Itching All Over

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red scaly patches. The patches are inflammed skin tissue due to excessive skin cell production. When these patches first begin to form on a person’s skin they are silvery white and then turn red as inflammation increases. Dermatologists refer to the scaly patches as psoriatic plaques. Psoriatic plaques can form anywhere on the body, but are most common on the arms, legs, scalp, and genitals.

Psoriasis is not a contagious disease. Most experts believe that people have a genetic predisposition to developing it, especially when experiencing physical or emotional stress. Unfortunately, the development of psoriasis can cause a person to experience additional stress. Many psoriasis patients have reported that the disease affects the quality of their lives due to developing low self esteem, depression, and social anxiety.

Psoriasis is not a curable skin condition. It can be treated with topical creams, UV (ultraviolet) light therapy, and biologic or immunosuppressant drugs. Psoriasis does not affect the reproductive system, but it is not recommended that pregnant or nursing mothers use immunosuppressants therapy. Nursing mothers also should not apply topical cream to their nipples.

The National Psoriasis Foundation recognizes five types of this disease: Plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic.

Most of the people who are diagnosed with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis. The psoriatic plaques caused by this type often turn in to painful lesions.

Guttate psoriasis causes red tear drop shaped spots on the skin. The lesions usually appear on the torso. Children and young adults often develop guttate psoriasis when they have strep throat or tonsillitis. Oatmeal based moisturizers like Aveeno are considered to be the best treatment for this form of psoriasis.

Inverse psoriasis is commonly seen in morbidly obese individuals. It develops in deep skin folds, particularly the armpits, genitals, buttocks, and underneath the breasts. The lesions are smooth and may appear shiny. Topical steroid creams are the best treatment for this disease.

Pustular psoriasis causes red blisters that are filled with noninfected pus. It is usually situated on the hands or feet, but can be found anywhere on the body. Once the blisters pop the lesions turn scaly. There are three subtypes of pustular psoriasis. They are Von Zumbusch psoriasis (which can affect any part of the body), palmo-plantar pustulosis (which affects

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Before going for Psoriasis treatment one needs to understand the disease. Psoriasis is a long-term non-contagious skin disease characterised by red scaly patches. There are different types of psoriasis and each of them requires different treatments. Brief information on different categories of Psoriasis and their treatment is given below.

1. Scaly patches caused by psoriasis known as psoriasis plaques are caused by excessive skin production and inflammation.

2. Small red spots on the skin called guttate is another form of psoriasis

3. A particular category of psoriasis known as guttate is found in groins, skin folds and armpits.

4. Pustular is another form of psoriasis which is red skin surrounded by white blisters

5. Erythrodermic is a category of psoriasis, which is characterised by intense red skin over large area.

6. Nail psoriasis is another type that changes appearance of toe and fingernails.

7. Psoriatic arthritis is a category, which involves connective tissue and joint inflammation.

Psoriasis affects health in the form of depression, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure. On the seriousness and location of the spread, a patient may experience disability and discomfort. Generally, this disease occurs in the age group of 15 to 25 years.

The cause behind psoriasis is not known. However, there are two theories on the occurrence of the disease. The first theory gives more importance to excessive skin production while the second theory gives more importance to immune factor. At present, there is no permanent psoriasis treatment available. However, there are treatments available for lessening its impact on ability or discomfort. The skin experts generally employ trial and error method in helping a patient out of the disease.

To know more on psoriasis treatment, one should gather more information on the disease. Such information could be found from various online sources. With the information in hand, a patient should consult a dermatologist to decide which course of action he or she should take. Only after consulting a dermatologist, should one employ a medication or therapy to lessen the effect of psoriasis.

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Psoriasis is a disease which affects the skin and joints. It commonly causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin. The scaly patches caused by psoriasis, called psoriatic plaques, are areas of inflammation and excessive skin production. Skin rapidly accumulates at these sites and takes a silvery-white appearance. Plaques frequently occur on the skin of the elbows and knees, but can affect any area including the scalp and genitals. Psoriasis is hypothesized to be immune-mediated and is not contagious.

