Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that causes areas of thickened, swollen, and red skin, often covered with silver scales.
In people without psoriasis, skin cells grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface. This process is called cell turnover, and it takes about a month. With psoriasis, it can happen in just a few days because the cells rise too fast and pile up on the surface.
This disease affects 2 percent to 2.6 percent of the United States population, or between 5.8 and 7.5 million people. Anyone can get psoriasis, but it occurs more often in adults. Sometimes there is a family history of the disease. Certain genes have been linked to it, and men and women get psoriasis at about the same rate.
This condition begins in the immune system, mainly with a type of white blood cell called a T cell. T cells help protect the body against infection and disease. With psoriasis, T cells are put into action by mistake. They become so active that they set off other immune responses. This leads to swelling and fast turnover of skin cells.
People with this condition may notice that sometimes the skin gets better and sometimes it gets worse. Things that can cause your symptoms to worsen include:
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Psoriasis - eMedTV: Health Information Brought To Life
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