Psoriasis is a chronic (persistent) skin condition involving new skin cells that grow faster than normal. This causes thick, shiny, silver-coloured, and scaly patches of skin to form in areas where the old skin hasn't shed quickly enough. This can cause inflammation, pain, and itching.
Psoriasis often affects the scalp, the trunk of the body, and the outer sides of the arms and legs, especially the elbows and knees. The face, fingernails, palms of the hands, and even the genital area may be affected. While the patches can be highly visible at times and may be uncomfortable for people with the condition, people with psoriasis may have periods when there are fewer patches. Psoriasis is not contagious.
Psoriasis can negatively affect a person's quality of life.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin. Psoriasis may be so mild that it goes almost unnoticed. But it can also be severe, covering large areas of the body. Psoriasis can affect the skin in many different ways, so doctors often talk about several subtypes of the condition.
There are many ways to manage psoriasis symptoms, and the severity of the condition is an important factor when determining a method of treatment. Assessing severity usually involves determining how much of the body is affected, the location of the affected areas, and the type of psoriasis.
Along with the physical effects, however, it is important to keep in mind the emotional effects and how psoriasis can interfere with a person's quality of life. Factoring emotional health into the equation can give a different picture of the severity of the condition.