Causes & Symptoms :
The disorder is a chronic recurring condition which varies in severity from minor localised patches to complete body coverage. Fingernails and toenails are frequently affected (psoriatic nail dystrophy). Psoriasis can also cause inflammation of the joints, which is known as psoriatic arthritis. Ten to fifteen percent of people with psoriasis have psoriatic arthritis. The cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to have a genetic component. Several factors are thought to aggravate psoriasis. These include stress, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking. Individuals with psoriasis may suffer from depression and loss of self-esteem. As such, quality of life is an important factor in evaluating the severity of the disease. There are many treatments available but because of its chronic recurrent nature psoriasis is a challenge to treat.

There can be substantial variation between individuals in the effectiveness of specific psoriasis treatments. Because of this, dermatologists often use a trial-and-error approach to finding the most appropriate treatment for their patient. The decision to employ a particular treatment is based on the type of psoriasis, its location, extent and severity. The patient’s age, gender, quality of life, comorbidities, and attitude toward risks associated with the treatment are also taken into consideration.

Topical treatment:
Bath solutions and moisturizers help sooth affected skin and reduce the dryness which accompanies the build-up of skin on psoriatic plaques. Medicated creams and ointments applied directly to psoriatic plaques can help reduce inflammation, remove built-up scale, reduce skin turn over, and clear affected skin of plaques. Ointment and creams containing coal tar (no longer available on prescription in the UK) , dithranol (anthralin), corticosteroids, vitamin D3 analogues (for example, calcipotriol), and retinoids are routinely used. The mechanism of action of each is probably different but they all help to normalise skin cell production and reduce inflammation. Activated vitamin D and its analogues are highly effective inhibitors of skin cell proliferation.

Phototherapy:
It has long been recognised that daily, short, non-burning exposure to sunlight helped to clear or improve psoriasis. Niels Finsen was the first physician to investigate the therapeutic effects of sunlight scientifically and to use sunlight in clinical practice. This became known as phototherapy. Sunlight contains many different wavelengths of light. It was during the early part of the 20th century that it was recognised that for psoriasis the therapeutic property of sunlight was due to the wavelengths classified as ultraviolet (UV) light.

Photochemotherapy:
Psoralen and ultraviolet A phototherapy (PUVA) combines the oral or topical administration of psoralen with exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) light. Precisely how PUVA works is not known. The mechanism of action probably involves activation of psoralen by UVA light which inhibits the abnormally rapid production of the cells in psoriatic skin. There are multiple mechanisms of action associated with PUVA, including effects on the skin immune system.

Systemic treatment:
Psoriasis which is resistant to topical treatment and phototherapy is treated by medications that are taken internally by pill or injection. This is called systemic treatment. Patients undergoing systemic treatment are required to have regular blood and liver function tests because of the toxicity of the medication. Pregnancy must be avoided for the majority of these treatments. Most people experience a recurrence of psoriasis after systemic treatment is discontinued.

http://onestoptreatment.com/Psoriasis-treatments.php

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Skin Rash is a type of red bump that forms on your body. There are many reasons for the cause of skin rash. This word is freely used in normal language to denote a number of skin conditions.

Skin Rash Types

Most commonly occurring skin rash types are:

* Non-infected scaly patches on the skin.

* Red, itchy patches or bumps all over the skin.

* Scaly patches on skin caused by fungal or bacterial infection.

Skin rashes are rarely categorized as dangerous, but still warrant medical attention. Self-diagnosis for skin rashes should not be done. Proper evaluation of the skin rash type requires a doctor visit. The following list of skin rash types may help you to categorize the condition.

Non infected scaly patches on the skin:

Scaly and itchy skin rash type usually stands for a condition known as eczema.

Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis is the most common form of eczema. “Dermatitis” means skin inflammation. “Atopic” refers to hereditary diseases. This skin rash type is normally hereditary which often starts in childhood with symptoms like scaly patches on the arms, legs, scalp and torso.

Atopic dermatitis may spread to inner elbows and knees during the teenage. Adults are affected by atopic dermatitis on the genitals, around the eyelids, on the hand and all over the body as well. These diseases may include hay fever, asthma and atopic dermatitis.

