Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms?

The symptoms of psoriasis include:

• As dead skin cells accumulate, patches of itchy, scaly skin develop. These deep-pink, raised patches of skin have white scales.
• These patches typically develop on the scalp, knees, elbows, and upper body. However, when they develop on fingernails and toenails, they become thick, pitted, and discolored; they may separate from underlying skin.

Red, scaly, cracked skin on the palms of the hands with tiny pustules can signal palmar psoriasis; on the soles of the feet the same condition is plantar psoriasis; when joints are involved, the condition is psoriatic arthritis.

Symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:

• Stiffness, pain, and tenderness of the joints.
• Reduced range of motion.
• Nail changes such as pitting, which is found in up to 80% of people with psoriatic arthritis.

Call Your Doctor If:

• Your psoriasis becomes worse after you stop taking heavy doses of corticosteroid for this or another ailment. You may need a different course of medical treatment.
• Your skin inflammation does not respond to any form of treatment; you need to be checked for the possibility of a more serious underlying ailment.