There are a number of different types of Psoriasis, as will be discussed in this article. Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the skin. It is a disease that results from the immune system’s faulty signals; that speed up the skin cell’s cycle of growth. It is however important to note that, Psoriasis is not a contagious disease. Its causes though not well established; they have been linked to various environmental factors.
The disease is characterized by red patches and inflammation of the skin. Research has established that there are about five to six types of Psoriasis; which include, Plaque Psoriasis, Guttate Psoriasis, Inverse Psoriasis, Pustular Psoriasis and Erythrodemic Psoriasis among others. The disease appears in a number of forms; however, a person can only have one type of Psoriasis at a time. In other words, one type has to first clear before another can take its place!
Plaque Scoriasis is the most common type, since it affects about 80% of the patients. Plaque Psoriasis is identified by inflamed red lesions on the skin that are covered by white silvery scales. Here, the skin therefore develops a white silvery appearance as Plaques psoriasis accumulates. It mostly affects the; knees, elbows, lower back and scalp.
Another type of the disease is, Guttate (meaning drop) Psoriasis which mostly starts at a very young age. Here, small red spots usually appear on the skin of the limbs and trunk. This Psoriasis type often appears suddenly and is linked to upper respiratory infections, strep throat infection, stress, tonsillitis, skin injury and the side effects of certain drug administration.
Another form of Psoriasis is Inverse psoriasis; whose lesions appear as smooth and shiny bright red lesions. It mostly affects areas like; the armpits, breasts, groin, genitals and buttocks. It therefore mostly affects areas that have skin folds and because of its location is subject to irritation from sweating. It has been found to be common in people that are overweight, because they tend to have so many skin folds.
There is also Pustular Psoriasis, which mostly affects adults and is identified by white blisters that are surrounded by red skin. The blisters often have none infectious pus in them. Pustular Psoriasis occurs in a number of forms and can either cover the whole body, or be localized to certain areas only. It often occurs as a result of; internal medication, pregnancy, overexposure to UV lights, stress, infections and systemic steroids among others.
Erythrodemic Psoriasis is also another form of Psoriasis, which mostly affects the surface of the body. In this form, there is widespread reddening of the skin and shedding of scales periodically. Here, the scales are shed in sheets as opposed to small flakes. This type causes the body to be itchy and painful, the heart rate to increase and the body temperature to rapidly fluctuate. Given its severe symptoms, it is advised that people affected by it should see a doctor immediately so as to avoid further complications like pneumonia, congestive heart failure and other severe infections.
Another common form of the disease is Facial Psoriasis; which affects about 46% of Psoriasis patients. Here, the scales and rashes are produced on an area of the body that is not easy to conceal; this type therefore often presents a number of challenges in treatment. It mostly affects the upper lip, Forehead, hair line and eye brows. Facial Psoriasis often presents the same symptoms like other forms of the disease. This form of psoriasis responds well to petroleum jelly and moisturizers.
From the above discussion, it is noted that Psoriasis is a disease that mostly affects the skin; presenting itself in form of red patches. There are a number of different types of Psoriasis and each of them affects the body in different forms.