Is psoriasis contagious? Is psoriasis contagious and how is it transmitted? Is psoriasis transmitted from person to person?

Psoriasis is a chronic disease in which changes occur on the skin in different parts of the body, sometimes nails and joints are affected. Appearing red plaques with white parts of the dead epidermis are sometimes called scaly lichen, which is associated with an infectious process. Usually, lichen caused by bacteria and fungi is transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, so the question arises whether psoriasis is contagious or not. In fact, no, because the formation of psoriatic plaques is based on psycho-emotional shocks, disorders in the immune and endocrine systems, and not an infectious process.

Modern theories of the origin of the disease

The etiology of the disease is not fully understood. Some people start to get sick after prolonged inflammation on the body caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria or allergies, others after suffering nervous stress, in others, the pathology appears suddenly, for no apparent reason.

Psoriasis is not transmitted from a sick person to another person, since it is not caused by infections. Many people are frightened by the appearance of the affected areas. Red growths raised above the skin with extensive peeling on the surface are improperly matured dermal cells that were formed during increased division and rapid death. They are not caused by the introduction of microorganisms that can be transmitted to a healthy body.

The alleged causes and mechanisms of the development of the disease:

• According to the first theory, pathology occurs due to the high rate of division and differentiation of epidermal cells. This process leads to the formation of an excess number of skin cells and their rapid growth. An increased production of macrophages and reticulocytes begins, caused by the aggression of immune reactions. The cells of the body cover are perceived as foreign, and the immune system tries to quickly replace them with new ones. In this process, papules quickly form, which turn into plaques.
• The second theory suggests that it is an immune-mediated disease. Increased division of skin cells, the massive appearance of reticulocytes is a secondary link in response to inflammatory mediators. There is an activation of some compliments of lymphocytes, which normally protect the body from emerging cancer cells. They pass into the layers of the dermis and cause macrophages, granulocytes and other types of cells to multiply. A large number of reticulocytes and other types of skin cells begin to rise into the upper layers of the dermis, forming hyperemic raised areas on the body.
• Human chromosomes are predisposed to psoriasis. Several genes for the heredity of this disease have been found. All alleles of genes for predisposition to psoriasis are also responsible for the reactions of the immune system. Therefore, pathology can be conditionally taken as a hereditary disease, which is closely related to malfunctions in the immune system.

Clinical studies have shown that psoriasis is often accompanied by infectious diseases - staphylococcus aureus, fungi, etc. Most doctors consider them to be a consequence, since plaque-damaged skin is a suitable place for the development of infectious diseases. However, some experts observed a different picture: first, candidiasis and bacterial pathologies were detected on the mucous membranes and skin for a long time, and then psoriasis developed.

Is psoriasis transmitted from person to person?

When typical plaques with peeling appear in the work team or relatives, many people have a question whether skin psoriasis is contagious to others. The etiology and pathogenesis of the disease indicate autoimmune processes that occur in the body regardless of infectious agents.

Long-term inflammation on the skin due to viruses and fungi can serve as a trigger for the development of psoriasis in people with impaired immune processes and with existing heredity.

You can find out how you can get psoriasis from a relative, but for this you will need to conduct laboratory tests for changes in the genes responsible for the development of the disease and immunity.

By inheritance

Psoriasis is transmitted at nine gene loci, they are called PSORS1 - PSORS9. Psoriasis genes can be passed on from either the mother or the father. Transmission routes are not linked only to the Y chromosome, so both a boy and a girl can receive the pathology gene.

Of these nine loci, different genes convey information on the causes and pathogenesis of skin plaque formation. Many of these genes are responsible not only for psoriatic lesions, they can transmit data on the mechanism of inflammatory reactions, regeneration processes. Genetic studies confirm that information about autoimmune diseases and rheumatoid pathologies is transmitted in the PSORS1 - PSORS9 genes.

The main gene that determines rapid cell division for the formation of pustules and plaques is PSORS1. It encodes a specific protein in cells, which is found in large quantities in the affected skin layers.

