This tool is a Psoriasis Symptoms Checker. It gathers the most important signs, symptoms, and risk factors for this disease. Therefore, the tool will tell anyone who uses it the likelihood of their symptoms because of psoriasis.
Psoriasis is a long-lasting swelling of the skin due to multiple factors; this disease has distinct traits from other inflammatory disorders. It has several ways to manifest itself, in which the environment, genetics, and the immune system may play a role.
There is in this disease dysregulation of the most outer layer of the skin's formation. Doctors call this "hyperproliferation of the keratinocytes." In other words, the skin cells without the correct and lengthy maturity process reach higher levels in the skin when they should not. From twenty-three days this process takes, it reduces greatly to approximately three to five days.
Several types of psoriasis exist. For example, these six are out of the most common forms: Vulgaris, plaque, Guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Sadly, until this day and despite all the scientific advancements. There is no clear evidence of exact triggers and what occurs on this disease.
However, many theories exist to explain psoriasis. There have also been many factors concerning a higher risk of developing and causing the disease's flares in a genetically susceptible individual. Two main types of risk factors exist, intrinsic and extrinsic.
The former stands for basically all the body elements that could affect the disease's outcome, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol levels, hypertension, and mental stress. On the other hand, the extrinsic factors come from outside the body. Therefore, those elements would include, in this case, triggers like smoking, alcohol, drugs, air pollution, infections, and vaccinations.
The main way this disease presents itself is through a skin rash. Yet, where and how this rash will appear and look, respectively, will depend on the psoriasis type. Also, there are other possible symptoms, like in a third of the patients, it could also exist joint pain.
Unfortunately, psoriasis cases tend to vary per country, and it can occur at any age. Still, there are some typical presentation traits like in the twenties-thirties and then fifties-sixties, with an overall mean age of diagnosis at twenty-eight years old.
The tool is a Psoriasis Symptoms Checker. It gathers the most important signs, symptoms, and risk factors for this disease.
In the United States, approximately 2% of the population carry this disease. It tends to affect slightly more people with white skin and females. Accordingly, psoriasis is a disease with numbers that require attention.
Sadly, this disease has a link to several possible complications. Although nowadays, it is unknown if any of those risk factors like diabetes or high blood pressure result from or cause the disease. The truth is that they tend to be together. Besides, patients with psoriasis need special care and constant assessment to avoid the symptoms' flare or possible complications.
The treatment for this disease is readily available. More often than not, they show great success in managing patients' symptoms. Yet, this disease is for life; there is no cure. So, patients may experience flares and calm periods throughout their life.
Moreover, the diagnosis of this disease is mostly clinical. That is to say that a doctor will take a thorough medical history, asking questions, and examining the patient's body. The doctor will rule out any other possible disease that could mimic this one, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout—for then, giving a psoriasis diagnosis.
And that is what this tool is all about, asking the right questions. The tool has questions that aim to identify the most characteristic symptoms and risk factors for psoriasis. Hence, this tool will tell anybody who uses it the likelihood of their symptoms because of this disease. Using the tool is free and would only take a few minutes.
Keep in mind that this tool does not replace an adequate assessment from a doctor. Similarly, it does not replace all the necessary blood and imaging exams for diagnosing this condition. The tool will only tell about a likelihood. Sadly, several other skins and/or joint pain conditions can simulate psoriasis.
Originally published at //symptoms.care on December 4, 2020.
