A small itch can be irritating, but a big itch can be downright painful. August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, and TRICARE wants to make sure you know about the symptoms and treatment of this disease.
Psoriasis is a relatively common skin disease driven by the immune system that causes skin irritation and redness. New skin cells usually rise to the surface once a month, but psoriasis causes the skin to grow eight times faster than normal, and the dead skin cells build up on the skin, forming thick red patches that are covered with flaky, white dead skin cells.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an estimated 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. Psoriasis may affect skin anywhere on the body and is not known to be contagious. It can affect people of any age, but normally begins between ages 15 and 35 years.
Mild psoriasis is normally successfully treated with medications that can be applied at home, such as creams, moisturizers and ointments. In severe or complicated cases, hospital stays or medicines to suppress the immune system may be required.
There is no cure for psoriasis. For some sufferers, symptoms may disappear for years, while others may have flare-ups every few weeks. TRICARE beneficiaries dealing with psoriasis need to be aware of conditions that may trigger an attack and should try to avoid them. These conditions include dry air or dry skin, insect bites, sunburn, bacteria or viral infections and stress.
Approximately 13 percent of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, a condition that causes pain, joint stiffness and swelling. Psoriatic arthritis symptoms may be similar to other forms of arthritis. Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, however, it does not affect the other organs in the body.
Skin irritations and rashes should not be taken lightly. Get checked out by your primary care manager if a skin problem lasts more than a few days.
To learn more about psoriasis, visit the
NIH Web site.
