Psoriasis is an acute
autoimmune disease that develops on the
skin, and can also affect the
joints. It is not
contagious. Psoriasis often manifests itself as red scaly patches on the skin. These patches are areas of excessive skin production and
inflammation. There are five
types of psoriasis.
Plaque psoriasis is the most common, and is characterized as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called
scale. Other forms of psoriasis include
guttate,
inverse,
pustular and
erythrodermic. Contributing factors thought to aggravate psoriasis include
stress, excessive
alcohol consumption and
smoking.
Treatments for psoriasis include
medications,
phototherapy,
emollients, and
climatotherapy.
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