Psoriasis is a commonly occurring skin condition. It is a chronic condition that accelerates the life cycle of skin cells. The cells build up rapidly on the skin surface. The excess cells create red patches and scales that cause pain, itch, and irritation.

Common symptoms of psoriasis include red patches or thick silvery scales on the skin, thickened nails, stiff and swollen joints, soreness, itching, burning sensation, small scaling spots, and cracked skin that may bleed.

Here’s an overview of the causes and diagnosis of psoriasis.

Causes of psoriasis

Psoriasis is known to occur due to an immune system issue with white blood cells like T cells and neutrophils.

T cells pass through the body and defend it from foreign substances like viruses and bacteria. However, during psoriasis, T cells mistakenly affect healthy skin cells in an attempt to fight an infection or heal a wound. Overactive T cells also produce healthy skin cells at a higher rate. These cells pass through the skin, reach its outermost layer, and lead to redness.

This becomes a regular cyclic process and starts building new skin cells in just a few days. The reason why T cells malfunction is unknown. A number of researchers believe that environmental and genetic factors play a role in this.

A few of the factors that initiate and trigger the symptoms of psoriasis are:

• Stress
• Heavy consumption of alcohol
• Smoking
• Deficiency of vitamin D
• Skin injuries like a scrape, bug bite, severe sunburn, or a cut
• Skin infections or strep throat infections
• A specific type of medication containing lithium

The following risk factors increase the chances of a person to develop psoriasis:

• If your body weight is excessive or you are obese
• If psoriasis runs in your family history. In case one of your parents has it, your risk increases. In case both of your parents have it, your risk is further increased.
• If your body is prone to viral and bacterial infections. People with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) are at a higher risk of getting psoriasis when compared to people having a healthy immune system.

Diagnosis of psoriasis

Diagnosis of psoriasis is quite simple. The doctor examines your skin, nails, and scalp, and checks your medical history to diagnose psoriasis.

If required, the doctor may then take a small sample of the skin for a biopsy. This happens only in rare cases. The patient is given local anesthesia and his skin is observed under a microscope. This helps the doctor to determine the exact type of psoriasis and eliminate other skin disorders.

Once psoriasis is diagnosed, it is important to consult a dermatologist. Discuss all the problems you are facing due to the symptoms. Give the complete medical history to the skin specialist and let the doctor guide you with the best treatment suitable for you.

In most patients, psoriasis often reoccurs at times and disappears. There is no specific cure for psoriasis. The treatment helps to stop the rapid growth of skin cells. It also aids in managing the symptoms.

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