Reflecting on the question of whether psoriasis can be inherited, you need to understand that genes are responsible for the predisposition to the pathological process. For the onset of the disease, special conditions are necessary. Factors contributing to the appearance of psoriasis in the presence of a genetic predisposition:

• stress, anxiety, lability of the central nervous system;
• atopic dermatitis and other allergic manifestations;
• prolonged inflammatory processes on the surface of the body;
• alcoholism;
• HIV infection;
• chronic poisoning with heavy metals, mercury vapor, etc. when living in an environmentally hazardous area or under harmful production conditions at the workplace.

Some patients report a sudden onset of the disease and do not associate psoriasis with certain factors. Doctors believe that in about 10-20% of patients, the disease was not triggered by any specific circumstances.

Through things in common

The indirect mode of transmission is characteristic of many types of skin diseases caused by various microorganisms. Fungi, bacteria, viruses can be transmitted through bedding, towels, washcloths and other things.

If a patient with psoriasis touches different things, then exfoliated skin scales can get on household items. Psoriasis itself is not contagious, as it develops due to disturbances in the rate of cell division, it does not have an infectious etiology. Parts of dead skin with opportunistic flora, which is always present on the surface of the body of a healthy person, can stick to common household items. If psoriasis is accompanied by a fungus, a staphylococcal infection, these pathogens will remain on things. With indirect contact, only microorganisms are transmitted that could complicate psoriasis.

Kissing, shaking hands

The direct contact mechanism of disease transmission occurs with close contact of body parts of sick and healthy people. Psoriasis cannot be transmitted either by kissing or by shaking hands, since the cause of the formation of skin papules is disturbances in immune reactions, and not various pathogens.

Autoimmune diseases cannot be transmitted through touch. You can get psoriasis only because of failures inside the body.

The contact route of transmission is characteristic of true lichen, fungal skin diseases. People call psoriasis "scaly lichen", but this name was coined when they did not know the causes and pathogenesis of the disease. Previously, these diseases were assumed to be common in appearance. It has now been proven that psoriasis is not a true lichen.

sexually

During sexual contact, many diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms are transmitted. Many varieties of fungi, protozoa and bacteria settle on the mucous membrane of the internal genital organs. With unprotected intercourse, they can be transmitted to the partner's mucous membranes.

Psoriasis is not caused by microorganisms, so this disease is not transmitted through intimate contact with the patient. In patients suffering from psoriasis, the immune system does not work properly, they often develop opportunistic flora on the skin and mucous membranes. If a sick patient has concomitant candidiasis, then it passes from person to person, like other sexually transmitted infections.

Through the blood

The blood-borne route of transmission is characteristic of hepatitis B and C, HIV infection and other diseases, mainly caused by viruses. Infection can be contracted through blood transfusion, use of non-sterile medical instruments, needles in tattoo parlors, insect bites, or from mother to fetus during fetal development.

It is possible to find out whether or not psoriasis is transmitted through the blood by studying the causes of the onset of the disease. The pathological process and predisposition to it is caused not by an infection, but by the genetic code in nine loci and failures in the regulation of epidermal cell division.

Medical specialists have proven that psoriasis cannot be transmitted to healthy people living with the patient through any close contact.

Types, first signs and treatment of the disease

Psoriasis can occur in different forms, the main types of flow are combined into pustular and non-pustular. No form of the disease can be transmitted to another person.

In psoriatic arthritis, inflammation of the joints and connective tissue occurs, resulting in deformity of the hands or feet. Psoriatic onychodystrophy is accompanied by damage to the nails. The most severe form of the disease is erythroderma. Blisters form, with a large area of ​​​​damage, the body cannot maintain a constant normal body temperature.

The onset of psoriasis can be triggered by stress, exacerbation of a chronic disease, and other circumstances. In the body's immune system, a failure occurs, which leads to increased division of skin cells and the appearance of characteristic plaques.

The first signs of the disease.

