DOHA: Three percent of the population in Qatar is affected by psoriasis; a chronic (long term) skin disease associated with over production of skin cells, usually resulting in flaky, scaly and irritated skin, the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said yesterday.
HMC will mark the World Psoriasis Day today with a public lecture on the disease at its Medical Education Centre in Hajar Auditorium from 6pm to 9pm. The Dermatology Department at HMC is working to raise public awareness on psoriasis; the commonly misunderstood skin disease which often leads to children and adults feeling distanced from their communities.
Dr Ahmad Hazem Takiddin, a dermatologist at HMC, said that the way psoriasis looks can often lead to people assuming it is an infectious disease, which is not the case.
“Psoriasis is not at all contagious, it cannot be transferred though physical contact, sharing a towel or through swimming in shared pool water,” said Takiddin.
Rather than being contagious, psoriasis is hereditary and carried through family genes. Dr Takiddin said that an individual is more likely to experience the disease if they have a biological family member with psoriasis. “If a child has one parent with psoriasis they have a 10 to 25 percent chance of getting it too,” said Takiddin.
Psoriasis is often triggered for the first time by an outside event; stress, a wound to the skin and a throat infection can all be precursors to a bout of psoriasis. Lifestyle factors such as being overweight, smoking and drinking alcohol have all been linked to worsening the symptoms of psoriasis.
“Stress, skin damage, infection and smoking or alcohol consumption, etc are triggers for some people. People with psoriasis can avoid or reduce their symptoms if they know what triggers their condition,” said Takiddin. He said it is important to dispel the social stigma attached to the disease.
“Emotional and social effects are a big element of concern for people living with psoriasis. Often individuals are ashamed of their appearance which can affect the way that they form relationships.
There is a general worry that people will stare at them or avoid being in contact with them. If people understand more about psoriasis, they will be more understanding and accepting of it which will help individuals with psoriasis to feel more comfortable,” said Takiddin.
The Peninsula
