Hyderabad: Psoriasis is a skin disorder. Although it is a Non-Communicable (not contagious) Disorder, it can still affect the physical and mental health of the patient. Therefore, World Psoriasis Day is observed every year on October 29th to spread awareness about psoriasis and its treatment worldwide. Psoriasis is a non-infectious skin disorder generally considered a disease related to the immune system. It is a disease that can affect a person's mental health as well as physical health. There is a lot of confusion in the minds of people regarding this disease.
World Psoriasis Day is observed every year on October 29th to make the general public aware of the important facts related to psoriasis and this disease and its treatment. In the year 2022, World Psoriasis Day is being observed with the theme “Unloading Psoriatic Disease”. Psoriasis is a serious abnormal skin condition in which red and white scaly patches start developing on the patient's skin. These spots usually appear on the elbows, knees, scalp or lower back. These spots can sometimes be itchy or painful. At the same time, as the problem progresses, they may also feel burning sensations or swelling.
An Overactive Immune System is generally believed to be responsible for psoriasis. This problem affects men and women equally but its severity can vary from person to person. This skin disease is a long-lasting one, in which sometimes it may happen that the patient does not show any kind of symptoms, but after some time severe symptoms and effects can be seen in the victim. There are considered to be several types of psoriasis. Although there is no cure to get rid of it completely, its symptoms can be kept under control by taking the right treatment and precautions.
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Psoriasis can be caused by a number of factors including immune system issues, trauma, hormonal changes, heredity, emotional stress, excessive drinking, excessive exposure to sunlight, sometimes as a side effect of certain diseases and medications, and streptococcal infection. Experts believe that apart from these, there are many other reasons that can trigger this disease. There are generally considered to be five types of psoriasis:
- Plaque Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis causes red, raised patches on the skin. These are covered with silver dead skin cells. This is the most common type of psoriasis.
- Guttate Psoriasis: Small red spots are formed on the skin in this condition. This problem mostly occurs after any kind of disease in the patient.
- Inverse Psoriasis: This type of psoriasis usually occurs in the folds of the skin. In this type, red spots start appearing on the skin, which sometimes causes pain.
- Pustular Psoriasis: Due to this type of psoriasis, pus fills the palms and soles and there is a lot of pain and itching in the affected area. Due to this, some symptoms of the flu can also be seen in the patient like fever, dizziness, loss of appetite etc.
- Erythrodermic Psoriasis: It looks like severe sunburn in appearance. In this type of problem, the color of the affected skin becomes bright red and there the patient may also feel itching and severe pain. Apart from this, the patient's heart rate also increases in this state. In this situation, it is very important to consult a doctor.
World Psoriasis Day is organized every year by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. The main objective of this event is to unite people to raise awareness about psoriasis on a global level and to call for action in support of people suffering from this disease. World Psoriasis Day is observed in more than 50 countries. In the year 2022, World Psoriasis Day is being observed with the theme “Unloading Psoriatic Disease” or “Uniting for Action”.
In the last few years, there have been continuous campaigns regarding psoriasis, which have been successful to a great extent, but there is still a large section which is unaware of this disease, its effects and the physical and mental problems caused by it. Many people sometimes misunderstand this disease as leprosy and the patient becomes a victim of untold social boycott. Due to many other reasons, depression and some other conditions are also seen in people suffering from this disease.
According to statistics, a quarter of people suffering from this disease have symptoms of depression and 48% of people have cases of anxiety disorder. Psoriasis is not leprosy. But it can be one of the factors responsible for some other types of physical problems including arthritis. Therefore, its timely management and treatment are very important.
