KUALA LUMPUR – Psoriasis affects the physical and mental health of sufferers due to various complications that are also experienced including arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and depression.
According to the Global Psoriasis Atlas, psoriasis is a chronic skin condition caused by the body’s abnormal immune response and affects nearly two to three percent of the global population and more than 60 million worldwide.
Consultant Dermatology at Sunway Medical Center, Sunway Bandar Dr Sharifah Rosniza Syed Nong Chek said psoriasis is not just a skin disease, but an autoimmune disease with certain cells in the immune system triggering the skin to produce new cells at a too fast rate.
“Normally, skin cells are regenerated every 30 days, but for psoriasis, this cycle can happen as fast as three to five days, causing excessive new skin cells to build thick and scaly plaques on the patient’s body,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Sharifah Rosniza said in Malaysia, the most common type of psoriasis is plaque psoriasis which involves more than 80 percent of cases.
“In general, the patient will experience a red rash that usually comes with thick scales and looks like silver. This rash usually occurs in areas such as the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back,” he said and added that these symptoms often bring social stigma and emotional stress, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression.
He said the appearance of rashes, especially in areas that are easily visible such as the scalp and face, is quite embarrassing, and patients also often complain of itching that is sometimes severe enough to disturb sleep while the skin can hurt due to the cracks that form in the thick rash.
Dr Sharifah Rosniza said the most commonly heard misconception is that psoriasis is contagious, which is not true at all, therefore the lack of public awareness is part of the reason patients are isolated and misunderstood.
“Skin diseases such as psoriasis are often associated with a lack of hygiene care, causing patients to experience discrimination and social isolation,” he said.
He said another misconception is that psoriasis can be cured, although there is no medicine that can cure psoriasis, but the disease can be managed effectively and the treatment aims to control the symptoms and manage the rashes that arise so that the skin can look normal.
Dr Sharifah Rosniza said early diagnosis and consistent treatment are important in managing psoriasis and preventing its complications, such as psoriatic arthritis which is an inflammatory joint disease that affects up to 30 percent of psoriasis patients, and if left untreated can cause joint damage and disability.
Psoriasis is also linked to obesity and can result in metabolic syndrome such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol.
He said education about psoriasis and support from family members is important to help dispel stigma and misinformation, and a positive environment needs to be created to support patients.
“Professional health care practitioners also play an important role in offering education and support to patients and their loved ones especially in learning about the disease, identifying and preventing triggers for psoriasis and dispelling various misconceptions about the disease.
“Living with psoriasis is challenging, but with increased awareness, early diagnosis and consistent treatment, patients can significantly improve their quality of life,” he said. – Named