Blog Layout
Seniors with Psoriasis: Types and Treatment Options
Lisa Reisman • Aug 28, 2019
How can we help you today?
Living with Psoriasis as a Senior Citizen
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, psoriasis is an immune meditated disease that causes red, scaly patches to appear on the skin. Psoriasis can be painful and draw unwanted attention to inflamed areas of the body, but what’s more concerning is the fact that psoriasis can raise a persons change of age-related health problems. Understanding how to deal with psoriasis can help seniors maintain a healthy lifestyle while keeping the skin disease at bay.
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis typically shows up on people’s elbows, knees, or scalp but has the ability to appear anywhere. Patients with psoriasis report having a burning or itching feeling during an outbreak. These episodes of psoriasis can be called outbreaks because the rash will often come and go. Scientists can’t confirm the exact cause of psoriasis, but they can agree that genetics and a person’s immune system plays a major role in who develops the skin disease. The National Psoriasis Foundation and researchers conclude that 10 % of people inherit one or more genes that could eventually lead to psoriasis, however only 2 to 3% of the population actually develop it. Having the genes that cause psoriasis in addition to being exposed to certain “triggers” is what leads to the development of psoriasis. Psoriasis is not contagious, and the lesions associated with psoriasis outbreaks are not infectious.
There is no specific way to diagnose psoriasis. Any doctor should be able to examine the affected skin area and determine if it’s psoriasis or not. Dermatologists are the best type of specialist to see to manage psoriasis, and anyone who needs psoriasis treatment long term should be referred to one by their primary care physician. A minor biopsy may be performed to examine under a microscope. When biopsied, the affected area may look thicker and inflamed when compared to skin with eczema.
Types of Psoriasis
The National Psoriasis Foundation provides us with the following 5 different types of psoriasis. Learning more about the type of psoriasis you have will help determine the best treatment.
Plaque psoriasis is the most common form of the disease and appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells. These patches or plaques most often show up on the scalp, knees, elbows and lower back. They are often itchy and painful, which may cause cracking and bleeding.
Guttate [GUH-tate] psoriasis is a form of psoriasis that appears as small, dot-like lesions. Guttate psoriasis often starts in childhood or young adulthood and can be triggered by a strep infection. This is the second-most common type of psoriasis, after plaque psoriasis. About 10 percent of people who get psoriasis develop guttate psoriasis.
Inverse psoriasis shows up as very red lesions in body folds, such as behind the knee, under the arm or in the groin. It may appear smooth and shiny. Many people have another type of psoriasis elsewhere on the body at the same time.
Pustular [PUHS-choo-lar] psoriasis in characterized by white pustules (blisters of noninfectious pus) surrounded by red skin. The pus consists of white blood cells. It is not an infection nor is it contagious. Pustular psoriasis can occur on any part of the body but occurs most often on the hands or feet.
Erythrodermic [eh-REETH-ro-der-mik] psoriasis is a particularly severe form of psoriasis that leads to widespread, fiery redness over most of the body. It can cause severe itching and pain as well as make the skin come off in sheets. It is rare, occurring in 3 percent of people who have psoriasis during their life time. It generally appears on people who have unstable plaque psoriasis.
Managing Psoriasis
Psoriasis, as mentioned previously, can become worsened when triggered by certain factors. These triggers are not universal; what causes someone’s psoriasis to flare up may not be the same for another. Managing stress is a major key in helping control psoriasis because they seem to go hand in hand— psoriasis is caused by stress, and psoriasis can make someone more stressed. According to WebMD, there’s no exact science proving why stress can make psoriasis worse, some say it’s how stress affects the immune system. Since psoriasis can be embarrassing and painful, it may cause people to suffer emotional consequences. If you find that the stress of psoriasis is too much to handle, consider meeting with a mental health counselor to help better deal with these emotions. Certain drugs, such as lithium (a common treatment for bipolar disorder), drugs for malaria, and some beta-blockers (used to treat high blood pressure, heart disease, and some heart arrhythmias), can cause flare-ups of psoriasis symptoms.
Managing ones psoriasis is important not only for healthy looking skin but should be considered an overall health concern for aging adults. Psoriasis especially for seniors can make them more susceptible to get some types of cancer such as types of lymphoma and non- melanoma skin cancer. Psoriasis can also raise a senior’s risk of low bone density conditions like osteopenia and osteoporosis. Another concern raised in an article on WebMD reports about 30% of people who have psoriasis also get psoriatic arthritis— a condition that causes stiff and swollen joints that can get worse with time if left untreated.
