What is the difference between plaque and guttate psoriasis

It causes smooth, bright-red patches of raw-feeling skin. Guttate gut-tate psoriasis: Some people with plaque psoriasis have developed guttate psoriasis after getting an infection, such as strep throat. Guttate psoriasis causes spots on the skin that are small, pink to salmon-colored, and scaly.

These spots are often widespread, appearing on the torso, legs, and arms. This can happen when:. A trigger, such as getting a serious sunburn or having an allergic reaction, turns severe plaque psoriasis into erythrodermic psoriasis. When erythrodermic psoriasis develops, it causes redness that develops on most of the skin.

Chills, a fever, and dehydration are also common. These symptoms can be life-threatening, making emergency medical care necessary. Pustular pus-choo-lar psoriasis: This type of psoriasis causes pus-filled bumps to develop on the skin. Most often, the bumps appear on the hands, feet, or both. When the bumps cover larger areas of skin, a person has generalized pustular psoriasis.

This usually occurs after someone already has another type of psoriasis, such as plaque psoriasis, on the skin. If you already have plaque psoriasis and develop generalized pustular psoriasis, a trigger is often the cause. Possible triggers include getting an infection or stopping corticosteroid pills too quickly. From left to right: 1 Lots of nail pits, 2 a few nail pits and the nail is starting to lift away, and 3 discoloration and lifting.

Nail psoriasis becomes more common with age. Guttate psoriasis might also have genetic causes. A person has a higher risk of developing the disease if it runs in their immediate family. It is important to have appropriate treatment for guttate psoriasis to resolve ongoing discomfort and prevent complications. People with mild guttate psoriasis should use topical medications as the first step.

The direct application of topical medicines to the lesions can moisturize the area and relieve itching. Topical treatments for guttate psoriasis include steroid creams, gels, ointments, and vitamin D treatments.

People can purchase many of these over the counter OTC and use them at home. Guttate psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder. A person might not be able to prevent the disease if they have a family history of psoriasis. However, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption increase the likelihood of symptoms developing. With proper treatment, individual outbreaks of lesions are likely to resolve in full. However, the skin involvement of guttate psoriasis may flare up later on, causing further symptoms.

If psoriasis makes a person feel self-conscious, they can try using clothing or makeup to cover lesions. A person with psoriasis might also benefit from counseling or psychotherapy to work through any feelings of depression or anxiety. A healthful diet may help lessen the effects of guttate psoriasis. The results of a survey suggest that following certain diets, such as a vegan or Mediterranean diet , can help reduce the regularity and severity of flares. Although no dietary measures directly relieve guttate psoriasis symptoms, some can help support active psoriasis treatment.

These measures include:. They can cover large portions of the body or may remain in smaller patches. Outcomes vary for guttate psoriasis. In most cases, guttate psoriasis usually fades away by itself within a few weeks to a few months.

After that, there are several possible outcomes. Forty percent of guttate psoriasis cases develop at some point into chronic plaque psoriasis.

The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, although researchers believe it stems from a combination of genetic , environmental, and immune system factors. In the past several decades, researchers have identified psoriasis as a chronic immune-mediated disease. Immune-mediated diseases are thought to be triggered by an abnormal immune response.

An overly active immune system attacks healthy cells as if they were foreign invaders. In psoriasis, the immune system targets the skin, which results in the rapid growth of skin cells. This causes the redness and flaky skin typical of psoriasis. In particular, strep throat and tonsillitis frequently precede guttate psoriasis, especially in children.

Infections usually occur 1 to 3 weeks before the onset of guttate psoriasis. All forms of psoriasis, including guttate psoriasis, have three stages. Your dermatologist will gauge the stage of your condition by how much of your skin is covered with lesions as well as its effect on your life. Your doctor can identify signs of guttate psoriasis during a physical examination. Your doctor will likely refer you to a dermatologist for a proper diagnosis. The dermatologist will examine your skin and make note of the affected areas.

This mapping will help them track treatments after diagnosis. People often have allergic reactions to the antibiotics used to treat the infection that precedes the guttate psoriasis outbreak. Your dermatologist can usually diagnose guttate psoriasis by examining your skin. But the following conditions may occasionally be mistaken for guttate psoriasis:. Your dermatologist may also order a skin biopsy to eliminate other possible contributors to the skin lesions and to help determine the type of psoriasis.

Treatments for guttate psoriasis vary according to the severity of the condition. Since guttate psoriasis will usually clear up on its own within several weeks or months, a wait-and-see approach may be fine. If you decide to forego treatment, consult with your dermatologist about a diagnosis and to discuss if this is the best option for you. If the condition returns or develops into plaque psoriasis, treatment will probably be necessary. The most common treatments for psoriasis are topical corticosteroids.

So-called environmental factors seem to play a more important role in guttate psoriasis than in other types of psoriasis , he adds.

These triggers can cause guttate psoriasis in people who may have a family history or other risk factors for the disease. People with weakened immune systems may be susceptible to severe guttate psoriasis, UFHealth says. This includes individuals with:. Also, two or three days before coming down with a cold or other illness, she would notice more spots. Dermatologists diagnose guttate psoriasis much as they do plaque psoriasis: mostly from the distinctive appearance of the rash , says Sugarman.

Most people get guttate psoriasis as children or young adults, according to the NPF. In older adults, it can often be a precursor to plaque psoriasis, and it often runs in families.

But Shurlow says that in her family, only a cousin is also living with guttate psoriasis.