How contagious psoriasis is for others, worries every person who has been diagnosed with this. Probably none of the sick people do not wish such a disease to their sick and loved ones. Many people who encounter carriers of this disease begin to worry about their health. Sometimes, such manifestations are expressed in aggressive behavior and a negative look towards the patient. In this article, we propose to consider how psoriasis is transmitted from person to person and how dangerous psoriasis is.

Psoriasis is not transmitted by contact with the patient, neither through a handshake, nor through touch

In order to answer these questions, it is necessary to consider psoriasis in detail and study the main ways of transmitting this disease. The disease in question is included in the group of non-communicable diseases of the skin.. The development of the disease is accompanied by the formation of small red spots on the surface of the skin, which slightly rise above the level of the skin. Such lesions are called psoriatic plaques. It should be noted that in a certain category of patients, such neoplasms are absent on the body.

Most often, such formations form on those parts of the body that are subject to increased friction or mechanical pressure. These areas include the buttocks and the folds of the limbs. But with a severe form of this disease, plaques can cover various parts of the human body. Quite often, such lesions form on the scalp.

Psoriasis has an outward resemblance to a disease such as eczema, but unlike this disease, the rash is localized only on the outer surface of the joints.

Before talking about whether skin psoriasis is contagious to others, it should be mentioned that this ailment is of a chronic nature. This means that the disease has an undulating course. Remission can be replaced by the rapid development of rashes. Often, changes in the patient's well-being are associated with various provoking factors. These factors include excessive alcohol consumption, psycho-emotional imbalances, and infectious diseases.

The disease itself has several degrees of severity. In one category of patients, psoriasis is expressed as small neoplasms in the area of ​​the elbows. In other people, psoriatic plaques can cover up to ninety percent of the body area. The pathology under consideration is characterized by constant progress. This means that at certain stages of development, rashes cover new areas of the body. Over time, the duration of the acute course of the disease may increase. There is a special category of patients in whom the remission stage is completely absent.

When caring for a patient, psoriasis is not contagious

A severe form of the disease can lead to changes in the structure of the nail plates and inflammation of the joints.. Approximately ten percent of people with this diagnosis have a complication such as psoriatic arthritis. This complication poses a serious threat to human health.

Despite the fact that there are several dozen different methods of treating the pathology in question, it is impossible to get rid of psoriasis completely. In most cases, therapy can improve the patient's well-being and increase the duration of the remission period. In some cases, the passage of treatment allows you to forget about psoriatic plaques for many years. But even in this situation, the risk of relapse remains extremely high.

There are seven main forms of manifestation of scaly lichen (the old name for the disease):

1. plaque-like- a simple form of the disease, which has the highest prevalence.
2. Reverse- lesions in this form of the disease are localized in the natural folds of the skin (genitals, armpits, chest and fat folds).
3. drop-shaped- with this form of the disease, the patient's body is covered with a rash that has a diameter of fifty millimeters.
4. Pustular- one of the most severe forms of the disease.
5. Psoriatic arthritis- one of the complications of a simple form of pathology, in which the lesions cover the tissues and cartilage of the joints. In most situations, this form of the disease manifests itself in the area of ​​​​the fingers.
6. Psoriatic erythroderma- characterized by itching and swelling of the affected areas of the surface of the epidermis. This form of the disease can cause detachment of the epithelium, which can lead to the death of the patient.

In addition, there is a lichen form of the disease. It is characterized by damage to the fingers of the extremities.

Causes of the disease

Is it possible to get psoriasis from a patient? In order to answer this question, let's look at the factors that play a decisive role in the formation of the disease. Currently, medicine is unable to answer the question related to the causes of psoriasis. There are several theories, some of which are supported by indirect facts.

Many experts attribute this pathology to autoimmune diseases, the cause of which lies in violations of the immune system. Certain components of the immune system, whose purpose is to protect the body from hostile agents, enter the epithelium. With the penetration of such cells into tissues, inflammatory processes are triggered. Against this background, the rate of division and reproduction of epithelial cells increases. This process in medicine is denoted by the term "proliferation".

You can use common household items: a towel, dishes, etc. without fear of getting infected

Psoriasis is included in the category of diseases, during the development of which there are changes in the functionality of keratinocytes (skin cells). Such violations lead to the fact that the immune system begins to destroy damaged cells.

