Youve probably heard of psoriasisthe chronic inflammatory condition that can cause itchy, scaly patches on your skin.
Heres everything you should probably know about pustular psoriasis, including the symptoms, causes, and treatment.
What is pustular psoriasis?|What causes pustular psoriasis?|Pustular psoriasistypes|Pustular psoriasis treatments|What makes pustular psoriasis worse?
Pustular psoriasis can be mistaken for an infection, but it is not contagious.
What is pustular psoriasis?
Pustular psoriasis is a rare pop in ofpsoriasisthat, similarly, goes through periods of flare-ups and remissions.
Its important to note that pustular psoriasis isnt just askin condition.
This means that the chronic inflammation associated with pustular psoriasis can affect other areas of your body as well.
What causes pustular psoriasis?
Getting diagnosed with pustular psoriasis can be tricky.
Another option is for your doctor to take a biopsy of your skin to be examined under the microscope.
What are the different types of pustular psoriasis and their symptoms?
All pustular psoriasis is characterized by fluid-filled pustules.
A lot of people suspect these bumps are an infection when actually theyre not, Dr. Davis says.
Oftentimes, the pustules merge and then burst open,8resulting in a scaly, cracked, and painful rash.
More pustules can form, and the cycle repeats, according to the AAD.
Flares may last up to months without pustular psoriasis treatment.
The different types of pustular psoriasis are defined by the area of the body where the pustules appear.
Experts suspect that smoking may inflame the sweat glands and cause pustules to form, according to NORD.
Its a dangerous condition that requires urgent medical care to reduce inflammation, according to the AAD.
Over time, this chronic inflammation can lead to serious complications like liver damage or heart failure.
In some cases, pregnancy triggers pustular psoriasis, potentially because of fluctuating hormone levels.
Typically, PPP occurs at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy and clears up after childbirth.
Even babies and young children can develop pustular psoriasis.
Both can help bring down inflammation, and they are sometimes prescribed together, according to the AAD.
Add whichever you prefer to a warmnot hotbath, and soak for 15 minutes, theMayo Clinicrecommends.
For more severe flare-ups, youll need systemic medications.
These drugs arent targeted, so they suppress your entire immune system, making you more susceptible to infections.
Biologics are designed to target specific aspects of the immune response.
However, newer research shows that these are not the main immune response involved in pustular psoriasis.
Another inflammatory cell called cytokine 36 is the main one thats overexpressed in pustular psoriasis, Dr. Green explains.
Clinical trials are currently in progress to develop biologics specifically targeting that specific cell.
What makes pustular psoriasis worse?
Stress is a huge pustular psoriasis trigger, according to Dr. Davis.
Medical, physical, or emotional stress makes psoriasis worse, she says.
Any lifestyle changes that reduce your overall level of stress can also reduce your risk of a psoriasis flare-up.
Its difficult to have such an impactful skin disease, Dr. Davis says.
It reallyimpacts your quality of life, she says.
This is especially true if your psoriasis shows up on a highly visible area of your body.
Dont assume its an infection, especially if you have plaque psoriasis, Dr. Green advises.
