Psoriasis Glossary of Terms

1. Moderate to Severe Psoriasis Slideshow
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3. How Much Is Psoriasis Affecting Your Life?

Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Alcoholism: Physical dependence on alcohol to the extent that stopping alcohol use would b...

Allergy: A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system ...

Antipsoriatic: Directed against psoriasis. Sunlight is antipsoriatic, as are a number of d...

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Body surface area: BSA. The total surface area of the human body. The body surface area is...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Calcipotriene: A synthetic form of vitamin D3 that can be applied to the skin to treat pso...

Calcitriol: The active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol is formed in the kidneys or made in t...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cholesterol: The most common type of steroid in the body. Cholesterol has a reputation for...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic disease: A disease that persists for a long time. A chronic disease is one lasting...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

Cortisone: A naturally occurring adrenocorticoid hormone that is produced in minute amount...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin, either due to direct contact with an irritating sub...

Dermatologist: A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin problems...

Dermatology: 1. The branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, and...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dry skin: Abnormally dry skin. Can be caused by a dry climate, winter weather, deficiency...

Elbow: The juncture of the long bones in the middle portion of the upper extremity. The bo...

Erythrodermic psoriasis: A particularly inflammatory form of psoriasis that often affects ...

Excimer laser: A laser that emits very concentrated light in the ultraviolet (UV) region o...

Family history: The family structure and relationships within the family, including inform...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Generic: 1. The chemical name of a drug. 2. A term referring to the chemical...

Generic drug: The term "generic" has several meanings as regards drugs:

1. The chemi...

Genes: The basic biological units of heredity. Segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) nee...

Guttate psoriasis: A type of psoriasis characterized by red, scaly plaques of inflamed ski...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart failure: Inability of the heart to keep up with the demands on it and, specifically...

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ...

Hepatitis B: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), once thought t...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Indication: 1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or proce...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Itching: An uncomfortable sensation in the skin that feels as if something is crawling on ...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Juvenile: Between infantile and adult. Used in medicine to indicate onset in childhood, as...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

Laser: A powerful beam of light that is used in some types of surgery to cut or destroy ti...

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Lymphoma: A tumor of the lymphoid tissue. The major types of lymphoma are Hodgkin's diseas...

Malaria: An infectious disease caused by protozoan parasites from the Plasmodium family th...

Malignancy: A tumor that is malignant (cancerous), that can invade and destroy nearby tiss...

Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a 'surface.

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

Molecule: The smallest unit of a substance that can exist alone and retain the character o...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Mucous: Pertaining to mucus, a thick fluid produced by the lining of some tissues of the b...

Nail: In medicine, there are two types of nails. One is just a plain old metal nail used t...

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Ointment: An oil-based preparation that is applied to the skin. Whereas an ointment has an...

Outpatient: A patient who is not hospitalized, but instead comes to a physician?s office, ...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Phototherapy: Treatment with light. For example, a newborn with jaundice may be put under ...

Plaque: 1. An semi-hardened accumulation of substances from fluids that bathe an a...

Plaque psoriasis: The most common form of psoriasis -- about 80% of people with psoriasis ...

Postpartum: The period just after delivery, as with postpartum depression. Postpartum refe...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Prescription: A physician's order for the preparation and administration of a drug or dev...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Psoralen: Any of a number of drugs and other substances containing chemicals that react wi...

Psoriasis: A reddish, scaly rash often located over the surfaces of the elbows, knees, sca...

Psoriatic arthritis: Joint inflammation that is associated with psoriasis. Psoriatic arthr...

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

Pus: A thick, whitish-yellow fluid that results from the accumulation of white blood cells...

Pustular psoriasis: A type of recurring psoriasis characterized by the appearance of pus-...

PUVA: PUVA stands for psoralen (P) and ultraviolet A (UVA) therapy in which the patient is...

Quality of life: The patient's ability to enjoy normal life activities. Quality of life is...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Regimen: A plan or a regulated course, such as a diet, exercise, or treatment, that is des...

Registry: A collection of information. A registry is usually organized so that the data in...

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Resistance: Opposition to something, or the ability to withstand something. For example, s...

Retinoid: 1. Vitamin A (retinol) or a naturally occurring or synthetic substance ch...

Rheumatologist: A specialist in the non-surgical treatment of rheumatic illnesses, espec...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Salicylic acid: A substance obtained from plants (white willow back and wintergreen leaves...

Scaling: Abnormal shedding or accumulation of an upper layer of skin (the stratum corneum)...

Seborrheic dermatitis: A medical name for what is popularly called seborrhea.

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Sperm: A sperm is the male "gamete" or sex cell. It combines with the female &qu...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Sunburn: Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that develops in response to exposure to u...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Systemic therapy: Treatment that reaches cells throughout the body by traveling through th...

Therapeutic: Relating to therapeutics, the branch of medicine that is concerned specifical...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Thigh: The thick, muscular portion of the leg that extends from the hip to the knee. The t...

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Toxicity: The degree to which a substance (a toxin or poison) can harm humans or animals. ...

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Ultraviolet A: One of the three types of invisible light rays (together with ultraviolet ...

Ultraviolet B: One of the three types of invisible light rays (together with ultraviolet ...

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is retinol. Carotene compounds (found, for example, in egg yolk, butt...

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...