No one fully understands what causes psoriasis on the skin yet, but doctors have several theories. We have known for a long time that psoriasis seems to run in families. This is not to say that if you have the disease your children definitely will, or that if your parents did not you will not either. Rather, there is a marked increase in psoriasis among people whose parents, grandparents or siblings have the disease. If one spouse has psoriasis, a couple’s children have a one-in-four chance of developing psoriasis too.

Although we have nailed down the numbers, dermatologists and genetics experts still do not know exactly how psoriasis is passed from one generation to the next, but we are getting closer to an answer. Recent study of blood samples has suggested to researchers that there are several genes that transmit psoriasis. The exact locations of the genes remain unknown, but scientists are currently trying to identify them precisely. They may be able to alter the way they affect people who are born with them and also possibly lead to new psoriasis treatments. A greater understanding of the psoriasis genes may also help to select the ideal treatment for some patients.

Proper diagnosis of your psoriasis helps to assure proper treatment. Many doctors who are not dermatologists see very few patients with psoriasis. Your family doctor may have difficulty in pinpointing the diagnosis, which could lead to inappropriate treatment. That is why it is important to consult a dermatologist at the early stages of psoriasis.

Beyond understanding how psoriasis is inherited, researchers have several theories as to how psoriasis actually develops in people with a genetic predisposition to it. Recent research suggests several different possible sites for the psoriasis gene and there may well be several genes. One theory is that a lack of control of the outer skin cells leads to the greatly increased production of cells that characterize psoriasis. This may result to an abnormality of the blood vessels and the inflammation characteristic of psoriasis. An all over psoriasis lotion should be considered to aid relief of the symptoms.

Other researchers feel that psoriasis patients have an abnormality in the skin that leads to inflammation. This inflammation leads to a buildup of white blood cells from the blood. This buildup of white blood cells then triggers the thickened skin of psoriasis.

Still another possibility is that the epidermal skin cells fail to mature into the flat, thickened cornified layer they are supposed to. As a result, the epidermis tries to produce more cells than usual, leading to the thickened epidermis; this then leads to inflammation. Many patients find that symptoms vary over time.

The various reasons are firstly, infections may prompt or worsen psoriasis. For example, guttate psoriasis sometimes flares up in patients who are sensitive to bacterial sore throats. Some people may get severe psoriasis on the skin fold and scalp as a result of a yeast infection in the skin. Stress has also been named as a major culprit in psoriasis flare ups. Fortunately, counseling and relaxation techniques can go a long way towards minimizing the stress trigger and can be very helpful in keeping psoriasis under control.