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Affecting close to one in every 50 adults, psoriasis of the skin is a physical condition that can cause significant psychological distress. Clinical research has come to the conclusion that even though psoriaisis shows itself as a skin condition, the actual cause is rooted in the immune system of the body.

Salmon colored skin which becomes scaly, flaky and irritated is among the common psoriasis symptoms. With plaque psoriasis, which is also the most common form, the afflicted areas develop circular, eliptical or irregular formed areas of red that are covered with skin that is scaly and silver colored. There is no consistency in the size or shape of the patchy areas and on occasions, several smaller patches can merge together and look like one big irregular shape of irritated skin. As well as being unsightly, the skin in these areas sometimes cracks and starts bleeding.

The area of affected skin can become really sore and feel as though it is burning. Like the shape, there is no consistency as to how long a specific flare-up will go on for. It could last ten days or you might have to put up with it for a number of weeks. One of the worst aspects for those affected is that it is a long-term condition and recurrent flare-ups can happen at any time.

Even though any part of the body can be affected by psoriasis, the most common areas are the hands, scalp, torso, elbows and knees. Flare-ups tend to be symmetric, meaning that both sides of the body will experience flare-ups in the same areas at the same time.

Hereditary factors play some role in psoriasis meaning that those folks with parents or grandparents who have had psoriasis have an increased chance that they will develop it also. For reasons that are not yet fully understood, T-cells, which are required by our bodies to produce infection fighting white blood cells, cause inflammation of the skin. These same cells also set off some bodily process which results in the over production of skin cells. Because these skin cells are surplus to requirements, they just stack up on top of each other and in turn produce the telltale raised areas on the skins surface. To nourish these additional skin cells, an increased blood supply is needed which results in the red look.

Although not the causes of psoriasis, common triggers include sunlight, streptococcal infections and traumas, both past and present, to the skin. Anxiety and stress can also trigger an outbreak as can changes in hormone levels. Higher incidences of psoriasis have also been observed in those individuals with the early stages of HIV infection. Folks who smoke cigarettes who also drink alcohol increase their chances of developing psoriasis.

In the absence of any known cure for psoriasis, there are a number of effective treatments that can at least relieve the symptoms. Begin by keeping the affected areas damp and by resisting the temptation to scratch.

The first line of treatments are localized and are applied directly to the affected surface area with the ultimate goal of trying to stem the production of excess skin cells. Coal tar, salicylic acid, corticosteroids, synthetic vitamin D, tazorac and anthrallin are common topical treatment choices as are specially developed bathing products and moisturizers. For more serious cases where topical treatments maybe ineffective, systemic medications may be prescribed by the physician. Phototherapy, where sufferers are exposed to medically-supervised ultraviolet radiation is also effective in the treatment of psoriasis.