August is Psoriasis Awareness Month

Psoriasis Awareness Month held each August and established by the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF), is an event dedicated to raising awareness, educating the public and eliminating myths about this disease. The mission of the National Psoriasis Foundation is “Working to find a cure for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and to eliminate their devastating effects through research, advocacy and education.”

Psoriasis is a common, chronic immune skin related disease characterized by red, scaly patches, papules, and plaques, which usually itch. The skin marks seen in psoriasis may vary in severity from minor localized patches to completely covering the body. 2–4% of the general population is affected by this disease.

Like many other medical conditions that require special attention from the general public, the causes of psoriasis are not fully understood. The general mechanism behind psoriasis involves the overproduction of new skin cells, due to the fact that the immune system mistakes a normal skin cell for a pathogen and triggers regeneration. At this moment there is no known cure for psoriasis and any treatment approach only targets to control the symptoms and keep the evolution of the disease under control. The treatment for each person is unique, depending on the severity of symptoms, type of psoriasis and, eventually, on how the body reacts to the administrated treatment. Our current medical knowledge considers psoriasis to be a genetic disease, although it can be triggered or influenced by environmental factors. Such triggers include the persistence of high levels stress, existing injuries of the skin and certain infections.

The skin is our most exterior layer and together with our proportions and traits, it builds our appearance. More or less deliberate, we judge each other by the way we look and a first impression always lasts. Any disease or condition that affects the harmony of our appearance and deviates from what is considered to be normal is looked upon with suspicion. Like any other species, we tend to isolate and reject those that are not like us, those different enough from the norm. Psoriasis is such a condition that is able to change our normal human look in the negative way. The biggest problem concerning patients with psoriasis is the misunderstanding that encompasses the disease. Healthy people often mistakenly consider the disease to be contagious, due to the fact that many conditions of the skin prove to be so. Studies conducted on people with psoriasis show that they report higher levels of anxiety, embarrassment and depression, than normal healthy people.

The disease is followed by important physical and psychological modifications that profoundly alter the life of patients with psoriasis. Being a long-term, chronic disease, with periodical improvements and aggravations, it is crucial that each patient develops its own personal way of dealing with psoriasis. The key element for a correct approach in time is communication between the medic and the patient and between the family and the patient. At the same time, friends, colleagues from work and society as a whole should be involved and support the struggle of those affected. Being a mutilating disease that leaves behind stigma, unattended patients affected by psoriasis can encounter difficulties and find themselves excluded from normal social activities.

There are many ways in which people can support the effort put together during Psoriasis Awareness Month. Advocates for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are dedicated to finding a cure and improving access to treatments. Simple things like writing a letter, sending an email or leaving a phone message, can be your contribution to raise the awareness for the needs of those affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

The month of August is dedicated to events that bring patients and doctors face to face in order to facilitate communication. Patients attending such meetings can learn how to lower their risks for developing other serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes and depression. This year’s Walk to Cure Psoriasis will be more than just a fundraiser, with access to the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Health Fair, the only event of its kind.

If you feel more confident in your capacity to help people with psoriasis you can share your experience about living with psoriasis, provide emotional support for them, or even volunteer to coach them develop a healthier lifestyle.