Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition caused by an overactive immune system. Some of the symptoms include flaking, inflammation, and white, silvery, or red patches on the skin. Psoriasis is usually treated with the help of treatments such as steroid creams, occlusion, light therapy and oral medications, as well as biologics. Unpredictable and irritating, Dr Neil Niren describes psoriasis as one of the most baffling and persistent of skin disorders.
This skin condition is characterized by skin cells that multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. Once the underlying cells reach the skin's surface they die, and their sheer volume causes raised, red plaques covered with white scales. As a certified dermatologist with over 35 years of experience, Dr. Neil Niren MD has a thorough understanding of psoriasis. Typically it manifests on the knees, elbows, and scalp, although it can also affect the torso, palms, and soles of the feet.
There are several types of psoriasis and the symptoms depend of the type you have. The most common variety of the condition includes plaques of red skin covered with loose, silver-colored scales. These lesions can be itchy and painful, and they sometimes crack and bleed. In some severe cases, the plaques of irritated skin can grow and merge into one another, covering large areas.
In terms of what triggers psoriasis, Dr Neil Niren believes it is a combination of genes. In people with psoriasis, the genes that control the immune system signals get mixed up. So, instead of protecting the body from invaders as it's designed to do, it triggers inflammation and turns skin cells on overdrive.
As Neil Niren MD explains, psoriasis is quite often associated with psoriatic arthritis, which leads to pain and swelling in the joints. Those who suffer from this condition know just how difficult and frustrating it can be to treat it. It comes and goes in cycles of remissions and flare-ups over the course of a patient’s lifetime. There is no cure for this condition yet, although there are some medications and therapies that can help clear up the patches of red, thickened skin.
As Neil Niren MD explains, psoriasis is quite often associated with psoriatic arthritis, which leads to pain and swelling in the joints. Those who suffer from this condition know just how difficult and frustrating it can be to treat it. It comes and goes in cycles of remissions and flare-ups over the course of a patient’s lifetime. There is no cure for this condition yet, although there are some medications and therapies that can help clear up the patches of red, thickened skin.
