Does Your Psoriasis Feel Raw?

Plaque psoriasis presents as red, raised patches on the body. It can develop anywhere on the body. Psoriasis does not discriminate in that it can happen at any time from birth to adulthood and to any race. There are 5 different types of psoriasis. They are plaque, pustular, inverse, guttate and erythrodermic. It can also develop on your scalp and nails. The last one on the list, erythrodermic, is the most dangerous. Most of us will not develop the erythrodermic type. However, there are times that could make you feel like it is getting close to that stage. That is what I want to touch on now. There are times when my plaque psoriasis feels so raw and is hot to the touch. It is very painful. The mere instance something touches it like the sheet on my bed sends pain resonating through my body.

What causes psoriasis?

There may be several things that cause it. In my case my left ankle is the worst when it comes to being covered in plaque psoriasis. Doctors will tell you that having psoriasis on your ankles is one of the hardest areas to treat. My left ankle is almost completely surrounded. I have one small area about two fingers wide that is still clear. One of the things I know I shouldn’t scratch it. However, there are times when it itches so much, I can’t take it anymore. It is at these times that I get it to a point of feeling raw. By scratching I am making it worse, and I know it. I do have ointment to put on it, but it never seems to stop the itching for long. Part of my problem is when I start, I don’t know when to stop.

Taking showers is making my psoriasis very painful and raw. I know they say we should not take hot showers or baths. However, if you are like me, that heat feels good on our sore joints. That same heat is not good on open sores. The longer I stand under it the rawer it starts to feel. I do realize that when I dry off, I must stop myself from rubbing the plaques for too long. If I rub too long that makes it feel like raw meat also. It is a delicate balance to get dry.

Rawness

When it gets to this stage I have a miserable night of sleep. Trying to get under the covers is a nightmare. With the patches feeling so raw the slightest touch of a sheet makes me want to cry out in pain. I cannot leave my leg out of the cover as the cold air makes it feel just as bad. I try to prop my leg on my other one by laying on my right side to no avail. Nothing seems to help to keep it from feeling so raw. Until one night after being awake most of the night I got the idea to try wearing socks. To my surprise it worked. It felt raw for a few minutes, but I guess the sock shielded it in some way.

Do you have times when your psoriasis feels raw? Does it cause you to lose sleep? Maybe it’s painful for you during the daytime? My solution for mine feeling painful is to use a sock for padding against my sheets. I am wondering if you found a way to shield your psoriasis patch from being so raw. If so, could you please share your tips so I may try something new? At the point where it is raw I am just about willing to try anything to shield the pain.