Is Psoriasis contagious?

Psoriasis is absolutely not an infectious disease, therefore it is not contagious and there is no need to restrict one’s social life and interactions only because of psoriasis. If several members of the same family have psoriasis, this is due to a common genetic predisposition and doesn’t mean that one has infected the others.

Can you heal from psoriasis?

Theoretically, psoriasis cannot be cured, although it can be effectively treated with drugs that keep it under control and prevent relapses for a long time. There are cases in which all lesions disappear and never show again.

Could you die of Psoriasis?

You don’t die from psoriasis, although in some very rare cases the disease can present in a particularly severe and life-threatening form. However, these are extremely rare situations, which can nowadays be effectively treated with cutting-edge therapies.

On the other hand, psoriasis is often associated with a number of other diseases, such as diabetes, obesity and hypertension, which must be kept under control over time because they predispose to cardiovascular diseases.

Is it possible to prevent Psoriasis?

There is no effective prevention strategy against psoriasis at the moment. However, once you have been diagnosed with psoriasis, the best strategy to achieve remission and prevent subsequent relapses includes a strict compliance with medical therapy and a healthy lifestyle; we suggest the following:

    • proper hydration
    • healthy diet (for example Mediterranean diet)
    • regular exercise
    • reduce alcohol intake
    • quit smoking
    • sunbathe with moderation.

 

Does psoriasis affect only the skin or are internal organs affected too?

Psoriasis is now considered a systemic disease, meaning it is not limited to the skin, but affects the whole organism.
Although psoriasis does not affect internal organs directly (there are no actual “psoriatic lesions” in the internal organs), patients with widespread psoriasis are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, especially heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease (stroke). Furthermore, according to recent studies, psoriasis tends to be associated with other diseases such as metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia; details follow: read on for more information.

If I have psoriasis, am I prone to developing other disorders?

People with psoriasis have a higher risk of developing other disorders, including::

  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Systemic hypertension
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Atherosclerosis – Psoriasis facilitates the development of atherosclerosis, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and peripheral artery diseases
  • Immune – mediated diseases – People with psoriasis seem to be more prone to developing celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren’s syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease)
  • Non alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFD)  – the so-called fatty liver
  • Chronic kidney disease (kidney failure)
  • Migraine and headache
  • Ocular manifestations – Blepharitis (eyelid inflammation), conjunctivitis (pinkeye), uveitis, dryness and corneal injury tend to be more frequent in patients with psoriasis
  • Mental disorder – People with psoriasis are more prone to mood disorders, including major depressive disorders