Causes of Psoriasis

The exact cause of psoriasis is not fully understood. cold climate and some form of injury can aggravate the problem. The recent discoveries point to an abnormality in the functioning of key white cells in the blood stream triggering inflammation in the skin. Because of the inflammation, the skin sheds too rapidly, every three to four days.

The Causes of Psoriasis are as below.

• Stress
• Food allergens
• Environmental allergens
• Infections
• Genetic tendency
• Drugs
• Systemic illness
• Skin trauma

This all factors altered immunity of a person and increase risk of developing psoriasis.

Defective immune system :

Recent research indicates that psoriasis is likely to be a disorder of the immune system. This system includes a type of white blood cell, called a T cell, that normally helps protect the body against infection and disease. Scientists now think that, in psoriasis, an abnormal immune system causes activity by T cells in the skin. These T cells trigger the inflammation and excessive skin cell reproduction seen in people with psoriasis.

Genetics and heredity :

it is commonly seen that if any patient has psoriasis, there are chances that in his/her family one of person was suffering with psoriasis or may be with any auto-immune disease(may be grand father,grand mother)

If any patient having psoriasis there is chances that his son/daughter develop psoriasis is 10%,instead of both are suffering with psoriasis chances of developing psoriasis is 30%.

Researchers are studying large families affected by psoriasis to identify a gene or genes that cause the disease.

People with psoriasis may notice that there are times when their skin worsens, then improves. Conditions that may cause relapses of flare-ups include :

Climate :

Climate trigger psoriasis, cold tempreture may aggrevate psoriasis like anything where hot season reduce psoriasis.

Infections :

Both dermatological and systemic infections have been known to trigger the onset of psoriasis or a worsening of psoriasis. mostly viral upper respiratory disease, streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Staphylococcal skin infections (boils) have been a trigger.

Stress :

Psychological stress is the cause as well as out come of disease like psoriasis. It is a well-known fact that there is inseparable bond between mind and body and psyche plays vital role in maintaining health or causing diseases.

It is a common experience in practice of patient reporting the onset of psoriasis following major stress like divorce, death of close relatives, change of job, unhealthy family relationships etc and this perception of patients that psychological stress can worsen psoriasis has been supported in clinical studies.

Certain medicines :

Certain medicines, most notably beta-blockers, which are used to treat high blood pressure, and lithium or drugs used to treat depression, may trigger an outbreak or worsen the disease. The drugs may be listed as: lithium, anti-malarials, mepacrine, NSAIDs, beta-blockers, alcohol.

Physical trauma :

People often notice new spots 10 to 14 days after the skin is cut, scratched, rubbed, or severely sunburned. Analysis of patient records has indicated that up to 50 percent of persons with psoriasis have had a 'Koebner's phenomenon' experience - that is, have had a psoriatic lesion develop at the site of an injury or skin condition.