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Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Psoriasis

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Psoriasis, a skin condition, affects people from all walks of life. As per WHO’s Global Report on Psoriasis, this disorder affects 100 million people around the world which makes psoriasis a global problem. Now, while there is no cure for this disease yet, treatment methods can help manage the symptoms. So, if you are a psoriasis patient, it is important that you get the right kind of medical insurance with psoriasis coverage. But first find out about the various causes, symptoms, and treatments of this disease.

What Is Psoriasis?

It is an inflammatory skin condition that causes scaly, flaky, and itchy skin. Also, psoriasis is not contagious but affects different parts of the body. These generally include knees, elbows, and scalp.

Symptoms

Psoriasis can be of different types and the symptoms depend on what type of psoriasis you have. Even so, the common symptoms of psoriasis include:

• Red skin plaques with silver-coloured scales

• Some people experience itchiness during psoriasis flare-ups

• Discoloration of toenails and fingernails

• Shedding of skin scales

Types

The various types of psoriasis include:

• Plaque psoriasis, which is the most common type of this skin condition

• Pustular psoriasis, a more severe form that causes the skin to become scaly and develop tiny pustules

• Guttate psoriasis, which mostly affects children and youngsters,and causes small-sized, red-coloured spots on the limbs and torso

• Napkin psoriasis, which is witnessed in infants who are between 2 and 8 months

• Flexural psoriasis, in which case red lesions erupt in the skin folds and around genital parts

• Erythrodermic psoriasis, which causes reddening of the skin and shedding of skin scales, which can even necessitate hospitalisation

Causes

Medical experts have not yet been able to discern the exact cause of psoriasis. They believe that a combination of factors is responsible for the breakouts. One of the reasons could be a dysfunctional immune system, which leads to inflammation and abnormal growth of new skin cells. Usually, it takes 10 to 30 days for skin cells to be replaced. But in case of psoriasis patients, new cells are replaced within 3 to 4 days. As a result, the skin develops scales because of new cells replacing the build-up of old cells. Furthermore, emotional stress, skin injuries, and strep infections are other triggers behind the psoriatic flare-ups.Genetic factors can lead to psoriasis too.

Diagnosis

As part of psoriasis diagnosis, your doctor will conduct a physical exam and some lab tests. The physical examination entails checking for plaques in the nails, scalp, knees, belly button, elbows, among other body parts. A lab test includes performing a biopsy to confirm whether you have psoriasis or not. During a biopsy, medical experts will remove and check a small part of your skin. In addition, the physician might want to know about your family medical history to understand whether genetic factors are at play.

Treatment

Common psoriasis treatments include skin moisturizers, steroid and retinoid creams, coal tar preparations, and vitamin-D- based ointments. Also, to treat moderate to severe psoriasis cases, doctors prescribe medicines such as cyclosporine and methotrexate. In addition, ultraviolet light therapy helps to arrest the growth of skin cells. PUVA is a type of psoriasis treatment that combines psoralen medicine and a special kind of ultraviolet light. Enzyme inhibitors, biologic treatments, and retinoids are other treatment options for severe psoriasis. Now, you must remember that psoriasis treatments are not inexpensive and can drain you financially. So, a good way of safeguarding yourself financially is to take a medical insurance policy for covering the treatment costs. The right policy can cover pre and post hospitalisation as well as hospitalisation expenses, medical bills, and offer a daily cash allowance.

There is No Cure, But…

As mentioned earlier, psoriasis cannot be cured, although it is treatable. Treatment helps to alleviate the symptoms of this condition. By controlling psoriasis-related inflammation via treatment, you can also reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome, stroke, heart-linked disorders, and other inflammation-induced diseases.

Conclusion

Being diagnosed with psoriasis can stress you out mentally. And the treatment costscan add to your worries. However, by taking the right kind of medical insurance with psoriasis coverage, you can enjoy financial protection. Research and compare different health insurance providers before taking a call. Make sure to read the terms and conditions carefully too.

Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.

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