Is psoriasis contagious or not? In order to get an answer to this question, you need to consider some factors that contribute to the development of pathology. These factors include:

Heredity. Today, a popular theory in medical circles is that the genes responsible for the functioning of the immune system act as carriers of the disease. Adherents of this theory believe that there is a high percentage of the risk of transmission of this disease from sick parents to their children. Medical practice to some extent confirms this theory, since sixty percent of patients have close relatives with this disease.

In addition, dry and thin skin can contribute to the development of the disease. According to statistics, people with this type of skin are much more likely to suffer from scaly lichen. This circumstance can be explained by the fact that the lack of subcutaneous fat makes the skin more susceptible to various diseases. Often, psoriasis is formed in people who are in close contact with various aggressive chemical components.

Increased attention to personal hygiene can also cause illness. The use of highly concentrated alkaline hygiene products breaks the natural barrier on the skin, making the skin more susceptible to various infections. In addition, the use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products and drugs has a detrimental effect on the condition of the skin.

There is a rather interesting pattern, which researchers are still unable to explain. According to statistics, the presence of a disease such as HIV and the use of certain medications can increase the risk of developing psoriasis. These drugs include anticonvulsants, lithium carbonate, antidepressants, and beta-blockers. Also among the reasons for the development of psoriasis, experts highlight a sharp change in climatic conditions and environmental degradation. In addition, the risk group prone to this disease includes people who are prone to allergies.

Often, scaly lichen manifests itself against the background of an infectious lesion of the skin, fungi and bacteria. According to statistics, in five percent of cases, the development of the disease is preceded by staphylococcus aureus. The reason for the appearance of psoriatic plaques may lie in the constant injury of certain parts of the body. In addition, prolonged stress and emotional upheaval can increase the severity of the manifestation of the disease.

Psoriasis is not caused by pathogenic microorganisms, therefore, for the surrounding people, a patient with psoriasis is not contagious

How is psoriasis transmitted?

The transmission routes of psoriasis have been haunting researchers for decades. At the moment, there are several theories about how this disease is transmitted. But here it should be clarified that none of the theories listed below is officially recognized. Annual studies increase knowledge about this pathology, but medicine is still in search of an accurate answer.

Such diseases have a negative impact on the functioning of the nervous and immune systems, which leads to disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system. Such disorders are favorable conditions for the formation of psoriatic plaques.

Also, experts consider the theory that this disease is of a viral nature. Is it possible to get psoriasis through contact with the patient, his blood or through sexual contact? At the moment, there is not a single officially confirmed fact of such a way of transmission of the disease. In addition, in the entire history of medicine, psoriasis infection has not been registered when using donated blood. However, supporters of the viral theory put forward the view that this virus is transmitted only through genes and is congenital.

Some experts are of the opinion that this disease is associated with disorders in the central nervous system. They confirm this opinion by the fact that often the appearance of psoriasis is preceded by strong emotional upheavals and other events that disrupt the functionality of the central nervous system. In addition, some scientists explain the appearance of scaly lichen by the presence of a tendency to allergies and disturbances in the process of metabolism of nutrients in the internal environment of the human body.

Psoriasis is one of the most common chronic skin diseases.

There is a theory that psoriasis is associated with endocrine disorders. Adherents of this theory say that the disruption of the functioning of the endocrine glands is the primary cause of the onset of the disease.

Is psoriasis hereditary? The hereditary theory of this disease suggests that it is not the disease itself that is transmitted from sick parents to children, but only a predisposition to its development. It is important to note that according to medical practice, the probability of developing the disease in children whose parents have this diagnosis is more than sixty percent.

What is the danger of psoriasis for the immediate environment

The disease in question is not transmitted by household means, therefore, the immediate environment of the patient is not in danger of infection. Personal items, bathroom accessories and bedding also cannot act as carriers of the disease. Psoriasis is not an infectious disease, so the patient does not pose a danger to society.

