What happens to your body when you have psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that affects your immune system and causes your skin cells to grow faster than normal. This results in patches of thick, red, scaly, and sometimes itchy skin.

Psoriasis can affect any part of your body, but it usually occurs on the elbows, knees, scalp, and lower back. Psoriasis is not contagious, but it can have a significant impact on your quality of life.

There are different types of psoriasis, such as plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, and erythrodermic psoriasis. Each type has its own symptoms and appearance. The most common type is plaque psoriasis, which causes raised, reddish patches with silvery scales.

Psoriasis can also affect your nails and joints, causing them to become thickened, pitted, or inflamed. The exact cause of psoriasis is not known, but it is believed to be related to your genes and environmental factors. Some common triggers that can worsen psoriasis include infections, stress, injuries, medications, alcohol, smoking, and cold weather.

Psoriasis can also cause complications such as eye problems, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney disease, depression, and psoriatic arthritis.