Next Steps

Follow-up

• Plaque psoriasis is a chronic disease that goes away and returns. Follow-up care depends on the severity of the disease at any given time.

• If a patient has evidence of psoriatic arthritis, a consultation with a rheumatologist (one who specializes in arthritis) is helpful. 

Prevention

• Avoiding environmental factors that trigger psoriasis, such as smoking, sun exposure, and stress, may help prevent or minimize flare-ups of psoriasis. Sun exposure may help in many cases of psoriasis and aggravate in others.

• Alcohol is considered a risk factor for psoriasis in young to middle-aged men. Avoid or minimize alcohol use if you have psoriasis.

• Specific dietary restrictions or supplements other than a well-balanced and adequate diet are unimportant in the management of plaque psoriasis. 

Outlook

Psoriasis is more of an inconvenience in most cases than it is threatening. However, it is a chronic disease and reoccurs. The itching, peeling, splitting of skin at joints can lead to significant pain and self-esteem issues. By far, the patient's quality of life is affected most with plaque psoriasis. Self-consciousness and embarrassment about appearance, inconvenience, and high costs of treatment options all affect one's outlook when living with psoriasis.

Complications of the disease are relatively uncommon. Many of the complications of plaque psoriasis are related to the treatments used for the disease. Overly aggressive use of topical steroids could lead to more severe forms of psoriasis (from plaque to pustular for example). Topical steroids should not be used with bandages because inflammation and swelling may occur. Oversensitivity to the sun is possible with many of the treatment options (especially phototherapy).

About 10% percent of all cases of plaque psoriasis are associated with psoriatic arthritis.

Anxiety, depression, or stress may worsen symptoms and increase the tendency to itch.

Methotrexate, PUVA, cyclosporine, and oral retinoids all have helped to induce and maintain remission in severe cases of plaque psoriasis.

Support Groups and Counseling

The National Psoriasis Foundation provides support to patients with psoriasis.