1 Psoriasis

2 Types of Psoriasis n Nearly 90% of people with psoriasis have plaque-type psoriasis n Less than 10% of people with psoriasis have guttate psoriasis

3 Symptoms of Psoriasis n Bright red areas of raised patches (plaques) often covered with loose, silvery scales –commonly occur on scalp, elbows, hands, knees, feet, lower back –plaque type psoriasis n Tiny areas of bleeding when skin scales are picked or scraped off

4 Symptoms of Psoriasis (cont.) n Mild scaling to thick, crusted plaques on the scalp n Itching n Nail disorders n Symmetrical plaques n Flare-ups of many raindrop-shaped patches (guttate psoriasis)

5 Symptoms of Psoriasis (cont.) n Joint swelling, tenderness, pain-- psoriatic arthritis n Koebner’s phenomenon

6 Severity of Psoriasis n Indicated by –the amount of redness and scaling –the thickness of large areas of plaques –the percentage of skin that is affected n Mild--covers a small portion n Moderate--covers up to 20% n Severe--covers 20 to 30%

7 Treatment n Products applied to the skin n Phototherapy (exposure to ultraviolet light to slow the rapid growth of cells) n Oral medications

8 Social Effects of Psoriasis n Psoriasis affects people’s feelings, behaviors and experiences n Stigma n How people with psoriasis cope n Frustration sadness despair guilt anger low self-esteem