The Earth Is Flat and Psoriasis Is Contagious

What if every time you went to a public pool, or out on a date with a new friend, or played sports at school, you had to explain that the red, scaly patches of dry skin covering your body were not caused by some flesh-eating bacteria and certainly not contagious. That’s what many people with psoriasis have to endure. In observance of Psoriasis Awareness Month, the National Psoriasis Foundation wants dispel these and other myths about these skin lesions.

“Awareness is an important tool for helping people to understand what psoriasis is, why people get it, and the physical and emotional toll that the disease takes on a person,” says Gail M. Zimmerman, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation. “Greater awareness will help to break down the myths and misperceptions about psoriasis.”

Psoriasis is not an infection of the skin, and not considered a rash, but a condition where certain immune cells signal the uncontrolled production of new skin cells. The disease has no cure but there are many effective treatments and lifestyle measure that can help control flare-ups. Still, the disease is always there and may also affect the joints (psoriatic arthritis) in some sufferers.

For some people, the lesions that that appear on the elbows, knees, scalp and torso are a minor nuisance, for others, it can be everywhere and affect every aspect of everyday life. In fact, the physical and mental toll of living with this disease is comparable to that seen in other diseases, such as cancer, arthritis, hyper­tension, heart disease, diabetes and depression.

Join Healthline in helping others learn that living with psoriasis is more than skin deep.

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