Psoriasis condition more than skin deep

Psoriasis condition more than skin deep
By Vimita Mohandas | Posted: 12 March 2011 1553 hrs

SINGAPORE: Experts have urged those who are suffering from psoriasis -- a non-contagious but incurable inflammatory skin condition -- to come forward to seek treatment.

Psoriasis leads to the thickening of the skin and scaling, and affects about one per cent of Singapore's population.

Thirty-six-year-old Shawn Wong, a psoriasis patient of 21 years, said the condition caused him to be constantly depressed, as he had to cope with the social stigma and endure pain.

"You have a lot of things to be mindful of, in terms of putting on the lotion and psychologically," the marketing professional said.

"You have to be careful not to be affected by stares; people may wonder what the red patches on your skin are, and if they are contagious. From there, you get emotionally affected and distressed by it."

Psoriasis has been shown to affect health-related quality of life to an extent similar to effects of other chronic diseases like hypertension and congestive heart failure or type 2 diabetes.

According to The National Skin Centre, there are about 2,000 new cases each year.

There are about 50,000 persons affected by psoriasis in Singapore.

There are five main types of psoriasis are plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrodermic.

The most common form, plaque psoriasis, is commonly seen as red and white scaly patches appearing on the skin.

While psoriasis may appear at any age, research suggests it is more likely to affect those in their 20s and 30s.

Experts stressed that while the disease is incurable, it is not contagious.

They said they hope the public will be more compassionate to patients.

Psoriasis Association of Singapore president Colin Theng said: "Just imagine walking around with red patches all over yourself.

"Patients are affected mentally, feel very embarrassed and depressed about their (condition). There are often times they want to isolate themselves from other people for fear of what people would think".

Eighty per cent of the new cases reported here each year are scalp psoriasis patients, and the patients can now turn to a more effective treatment in the form of a gel called Xamiol.

Experts say it's easy to use and a quick improvement was seen as early as one to two weeks of treatment.

The standard treatment is to use coal tar, salicyclic acid and steroid lotions which can be messy and time-consuming for patients.

-CNA/wk

- wong chee tat :)