During atopic dermatitis, the skin turns extremely itchy and inflamed which may result in redness, swelling and cracking. Atopic dermatitis affects off and on for no apparent reason. It is at its worst in winter months, when the air becomes cold and dry.

Contact Dermatitis

The skin rash type caused due to contact with a specific material, which may cause allergy to the skin is know as contact dermatitis. For example poison ivy and jewelry containing nickel causes reactions. Only the touched part is affected by contact dermatitis.

Other Non-infected Scaly Patches

The other kinds of skin rash types are scaly rashes. Psoriasis is also a hereditary condition. Psoriasis affects the knees, elbows and pityriasis rosea, which forms scaly rashes on the chest and back and generally disappears in a month. Xerosis or very dry skin, may appear as rash during the cold, dry months of the year.

Red, itchy patches or bumps all over the skin:

Virus or allergy causes this form of skin rash type.

Allergic drug rash

Allergic drug skin rashes are the skin rashes, which are caused due to drug allergy. They start in about two weeks of a new medication. It is very doubtful that a medicine which has been prescribed for a few months or years to cause a reaction. There is no specific test to prove whether a skin rash is allergic as a result of which doctors recommend stopping a suspected drug to see the results.

Viral Skin Rash

Viral infections of the skin like herpes mostly occur on one part of the body, viral rashes also occur all over the body and are symmetrical. These viral rashes usually last about a week and vanish on their own.

Other Red, Itchy Patches Or Bumps

Urticaria or Hives are red welts that are itchy. They appear and disappear on different body parts. Most people use the term “skin rash” to describe the conditions of pimples or rosacea on the facial skin, because of the vagueness of the term. They certainly do not fall into any skin rash types.

Scaly patches on skin caused by fungal or bacterial infection:

Bacterial infections

The most common skin rash type caused by bacterial infection is impetigo. Impetigo is caused by strep germs and is more common in children. This again is not due to poor hygiene.

Fungal infections

Fungal infections are common but not as frequent as rashes in the eczema category. Hygiene is not the cause for fungal infections as clean people are also prone to them. Fungal infections are not contagious. The fungal infection skin rash type is not caught from animals, nor is it transmitted in gyms, showers or pools.

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Atopic dermatitis is a long lasting disease, which affects the skin. This illness belongs to the group of hereditary diseases, which tend to run in families, and many times they appear together. In this family of diseases we can find hay fever, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.When a person has atopic dermatitis, the skin will become very inflamed and itchy, and there will appear redness, swelling, weeping, crusting, cracking and scaling.

It was seen that the most affected by this disease are young children and infants, but atopic dermatitis can appear in the adult period as well, and it can even show up then for the first time. This disease has periods of flares and periods of remissions. When the disease gets worse, we say it is the period of flares, and when remissions come, skin improves or clears up entirely.It is known that in those who have inherited the atopic disease trait, the environmental conditions can activate at any time the symptoms of atopic dermatitis.

It is important to make the difference between atopic dermatitis and eczema. Eczema is the general term for many types of dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis is the most common of the types of eczema.We will describe some types of eczema.

Atopic dermatitis provokes an itchy, inflamed skin, and it is known as being a chronic disease. Seborrheic eczema has unknown causes, and it is characterized by yellowish, oily, scaly patches of skin on the scalp, face, and sometimes on other parts of the body as well.

The contact eczema is characterized by redness, itching, and burning. It is a local reaction due to the contact of the skin with an allergen or an irritant (such as an acid or a cleaning agent for example). Neurodermatitis is caused by a localized itch, develops scaly patches of skin on the head, lower legs, wrists, or forearms, and it becomes very irritated when it is scratched.

Dyshidrotic eczema is known to provoke clear, deep blisters that itch and burn, and this eczema is an irritation of the skin on the palms of hands and soles of the feet.We can also mention stasis dermatitis which is a skin irritation on the lower legs, that usually is related to circulatory problems, and nummular eczema which presents like coin-shaped patches of irritated skin, usually appears on the arms, back, buttocks, and lower legs, and can be crusted, scaling, and very itchy.

For more resources about eczema skin symptoms or even about eczema treatment please review http://www.eczema-info-guide.com

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