Guttate psoriasis is a form of psoriasis that can occur in adults or children. It is called guttata because of its appearance, which consists of small teardrop-shaped lesions on the trunk, arms, and legs of the body that are red and covered with silvery scales of overgrown skin. Guttate psoriasis is not a very common type of psoriasis. It is most commonly found in people under the age of 30. It often occurs after a strep throat or other respiratory infection. However, it is not contagious and can be treated with anti-psoriasis medications.
Guttate psoriasis has hereditary implications. Like other forms of psoriasis, one usually has one or more parents who also have some form of psoriasis. There are several different genes that have been found to be linked to psoriasis, but no one knows why one person has one form of psoriasis and another person has another form of psoriasis. Still, there’s usually a trigger that has to happen, and with guttate psoriasis, the trigger is the respiratory infection or strep throat. The infection triggers the formation of autoantibodies and those autoantibodies are formed against some aspect of the skin, resulting in rapid skin growth and shedding of skin cells.
Other triggers for guttate psoriasis include any type of viral or bacterial infection, especially upper respiratory tract infections, any type of skin injury such as burns, cuts, or insect bites to the skin, certain medicines that treat malaria or heart problems, stress in your life, excessive sunburn or too much sun exposure or drinking too much alcohol. A weakened immune system can make psoriasis very serious, like having AIDS or another autoimmune condition, like rheumatoid arthritis. Being on chemotherapy for some type of cancer can make guttate psoriasis worse, making it harder to heal.
Symptoms of guttate psoriasis include itchy skin, red, scaly patches, and some pain, depending on the person. As mentioned, the back, the front part of the trunk, the arms and the legs are mainly affected by a hundred or more skin lesions.
While guttate psoriasis will eventually resolve on its own within about three months, there are several decent treatments you can use to speed up the course of treatment. The most commonly used treatment is hydrocortisone cream or a stronger cortisone cream or lotion that coats the areas, relieves inflammation, and reduces the number of skin cells produced. Anti-dandruff shampoos also work well to remove psoriasis flakes. Coal tar preparations smell bad and stain clothing, but they work very well when used at night with special clothing to protect the sheets. Coal tar can be removed and washed off in the morning with decent effects on psoriasis.
Regular moisturizers can reduce the amount of flaking you have with guttate psoriasis. Try to use a cream instead of a lotion because lotion contains alcohol which can eventually dry out your skin. They also make creams with vitamin D analogues or vitamin A analogues (retinoids) that work to shorten the course of guttate psoriasis and may reduce the degree to which the skin reproduces.