August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, so it’s only natural to talk about this autoimmune disease as the month is almost upon us. Most people have heard about this skin disease which is known to be painful. But for those that haven’t, we are going to fill you in on important details. This condition is both uncomfortable and embarrassing for some, as the redness that accompanies it can be followed by itching. Luckily there are treatments that can help you and make you feel more at ease despite having this disease. Also, it is important to note that with age, the condition of psoriasis won’t worsen, if you take care of it.
What Is Psoriasis?
There are many people who mistake psoriasis for various other skin conditions. But this disease is not a skin condition, it is a disease connected to your immune system. It is mostly found in those individuals who have an oversensitive immune system. Because of this, their skin often gets inflamed, and this causes skin cells to grow rapidly. The consequence is that the surplus skin cells find their way to the surface three times faster than they usually do.
Because they grow and reach the surface of the skin so rapidly, the body can’t remove them fast enough. So instead of being removed, they pile up, and they can be noticed as thickened areas on the body. The areas where the surplus skin cells gather are usually red. The red color of the skin is associated with psoriasis.
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Can Psoriasis Start at Any Age?
Psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the United States, with more than 7.5 million people having this condition. It can happen to anyone at any age. In most cases, you will notice that you have this disease between the ages of 15 and 25. Most people that live with this condition say that it is a large part of their lives. Living with psoriasis heavily influences their lifestyle. In most cases, the symptoms vary from moderate to severe.
Does Psoriasis Itch?
People who have this condition will all tell you the same answer to this question. Yes, it itches—and quite a bit at that. But it is not so much an itch as it is a burning sensation that you feel on the areas of your skin which are affected. This burning sensation often translates to pain. In almost 90% of cases, people who live with psoriasis tend to feel pain as a consequence of this disease.
Because of this, psoriasis is known as a disease which can make sleeping difficult. It also makes it hard to focus on work and other duties. Those that scratch their burning skin should try to stop, as this action causes the inflammation to get worse. With continuous scratching, the cycle of burning and pain will never end. As a consequence of all of this, a person with this autoimmune disease can start feeling a lot of stress, which only makes things worse.
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Does Psoriasis Get Worse With Age?
If you get it under control, it won’t worsen with age. But as you continue living with it, stress will make an impact on your life. If you are under stress for a prolonged amount of time while battling this disease, there is a chance that life events such as the death of a loved one or an illness, will hit you harder than it usually would. So in addition to fighting psoriasis, it is also essential to find ways to reduce and remove stress from your life.
Considering that psoriasis is a lifelong condition, you need to look for ways to minimize its effect on the rest of your life.
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