Psoriasis is the most prevalent immune-mediated disease in the United States, affecting an estimated 7.5 million Americans of all ages. While it most prominently affects the skin, psoriasis is not merely a cosmetic problem. Its symptoms can be extremely severe and have a significant impact on quality of life. About 60 percent of those with psoriasis reported that their disease negatively affected their everyday lives, even with the help of treatment plans. Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis. Here’s a break down of common plaque psoriasis symptoms and what you need to know about them. Plaque Psoriasis...

Alisha Bridges has lived and thrived with psoriasis for over two decades. She is a blogger and health advocate who strives to inspire others with her story of living with a chronic condition. She is continually researching to learn more about the condition so she can help inform, educate and enlighten others.  How much do you know about psoriasis? Put your knowledge to the test by answering these thirteen true and false statements about the condition.   1. Psoriasis is non-contagious TRUE: Psoriasis isn’t caused by a virus or bacteria, therefore it’s not a condition that can be passed on...

Psoriasis is the most common immune-mediated disease in the country, affecting upwards of 8 million Americans. That’s about 2.2 percent of the country’s total population. About 125 million people in the world (about 2 to 3 percent of the global population) have psoriasis. Psoriasis is most often characterized by scaly, red patches of skin that are often itchy and painful. This is caused by inflammatory changes in your immune system that speed up the life cycle of your skin cells. That sudden increase in cell turnover causes new skin cells to build up over old skin cells, creating the patches,...