Psoriasis: Fact Or Fiction

Let's play a game. I like any kind of game that makes you think. There is so much information that deals with psoriasis, it can be hard to know what is fact and what is fiction.

If you have had psoriasis for a long time then most of these will probably be easy for you to answer. It's my hope that you do know all these. If you don't, then I have done my part in helping you learn something new about psoriasis. Knowledge is power. So let's begin.

Can psoriasis be life-threatening?

Fact or Fiction? If you said fact, you are right. When psoriasis turns into erythrodermic psoriasis it can be potentially deadly.

Never heard of erythrodermic psoriasis? It is when the plaques get extremely red, have heat that you can feel, and it makes it hard for your body to regulate temperature. It is this regulation of temperature that can cause serious problems. If any of the three things are happening with your psoriasis it is imperative that you see your doctor.

Is psoriasis caused by bad hygiene?

Fact or Fiction? Hopefully, you are laughing at this one and know that it is fiction. Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease. Your body is literally attacking itself.

However, I literally had a woman tell me one time that I got psoriasis from putting my arms on a dirty table in a restaurant. People with scalp psoriasis are often told that they are not washing their hair enough. Ludacris right? I'm sure there are other stories as well.

Does psoriasis only affects the skin?

Fact or Fiction? This is fiction. Psoriasis can affect other parts of your body. In my case, psoriasis affects my eyes by putting pressure on the inside of my eyeballs. This keeps my eyes dry and itchy.

I have to put drops in there twice a day to keep them moisturized. Psoriasis can also cause arthritis to develop on your joints and muscles known as psoriatic arthritis.

There are other conditions that can come with having psoriasis. If you look up the term comorbidities of psoriasis you will find everything associated with psoriasis.

Did the word psoriasis mean something else?

Fact or Fiction? This is actually a fact, believe it or not. The term psoriasis was first termed by a Greek physician in 200 B.C. to describe scaly skin on eyelids or men's private region.

That condition actually took on a new name of seborrheic dermatitis. It wasn't until the 1800's that an English physician by the name of Robert Willan that gave it the description that most of us know psoriasis to be. A red, scaly, oval, or circular patch or lesion.

Was urine used as an early treatment for psoriasis

Fact or Fiction? This again is actually a fact. Disgusting as it is to think about it but true. There are ancient writings that show a mixture of onion, sea salt, and urine was used to treat psoriasis.

I don't know about you but my first thought would be that no one is using urine on my psoriasis. Onion and Sea Salt? Can you imagine how that burned? I even have a friend that told me a story of her mom being told to use urine on my friend's psoriasis. Luckily for her, the mother refused to do it.

Learning new things about psoriasis

Hopefully, you have learned something new about psoriasis. Although I am sure the last one you would rather not remember. It is all a part of learning about psoriasis and the hand we have been dealt.

Maybe you can use this fact or fiction game to educate your family and friends about psoriasis. If nothing else you ought to get a funny face reaction when you ask them the last one. I know I did but it led to further discussion about treatment options with my family. Anything that can bring on a discussion about psoriasis I always count as a good thing. How about you?