SearchExclusive.com

Symptoms, Risk Factors, and Health Complications of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease that speeds up the natural life cycle of skin cells. The condition causes healthy skin cells to multiply rapidly and grow over the existing skin thus creating red patches on the skin. There are no known causes of psoriasis; however, studies indicate that an imbalance in neutrophils (white blood cells) to aid the immune system fight off infections can trigger an overproduction of skin cells leading to psoriasis.

Overactive T-cells originally designed to attack and destroy infections can turn against the immune system and attack the healthy cells inadvertently triggering an increase in the production of healthy skin cells to counter the attack. Psoriasis is the result of the rapid skin buildup forming the outer layer that can cause painful and sensitive skin patches.

Infections, skin injuries including cuts, scrapes, bites, sunburns, stress, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, vitamin D deficiency, and side effects of certain medications taken for managing high blood pressure can trigger a psoriasis infection. A family history of people suffering from obesity, viral, and bacterial infections also increase the risk of psoriasis infection.

Plaque psoriasis is one of the most common types of psoriasis that results in dry and raised skin lesions covered with silvery scales. The red patches of skin overgrowth are painful and can appear on any part of the body including one’s genitals and soft tissue areas. Plaque psoriasis can cover a small or large area of the body depending on the severity of the condition.

The condition is chronic in nature and affects approximately 1.5 million people in the country. First signs of plaque psoriasis start showing up between the ages of 18-25 years and the severity of the condition will vary depending on the age during which a person suffers.

Other forms of psoriasis include nail psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. These conditions more or less exhibit similar symptoms that one might experience with plaque psoriasis. Medical attention is advisable in case one experiences persistent discomfort or pain while performing routine tasks, changes in the physical appearances of the skin, and health complications as a result of an advanced psoriatic condition.

The symptoms of plaque psoriasis and associated types of psoriasis are given below:

Skin inflammation
One of the primary indicators of a developing plaque psoriasis condition is the formation of extra skin on the outer layer of the affected area. It is a result of rapid skin growth being pushed outside the epidermis over existing patches that have not yet shed the dead cells. The premature growth of healthy skin cells is exposed to the elements in the environment before they can develop causing pain and itching.
Swollen and stiff joints
Joint pain and inflammation are other known symptoms of plaque psoriasis and associated conditions that limit the range of motion in one’s joints, increase stiffness in the morning and result in the fingers or toes swelling.
Scaling
Scaling and spots are more commonly seen in children but adults can also suffer from the uncontrolled growth of skin that results in red patches and spots. The lesions are smaller and compact in comparison to the red skin patches one develops as a result of plaque psoriasis.
Pitting and ridging of nails
Pitting, abnormal nail growth and discoloration indicate a developing nail psoriasis condition that can result in healthy nail bits crumbling. The fingernails and toenails are most commonly affected due to repeated damage under the nail.

Plaque psoriasis and associated types of psoriasis can lead to multiple health complications including the following:

Emotional problems
The skin and nail damage can affect the psyche of a person resulting in low self-esteem and depression. The physical appearance can force a person to withdraw from one’s immediate social environment.

Kidney problems
There is an increased risk of suffering from kidney problems due to the autoimmune skin disorder. People with psoriasis may also develop other autoimmune diseases including celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Cardiovascular disease
Plaque psoriasis and associated types also increase the chances of cardiovascular diseases owing to the symptoms of the autoimmune condition triggering high cholesterol, stroke, and irregular heartbeat. Atherosclerosis is another major health complication that can be the result of inflammation of vital points in the circulatory system.

Arthritis
Psoriatic arthritis is a common problem that results in joint problems causing loss of function in severe cases of psoriasis. It is however not clear as to how the autoimmune disorder can trigger joint damage among other possible health complications.

Treatment for plaque psoriasis, in general, includes a combination of topical applications, phototherapy, and medications to counter the symptoms of the chronic autoimmune disorder. One must also ensure the necessary changes in diet and lifestyle recommended by a medical professional. Alternative medicine is also gaining popularity for treating the varied symptoms of plaque psoriasis and associated types of skin disorder.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.