I have never had any skin problems before in all my life. Then I was put on a beta-blocker drug and one of the side effects I got was some patches on my body and scalp. The doctor said it was psoriasis. What is that?

Psoriasis is actually a common skin condition.

It develops when the life cycle of your skin cells is speeded up, causing them to die and build up on your skin surface quickly.

These extra skin cells form scales on your skin, as well as red patches, which can be itchy, and even painful.

What is the difference between psoriasis and eczema?

Psoriasis has well-defined, thick, red and scaly patches, especially at your elbows and knees.

The patches can also appear on your face, buttocks, palms, soles and scalp.

Your skin is thicker and more inflamed than those with eczema.

Eczema also causes your skin to be red and inflamed. It is sometimes scaly, but it can also be oozing or crusty.

There may be swelling or dark, leathery patches.

Eczema tends to appear in the crooks (or inner parts) of your knees and elbows, i.e. the parts of your body that bend.

However, it can also appear on your neck, wrists, ankles and other places on babies.

Eczema is more commonly associated with children.

The itching in eczema is also more intense than in psoriasis.

Stress is one of the major factors that contribute to the triggering or worsening of psoriasis. VisualHunt.com

I heard that there are many types of psoriasis. Is this true?

Yes, everyone has different manifestations of psoriasis.

We know already that the distinct common feature is red, scaly patches on your skin due to overproduction of skin cells.

Plaque psoriasis is the commonest form. The red, silvery scaly patches are called plaques.

These plaques can occur on any part of your body, including inside your mouth and on your genitals.

There is also nail psoriasis. Obviously, this affects your fingernails and toenails, and can cause abnormal nail growth, pits (little holes) and discolouration of your nails.

Your nails can also separate from your nail bed, or even crumble entirely.

When the psoriasis patches are not formed in plaques, but in waterdrop-shaped lesions instead, it is called guttate psoriasis.

This affects young children and young adults. It is usually triggered by a bacterial infection such as a sore throat.

The skin lesions are not as thick as plaque psoriasis.

Then there is inverse psoriasis, which affects the skin on your armpits, groin, under your breasts or around your genitals.

These become worse with friction or sweating, like if you wear tight clothing.

This one has a correlation with fungal infections.

One uncommon type is pustular psoriasis. This one has pus-filled blisters on top of your red skin.

It can get quite bad because it may be associated with fever, severe itching and diarrhoea.

The rarest type is also one of the worst due to the way it looks, called erythrodermic psoriasis.

This one covers your entire body with a red rash that peels easily. It can also unfortunately itch or burn badly.

I know a relative with psoriasis who also has joint pain. Does psoriasis give rise to joint pain?

Some psoriasis patients can also suffer from joint pain due to their condition. TPNYes, this is called psoriatic arthritis. It does not happen in all psoriatic cases.

It is not as bad as rheumatoid arthritis, but can be severe as well.

This type of joint pain affects any joint. The underlying issue is inflammation and erosion of your joints.

This leads to stiffness, swelling and worsening deformity.

What is the cause of psoriasis?

No one really knows, but it is believed to be an autoimmune disease.

Your white blood cells called T lymphocytes and neutrophils attack healthy skin cells by mistake.

They travel to your skin, causing your blood vessels to dilate and your skin cells to overproduce.

That is why you have redness, swelling, and even pus it is as though your body is fighting off a skin infection.

There is also a genetic element in psoriasis. If your parents had psoriasis, you are more likely to have it too.

Is there anything that triggers psoriasis? I was told it was because of the medication I took.

Many things can trigger psoriasis, especially if you have an underlying genetic predisposition for it already.

We have already discussed that sore throats caused by bacteria, especially Streptococcus, can trigger it.

So can skin infections and injuries, like burns, sunburns, bites and cuts.

Stress can also trigger psoriasis. So can smoking and alcohol.

The types of medicines that can trigger it include beta-blockers, used for high blood pressure; lithium, used for psychotic disorders; and drugs used for malaria.

There is unfortunately no cure for psoriasis, but you can moisturise your skin, give up smoking and alcohol, stop taking those medications giving you psoriasis, and manage your stress levels, to help manage your condition.

Dr YLM graduated as a medical doctor, and has been writing for many years on various subjects such as medicine, health, computers and entertainment. For further information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.

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Thick, scaly patches appearing on your skin? It's psoriasis - The Star Online