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In most cases, the first treatment used will be a topical treatment, such as vitamin D analogues or topical corticosteroids. Your doctor will ask you about how much the condition is affecting your everyday life.
DOCTOR WHO REGENERATION SKIN
There's no cure for psoriasis, but a range of treatments can improve symptoms and the appearance of skin patches. You may have blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and X-rays of the affected joints may be taken. If your doctor suspects you have psoriatic arthritis, which is sometimes a complication of psoriasis, you may be referred to a doctor who specialises in arthritis (rheumatologist). In rare cases, a small sample of skin called a biopsy will be sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope. You may be referred to a specialist in diagnosing and treating skin conditions (dermatologist) if your doctor is uncertain about your diagnosis, or if your condition is severe. How psoriasis is diagnosedĪ GP can often diagnose psoriasis based on the appearance of your skin. The condition is not contagious, so it cannot be spread from person to person. Possible triggers of psoriasis include an injury to your skin, throat infections and using certain medicines. Many people's psoriasis symptoms start or become worse because of a certain event, known as a trigger. Psoriasis can run in families, although the exact role genetics plays in causing psoriasis is unclear. The immune system is your body's defence against disease and infection, but it attacks healthy skin cells by mistake in people with psoriasis. The resulting build-up of skin cells is what creates the patches associated with psoriasis.Īlthough the process is not fully understood, it's thought to be related to a problem with the immune system. Skin cells are normally made and replaced every 3 to 4 weeks, but in psoriasis this process only takes about 3 to 7 days. People with psoriasis have an increased production of skin cells. Psoriasis is a long-lasting (chronic) disease that usually involves periods when you have no symptoms or mild symptoms, followed by periods when symptoms are more severe. For some it's just a minor irritation, but for others it can have a big impact on their quality of life.
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The severity of psoriasis varies greatly from person to person. It can start at any age, but most often develops in adults between 20 and 30 years old and between 50 and 60 years old. Psoriasis affects around 2 in 100 people in the UK. In some cases, the patches can be itchy or sore. Most people are only affected with small patches. These patches normally appear on your elbows, knees, scalp and lower back, but can appear anywhere on your body. On brown and black skin the patches can also look purple or dark brown, and the scales may look grey. On brown, black and white skin the patches can look pink or red, and the scales white or silvery. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes flaky patches of skin which form scales.
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