In the case when several people in the same family have this diagnosis, this does not mean that the infection has occurred. The reason for this situation lies precisely in the hereditary factor. Here it should be understood that it is not the disease itself that is transmitted along the family line, but the predisposition to its appearance.

Patients with psoriasis often suffer from obvious cosmetic defects in the skin. The unaesthetic appearance of the skin can cause isolation and other psychological problems. That is why close relatives of patients should be cared for and sensitive.

In contact with

A large number of people at the sight of a person with psoriasis try to avoid all contact with him. They are just afraid of getting infected. Such a negative reaction from others arises only because few people have tried to find an answer to the question of whether psoriasis is transmitted from one person to another or not. If people were more aware, patients with an unpleasant diagnosis would never face the fate of outcasts.

Almost every person in his life had to deal with infected psoriasis. They were able to recognize some in a large crowd by characteristic rashes on the skin of open areas of the body. Many try not to stand out, so they hide psoriatic plaques under their clothes.

In fact, there is no need to protect yourself from communicating with those who have psoriasis. To understand this, it is enough to ask if psoriasis is transmitted from person to person. The answer to this question allows others to understand how to behave with people with such a diagnosis.

Doctors have long come to the general conclusion that psoriasis is not transmitted from another person. In medicine, not a single real case has been recorded that can refute this theory. In addition, this opinion is supported by scientific evidence. Only diseases that are viral or bacterial in nature can be transmitted in various ways. Psoriasis is not one of them. It is caused by leukocytes produced by the patient's body.

The only problem that may arise during communication with the patient is aesthetic discomfort. The rest you don't have to worry about. Contact with a sick person does not cause infection. This means that rumors about the danger of communicating with a patient whose skin pathology is progressing are just fiction.

Psoriasis is not contagious! Don't be afraid to shake hands

Modes of transmission of psoriasis

At the appointment with a dermatologist, patients often ask questions about whether it is possible to get psoriasis. A competent specialist will definitely tell you that skin pathology does not belong to the category of infectious diseases. The psoriatic process develops in a completely different way than other painful conditions with a similar clinical picture.

Psoriatic disease cannot be transmitted from the patient in such ways:

• By contact-household way. This means that a person can calmly communicate with someone who is sick, hug him and greet him through a handshake. Nothing will threaten him if he uses a towel or puts on the clothes of an infected person. The doctor should certainly inform the family of his patient about this feature. He must explain that communication and cohabitation in the same house with the patient will not be dangerous for the rest of the household;
• Through the blood. If, for one reason or another, another person needs an urgent transfusion, and only a patient with psoriasis turns out to be a donor, then this will not threaten anything serious for the health of both. Body fluids are not a source through which infection can occur. Also, do not worry if the blood of a patient with psoriasis accidentally gets into the open wound of one person;
• During intimacy. This method of transmission of sexually transmitted diseases in this case is not contagious. This topic will be discussed in more detail below.

The blood of a patient with psoriasis, like other biological fluids, is absolutely safe.

People should not be afraid to communicate freely with infected skin pathologies. If someone says that psoriasis is transmitted through close contact, then this should not be believed, since this theory has not been confirmed.

The likelihood of the appearance of psoriatic plaques exists only in those people who are at risk. This means that one of their loved ones suffered from skin pathology. Therefore, she could pass to them by inheritance. But even in this case, a person who has already shown signs of psoriasis on the skin is not the cause of activation of the disease. It will take an active phase in the presence of favorable conditions, for example, a sharp decrease in the protective properties of the body.

Is it sexually transmitted

A person with psoriatic lesions of the skin of different parts of the body and head can safely enter into an intimate relationship with his partner without fear of infecting him. This is because sexual transmission of psoriasis is impossible.

Many unknowingly confuse psoriatic disease with a fungal or viral infection, which is characterized by skin rashes. The latter are indeed contagious. To get sick, it is enough for a man or woman to have an intimate relationship with an infected person.

Since psoriasis is not caused by pathogenic microflora, infection with it is considered impossible. The disease makes itself felt due to the influence on the body of certain factors that provoke its activation.

