How to prevent complications associated with psoriasis?

Question

Hi doctor,

My father's psoriasis has transformed from a simple skin condition into a complex medical puzzle. At 56, he is battling an aggressive form of psoriasis that is intertwining with his existing cardiovascular, and metabolic health concerns. His cardiologist recently noted increased inflammation markers that might be linked to the psoriatic condition. The skin lesions cover significant areas of his body, causing incredible pain and reducing his movements. As a truck driver, this condition is threatening his livelihood. He tried numerous treatments from topical medications to biological therapies but nothing provided long-term relief. The patches are particularly severe on his hands, feet, and back, making daily activities challenging. His recent neurological assessment also suggested potential nerve involvement related to the chronic inflammatory response. Please guide us on what to do next to prevent further complications.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

Psoriasis causes patches of red, scaly skin. It happens because your body has an overactive immune system. Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes inflammation in your skin. Symptoms of psoriasis include; thick areas of discolored skin covered with scales. These thick, scaly areas are called plaques. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition, which means it can flare up unexpectedly and there is no cure. A psoriasis rash can show up anywhere on your skin. Psoriasis is common on your elbows and knees, face, and inside of your mouth, scalp, fingernails and toenails, genitals, lower back, palms, and feet.

In most people, psoriasis covers a small area of their skin. In severe cases, the plaques connect and cover a large area of your body. People of any age, sex, or race can get psoriasis. Symptoms of psoriasis can range from mild to severe. In addition to skin plaques or a rash, you might have symptoms that include:

Itchy skin.
Cracked, dry skin.
Skin pain.
Nails that are pitted, cracked, or crumbly.
Joint pain.

If you scratch your plaque, you could break open your skin, which could lead to an infection. Infections are dangerous. If you experience severe pain, swelling, and a fever, you have symptoms of an infection. Contact your healthcare provider if you have these symptoms. An over-reactive immune system that creates inflammation in your skin causes psoriasis.

If you have psoriasis, your immune system is supposed to destroy foreign invaders, like bacteria, to keep you healthy and prevent you from getting sick. Instead, your immune system can mistake healthy cells for foreign invaders. As a result, your immune system creates inflammation or swelling, which you see on the surface of your skin as skin plaques. It usually takes up to 30 days for new skin cells to grow and replace old skin cells. Your over-reactive immune system causes the timeline of new skin cell development to change to three to four days. The speed of new cells replacing old cells creates scales and frequent skin shedding on top of skin plaques. Psoriasis runs in families. There may be a genetic component to psoriasis because biological parents may pass the condition down to their children.

An outbreak of psoriasis, or a flare-up, causes symptoms of psoriasis as a result of contact with a trigger, which could be an irritant or an allergen. Psoriasis outbreaks differ from person to person. Common triggers for psoriasis flare-ups include:

Emotional stress.
An infection (streptococcal infection).
A skin injury like cuts, scrapes, or surgery.
Certain medications, such as Lithium and beta-blockers.
Changes in body temperature due to the weather.

Psoriasis is not contagious. You cannot get psoriasis by coming into contact with another person’s psoriasis skin rash. To feel your best with psoriasis:

Take medications as instructed.
Use moisturizer regularly, especially after bathing.
Avoid harsh soaps.
Use medicated shampoo for scales on your scalp.

Other steps you should take to stay as healthy as possible:

Talk to your healthcare provider about lowering your risk for related conditions, such as heart disease, depression, and diabetes.
Lower your stress with meditation, exercise, and yoga.
Do regular skin self-exams to notice any changes in your skin.

I hope this information will help you.

Thank you.