Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes the skin to become dry, itchy and red and often presents with scaly, flaky patches. These patches most commonly occur on the scalp, elbows, knees and lower back, but they can appear anywhere on the skin, with some people also developing symptoms that affect their nails and joints.

Around 2% of people in the UK are affected by psoriasis. It can develop at any age but it is a long-term condition so once you have developed it you will most likely continue to have intermittent episodes of the condition (flare-ups) throughout your life. Psoriasis is an immune-mediated condition that is triggered by your body's inflammatory response causing your skin cells to be overproduced. It is not contagious.

Episodes of psoriasis or flare-ups affect people differently, they can vary in severity and length of time. For some people, flare-ups only happen very occasionally, but for others, they can be very frequent. Flare-ups of psoriasis usually have a trigger or several triggers For some people it becomes obvious what their triggers are but for others, they may never be completely sure.

The most common triggers include:

• Stress - the first episode of psoriasis often follows a significant period of stress
• Alcohol - is dehydrating, which can increase the severity of psoriasis
• Injury - scratches, cuts, piercings, injections
• Infections - any form of illness, but particularly throat infections
• Medication - including lithium, antimalarials, Ibuprofen and blood pressure medication
• Hormones - in women puberty, pregnancy and menopause