A patient who has been diagnosed with psoriasis by a dermatologist can continue to live an intimate life. For most patients, this is good news, since such a disease cannot be completely cured. A person has to live with such a diagnosis for decades.

Absolutely safe for a healthy person are not only sexual contact with an infected person, but also kissing him.

Can't get psoriasis sexually

Is psoriasis transmitted to children

Experts have spent a lot of time searching for an answer to the question of whether psoriasis is inherited. They managed to come to an unambiguous conclusion. Experts say that it is this way of transmission of psoriasis that is the most reliable. In addition, it has been repeatedly confirmed in practice.

It is worth clarifying one curious nuance. It is not the disease itself that is inherited from the father or mother, but the predisposition to it. This means that a person may never get sick at all if he carefully takes care of his own health.

A child does not necessarily have to develop exactly the form of psoriatic lesions that was diagnosed in one of his parents. Physicians distinguish many different types of pathology, which differ from each other in the features of the course and treatment.

If a father or mother has inherited a predisposition to the appearance of psoriatic plaques to their child, then his body will react sharply to most stimuli.

Predisposition to psoriasis is inherited

The following factors can lead to the appearance of signs of psoriasis:

• Leading an unhealthy lifestyle;
• Unfavorable weather conditions;
• Skin damage;
• Individual characteristics of the organism;
• Overvoltage and stress.

If the parents of the baby suffer from psoriasis, then one day it will manifest itself in him. Cases have been recorded when a person who led a healthy lifestyle and did not have serious health problems fell ill with this disease. However, most often such people manage to avoid adverse consequences.

Predisposition to psoriasis is present in 50% of babies whose parents suffer from it. If only the father or mother is sick, then the probability of manifestation of painful symptoms exists only for 25% of children.

If the disease did not make itself felt in childhood, then it can disturb a person in old age. By this age, in men and women, the immune system is greatly weakened, they experience disruptions in metabolic processes. All this leads to infection.

There are a lot of speculations and rumors around psoriasis, because of which the life of patients is unbearable. Most people try to stay away from the infected, so they become outcasts, close in on themselves. Psychological stress and constant worries have a bad effect on recovery, since a depressed state only aggravates the course of the pathological process.

It will happen that patients with psoriasis have to reduce their social circle, because they do not know if psoriasis is transmitted from person to person. The instinct of self-preservation pushes people away from the sick, because they do not know exactly how psoriasis is transmitted. Their uncertainty is generated by various speculations, one of which is that psoriasis will be transmitted or not.

The disease is considered non-contagious, and the cause is in no way caused by pathogens. The disease is referred to as scaly lichen, but it is impossible to say whether psoriasis is transmitted or not. Doctors say that it is impossible to get psoriasis through the blood. Also in everyday life: to the question of concern to everyone whether psoriasis is transmitted, they unequivocally state that there is no danger of infection.

How is psoriasis transmitted?

The disease is caused by non-pathogenic microorganisms, therefore it is not considered contagious. But there are cases of illness in the family of several people in turn. Naturally, questions arise: how is psoriasis transmitted? However, the physical cause is not the way of transmission - this is explained by hereditary predisposition. But if we take into account the theory of occurrence - streptococci, tissue reaction, retroviruses, then how exactly psoriasis is transmitted cannot be stated with complete certainty. Assumptions of scientists do not give a full guarantee of the safety of a little-studied disease.

Is psoriasis transmitted from person to person?

Scaly deprive, as psoriasis is called, reduces the life of cells. Exfoliated scales cause alertness of people who are afraid to pick up the disease and do not know whether psoriasis is transmitted from person to person by these dead cells. In addition, it causes alertness, because the patient touches everything. Psoriasis is just a cosmetic defect. The formation of psoriasis occurs due to a malfunction of the endocrine system, nerves, weakening of the immune system, which means that the answer is whether psoriasis is transmitted from person to person according to dermatology, it can definitely be negative.

How is psoriasis transmitted from person to person?

