turnover, allow the skin to peel and help pores unclog, and soothe the skin for the comfort of the patient.

Systemic treatment involves the prescription of drugs or vaccine shots to help ease symptoms. This is normally done for more serious cases of the condition.

Hope for psoriasis sufferers

Today, psoriasis research is growing and blossoming, with doctors and medical researchers looking into various areas that are associated with the disease, including the role of genes, promising new treatments and other possible influencers of the condition.

With the advances in modern medical technology, one can be comforted in the fact that there is more to discover about psoriasis — and with new knowledge comes the possibility of developing better or more effective treatments.

Psoriasis Philippines is a non-profit organization for afflicted patients and their families, doctors and caregivers established with the primary goal to provide support, advocate member rights, as well as educate the public on the disease.

For more information, log on to http://www.psorphil.org.

If you know anyone with psoriasis, you can be assisted by Psoriasis Philippines by calling (+63 2) 379-4290, (+63) 922 829 PSOR (7767) or toll-free number 1-800-10-848 PSOR (7767).

If you are suffering from the symptoms of psoriasis, consult a dermatologist.