17 Psoriasis Facts to Help Spread #PsOAwareness

A fact a day may not keep the doctor away, but it can keep ignorance at bay! Spreading information that is accurate can help spread awareness and education to those who may be less familiar with psoriasis.

Fact 1

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes symptoms to develop on the skin.

Fact 2

The most common form of psoriasis is called plaque psoriasis, which affects between 80% and 90% of people with the condition.

Fact 3

Psoriasis is a chronic, life-long condition. It cannot be cured, but most people will cycle through periods of flare-ups and remissions.

Fact 4

Psoriasis causes plaques, which are patches of skin that are raised, red, dry, and often covered with a layer of silvery scales.

Fact 5

Psoriasis is not contagious. Plaques develop because people with psoriasis have an immune system that is overactive, causing inflammation when it is not needed.

Fact 6

Plaques can develop anywhere on a person’s body, but may often form on the scalp, elbows, knees,lower back, hands, feet,nails, genitals, and skin folds. A person with psoriasis may have plaques just in one area of the body, or they may develop in multiple locations.

Fact 7

Most people with psoriasis (around 80%) have a mild form of the condition, with symptoms that affect less than 3% of a person’s total body surface area.

Fact 8

Even though psoriasis cannot be cured, there are different types of treatments available that work effectively to reduce and relieve symptoms for many people, treatments may include over-the-counter or prescription medications, injections or oral medications, or a combination of topical and systemic medications may be used.

Fact 9

A person can have more than one type of psoriasis at one time. The types of psoriasis are as follows: guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic.

Fact 10

Psoriatic arthritis is a condition that affects many people who have psoriasis with skin symptoms. Research estimates that about 30% of people with plaque psoriasis will go on to develop symptoms of psoriatic arthritis at some point.

Fact 11

A common psoriasis trigger is cold, dry, winter weather. During the winter, people also tend to get less exposure to sunlight. Many people have psoriasis symptoms that are improved by regular periods of short-term exposure to sunlight, so they do not get this benefit during the winter.

Fact 12

Around half of people with psoriasis will have symptoms on their scalp.

Fact 13

Phototherapy (light therapy) is a type of treatment that can be used to treat people with psoriasis it involves exposing the skin to ultraviolet light for a specific amount of time.

Fact 14

Living with psoriasis can be very stressful for a variety of reasons, including the physical pain and discomfort that symptoms can cause, feeling self-conscious about having highly visible symptoms, social isolation and the unpredictable nature of the condition.

Fact 16

Each person with plaque psoriasis has a different set of triggers. Some common triggers include: infections, skin injuries, taking certain medications, lifestyle and environmental triggers: stress, smoking, drinking alcohol heavily, diet, allergies, and weather.

Fact 17

Depending on how severe the psoriasis is, patients may need to be treated by certain types of healthcare providers who specialize in autoimmune and/or skin conditions. Key members of a psoriasis patient’s healthcare team may include a Primary Care Provider (PCP), Dermatologist, Rheumatologist and/or a Nutritionist.

Go ahead and share one fact or all 17 facts and help to continue to spread awareness even after Psoriasis Awareness Month wraps up!