Scientists have discovered the fact of identical signs of disease of the next of kin of a patient with psoriasis. The topic suggests itself: How is psoriasis transmitted from person to person? Research has shown that psoriasis transmission pathways choose the cellular level. Not always the manifestation of the disease passes from the immediate environment. Quite often, this disease could be observed in ancestors and appear after exposure to provoking factors. Whether or not psoriasis is transmitted between relatives must be considered at the genetic level, and strangers cannot contract psoriasis through contact.

Is psoriasis hereditary?

The answer lies in the genes, after all, psoriasis is inherited. The illness of one of the parents will not necessarily affect the child, and there is no point in asserting. When both are sick, the risk of psoriasis is very high, but it is not necessary that the disease manifest itself. Many factors are involved in the formation of psoriasis, and inheritance is only a potential opportunity for the disease to develop. The length of the disease is not important at all, the presence of clinical manifestations in relatives - due to the low knowledge of the disease, it is impossible to say with accuracy whether psoriasis is inherited.

Is psoriasis transmitted by contact?

There is no single answer. A greater number of physicians tend to argue that only the hereditary factor plays a role, so a direct statement that psoriasis is transmitted by contact wrong. Neither the use of one dish, nor handshakes, skin contact is dangerous. Psoriasis is transmitted only by genetic factors. And living with a sick person or caring for him is completely safe. Unpleasant communication is usually caused by ordinary hygienic or aesthetic motives.

Is psoriasis sexually transmitted?

Partners can continue their relationship quite calmly, since talk that psoriasis is sexually transmitted is a complete fiction based on speculation. The only thing with intimate relationships is a terrible inferiority complex. Is psoriasis transmitted through sexual intercourse? No, it's not real. There are enough examples of creating happy families, where one of the spouses is sick with psoriasis. Real feelings will overshadow all prejudices.

Playlist of videos about psoriasis (video selection in the upper right corner)

Many people avoid contact when they see a person with psoriatic skin lesions for fear of contracting the disease, as most people believe that psoriasis is contagious. However, medicine has long given a negative answer to the question of whether skin psoriasis is contagious or not, psoriasis is not an infectious disease, so it cannot be infected.

Most people do not see the difference between contagious inflammation of the skin - infectious, fungal, herpetic, scabies, lichen, etc., and various skin manifestations caused by internal factors that provoke the development of psoriasis plaques. Therefore, it is natural that the majority of those who do not know whether psoriasis is contagious or not, when they see plaques on a person’s body, there is fear and fear of contracting an incomprehensible skin disease.

Psoriasis is not a contagious disease - it is considered a proven fact

• Psoriasis is not transmitted by contact with the patient, neither through a handshake, nor through touch, hugs, etc.
• When caring for a sick person, psoriasis is not contagious.
• You can use common household items: a towel, dishes, etc., without fear of infection, since psoriasis is not transmitted from person to person by contact-household.
• Also, psoriasis is not sexually transmitted.
• Psoriasis is not caused by pathogenic microorganisms, therefore, for the surrounding people, a patient with psoriasis is not contagious, since there is no potential source of infection.
• In cases where one family member gets sick in one family, and then others - many see this as contagious psoriasis. However, this does not indicate the physical cause of the transmission of the disease through contact with the patient, but is explained by hereditary disposition.

However, given the various assumptions of scientists and theories - the viral (hereditary retroviruses), the infectious-allergic theory (as a tissue allergic reaction to viruses, streptococci), and not just the immune and genetic cause - it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that this understudied disease.

Is psoriasis a hereditary disease?

Many parents who suffer from psoriasis are concerned about the question of whether psoriasis is inherited, and can their children have psoriasis? Most doctors are sure that it is hereditary factors, genetic predisposition that play a significant role in the development of this disease, that is, they claim that psoriasis is inherited. Children born to a mother or father with psoriasis are 4 times more likely to get the disease than children from healthy parents. And if both parents are sick, then the probability of the disease in their children is 75%.

Research scientists have discovered the fact that the same violations of metabolic processes in the skin and blood of patients with psoriasis are also detected in their clinically healthy close relatives. Therefore, changes at the cellular level in psoriasis are inherited, creating a predisposition to this disease.