“If you have psoriasis, it’s especially important to work closely with all your doctors,” says Shari Lipner, MD, PhD, a dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York. If you are working with a dermatologist or rheumatologist to treat psoriasis, make sure you provide a thorough history of any treatments you’ve had in the past or are currently getting. A healthy lifestyle with the right diet and exercise can help keep the inflammation down that’s associated with psoriasis, in addition to lowering your chances of psoriasis-induced health conditions like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Healthy Skin
Topical agents are typically the first line of defense with most psoriasis outbreaks in the elderly; the National Library of Medicine concludes this is because most topical medicines have a localized impact and minimal systemic effects. Choosing the correct skin care products are crucial to keeping psoriasis under control. Aged skin suffers from increased dryness because the eccrine glands (the major sweat glands) decrease in number, and with less sweat-producing glands and moisture, skin tends to be rougher. If you or the senior your care for has a skin care routine, make sure you stay away from gel-based products because they tend to contain alcohol which can dry skin out even more and worsen the psoriasis. Look for moisturizers containing natural ingredients with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and lipids. The more a person moisturizes, the better the infected area will be.
Learn about the common symptoms of COVID-19, reasons why older people have a wide variety of symptoms & how to spot early signs of COVID-19 in the elderly.
Learn about the symptoms of COVID-19 & how it spreads. Know the difference between asymptomatic & symptomatic.
Learn why the elderly have a higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 & why the risks are higher when they have underlying health conditions.
Learn about the signs when your loved one faces comprehension difficulties. Know how a cognitive impairment disease can affect you & your loved ones.
You’ve heard the name many times by now— Coronavirus (or COVID-19) is a disease that’s become so deadly it’s spiraled us into a global pandemic. For those unfamiliar with how it got its name, in COVID-19, 'CO' stands for 'corona,' 'VI' for 'virus,' and 'D' for the disease. According to the CDC, “coronavirus” is actually an umbrella term for a family of viruses that can cause illness in animals or humans.
No matter what age, we all have moments of confusion. But when your elderly loved one is consistently exhibiting these signs, it might be because s/he is undergoing cognitive impairment. Having difficulty comprehending is a common sign these problems; however, it is often brushed aside as "old age." The person experiencing these difficulties may make excuses: the TV shows today are too complicated, their family members talk too fast, the lights are too dim to read. Ignoring the signs of comprehension difficulties, though, just make life harder for everyone involved. Comprehension and Confusion Comprehension is the opposite of confusion. Comprehension is a complex process in the brain through a system of nerves and chemicals, and it involves language, recognition, and function processes. Cognitive impairment disorders like dementia and Alzheimer's disrupt those complex processes. It can manifest as sudden memory loss, impaired motor coordination, and other more subtle thought processes that we will discuss. When someone has difficulty with comprehension, s/he has trouble putting together the various actions needed to perform a task. For example, your mom might need a cup from the cupboard. In order to do so, she must first decide she wants the cup. Then she might need to get out of her chair, walk across the kitchen, raise her hand, open the cupboard, and take the cup out of the cupboard. If she has difficulty with comprehension, she will have a hard time putting all of these elements to work to achieve her goal, which might result in several different outcomes: she could fall, break the cup, or just forget what she was doing before she reaches the cupboard. She knows what she wants to do but has trouble making all the connections necessary to get there. How Cognitive Impairment Affects Your Loved One Difficulty comprehending is frustrating for your elderly loved one and for you, but the first step toward helping your loved one is understanding what s/he is experiencing. Here are some examples of how someone with dementia or Alzheimer's disease might have trouble comprehending everyday situations. TV/books: Someone with dementia might not be able to follow a basic storyline and could not tell somebody else what is going on in the TV show or book. Social situations: Someone with dementia might see two children playing and interpret that they are fighting or vice versa. The person with dementia may step in and try to resolve the situation without realizing what is actually happening. Conversations: As with the TV/book example, someone with dementia can't follow an everyday conversation . S/he doesn't know who or what is being discussed and especially cannot tell when the subject matter has changed. Time: Someone with trouble comprehending will have difficulty telling time and might not know whether it is day or night. How Cognitive Impairment Affects You Because of these comprehension difficulties, the person experiencing dementia or Alzheimer's disease will rely on the people around him/her to tell him/her what is going on. For instance, your loved one may constantly ask you to repeat yourself. S/he may also have trouble following instructions. These situations can be aggravating for you, particularly if they are new, however it is important to understand that your loved one is not trying to bother you by failing to follow directions or asking you to repeat information over and over. These are symptoms of cognitive impairment , and neither you nor they can control it. If your family member begins to exhibit any of these signs, take him or her to your physician with a description of the comprehension difficulties you've noticed so that s/he has plenty of information for a cognitive function assessment. If the doctor diagnoses dementia or Alzheimer's, ask specific questions about treatment so that you can do your part to serve your loved one despite mild cognitive impairment. It is important to get help for your loved one, and there is no reason for you to care for your loved one alone. Caring for an aging relative requires time, patience, and expert care. Complete Care At Home can help you create a customized plan to meet the unique needs of your loved one with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Contact us today for an expert assessment.
Learn about aggression, dementia & how you can cope with people experiencing those illnesses through home health care services by Complete Care At Home.
Alzheimer's and dementia are debilitating diseases. Learn more about the differences and signs of dementia and Alzheimer's disease from normal forgetfulness.
Learn about the Elderly Loved One Being RepetitiveComplete Care At Home has a team of experts to take care of elderly family members.
Learn about the signs your loved ones might need home care services & how complete care at home services can help your loved ones to live safely.