psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition which results in inflammation and scaling of the skin. There are 5 main types of psoriasis with plaque psoriasis being the most common.

Psoriasis affects approximately 2.5 percent of the United States population, or around 6 million people. A similar percentage of Canadians and Australians are also affected. The country with the highest percentage of psoriasis sufferers appears to be England.

Although the condition can occur in all age groups, it primarily affects adults. It appears about equally in males and females. Psoriasis is not a disease, and IS Not contagious!

Psoriasis occurs when skin cells quickly rise from their origin below the surface of the skin and pile up on the surface before they have a chance to mature and sluff off. Usually this movement takes about 28 days, but in psoriasis it may occur in only a day or two.

In its typical form, psoriasis results in patches of thick, red (inflamed) skin covered with silvery scales. These patches, which are referred to as plaques, usually itch and may feel sore.

They most often occur on the elbows, knees, other parts of the legs, torso and scalp. They can appear anywhere including the palms, feet, even your finger and toe nails. They may appear on your face but this is not very common.

Most people are in agreement that psoriasis is caused by an improper immune system response, which is a general answer for a lot of health conditions and diseases.

The challenge in treating psoriasis is getting the immune system to respond correctly!

There is no medical cure for psoriasis but there are numerous treatments available. Many people have had success using natural methods for treating their psoriasis, or combining both medical and natural methods to produce excellent results.