• When a child gets sick, there are usually psoriasis patients in the family, perhaps not even parents, but grandmothers or great-grandmothers. The disease may not manifest itself for a long time, and if provocative factors occur, it may appear unexpectedly, even in old age.
• Often there are cases, after a family develops psoriasis in a child, while there is no one in the family with this disease, suddenly after a while one of the parents also has signs of psoriasis. The contagiousness of the disease is excluded, therefore, this is not a coincidence, and there was a family tendency to this disease, but it manifested itself only when provoking factors arose.
• There have been cases that healthy parents, in whose family there has never been psoriasis, the child fell ill with this disease, and after a while, signs of psoriasis were also recorded in mom or dad.

• There are also cases where parents do not have psoriasis, and their children show signs at different ages, so it is believed that psoriasis is inherited.
• Among all patients with this disease, 60% have close relatives with a similar problem, doctors also do not exclude the influence of the virus on the genetic code of the cell.
• There is also an opinion that it is not the disease itself that is inherited, but the predisposition of metabolism, skin characteristics, endocrine mechanisms, the violation of which leads to various manifestations of psoriasis.
• Another point of view is that today psoriasis is considered a fairly common disease, and some doctors argue that the occurrence of psoriasis is not necessarily associated with a genetic cause. And the cause should be sought in a combination of several risk factors: violations of enzyme, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, reproduction of viruses, foci of streptococcal infection, etc.

Why is psoriasis dangerous for a patient?

Many people think that psoriasis is not life-threatening, and apart from psychological and minor physical discomfort, there is nothing wrong with this disease, since the presence of peeling and inflammation of some areas of the skin does not pose a serious threat to the health and life of the patient.

However, this is deeply misleading. Why is psoriasis dangerous? First of all, the fact that this is not just a skin disease, it is enough that severe common forms of psoriasis without proper treatment are fatal.

Itching, cracks in the skin, periodic pain, this is only the very beginning of possible serious complications. Psoriasis is by no means "only a skin disease", it is a systemic disease that affects almost all organs and systems, it is the internal state of the body, so it is unequivocal that psoriasis is not contagious to others.

When the process affects only the skin, this can be somehow controlled and within a month of treatment, the symptoms may go away. But the most dangerous psoriasis for the patient is when the joints are affected.

Therefore, it is important for all patients with psoriasis to control any inflammatory process, not to bring the exacerbation to a critical state, and to prevent joint diseases. With psoriatic arthritis, it is much more difficult to help the patient, and the drugs used for treatment do no less harm than good, since they have a lot of side effects. Complications of psoriasis:

Nail damage

Psoriatic changes in the nails are harbingers of the onset of joint diseases. If the patient has a change in the appearance of the nail plates, depressions or oil spots appear, nail plate dystrophy is an alarming sign that should alert the patient with psoriasis, as this indicates approaching psoriatic arthritis.

With psoriasis, a whole complex of various disorders of the organs and systems of the body is possible:

• Eye diseases, conjunctivitis, lens sclerosis, iritis, episcleritis, etc.
• Various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, mucous membranes of the oropharynx, urethra, bladder.
• Enlargement of the liver and spleen.
• Violations of the central nervous system - with such manifestations as delirium, epileptic seizures, encephalopathy.
• Spontaneous muscle pain, muscle atrophy, muscle weakness.
• Due to massive cell destruction (desquamation), the kidneys are overloaded with purine bases. Perhaps the development of nephropathy and chronic renal failure.
• Heart damage, up to, pericarditis, heart defects.

Psoriatic arthritis

These are multiple lesions of the joints. Occurs in about 7% of cases. Damage to several joints of one finger or toe is typical. Fingers-sausages (swelling, edema, impaired active movements in the joints). In the future, asymmetric arthritis of large joints: knee, ankle, elbow, often lesions of the sacroiliac joint. A few years later, a phase of subluxations of the joints (seal flippers) and muscle atrophy sets in. On the X-ray, there is a destruction of the articular cartilage zone and the heads of the bones.