Psoriasis can leave you with pretty painful skin, but if you've had it for some time, you probably know the best way to control your flare-ups. But what if your scales start to change? What if another form of psoriasis starts attacking your skin? What would you do then?
These could be signs of erythrodermic psoriasis — a rare, but very serious, skin condition that mostly affects people who have plaque psoriasis. It covers most of the entire body, head to toe, and can look like a burn.
Outside of being extremely uncomfortable, erythrodermic psoriasis has serious implications for your health. It can increase your risk for pneumonia and heart failure. Worse, it can become deadly if not treated quickly and correctly.
Researchers aren't sure what causes it exactly, but there are some common triggers. Suddenly stopping your medication without approval from your doctor, severe sunburns, infection, stress and alcoholism are all risk factors. Sometimes erythrodermic psoriasis may even appear as a bad reaction to a new medication.
While it affects only about three percent of people with psoriasis, it's a real possibility. Which is why if you have psoriasis you should look out for these symptoms:
- Fiery redness that covers most of the body
- Dry, warm skin
- Intensely itchy, painful skin
- Skin shedding in large sheets
- Joint pain
Other signs you might see include:
- Swollen ankles
- Quick heartbeat
- Shivering and chills
- Night sweats
If you notice any of these symptoms, go to an emergency room right away. They'll be able to diagnose you by asking questions about your medical history, examining your skin and possibly doing some lab tests.
After diagnosis, the doctor will develop a fast-acting treatment plan. The plan will probably include steroids, most likely as a medicated cream. Biologic drugs may also help get rid of erythrodermic psoriasis. The doctor may recommend oatmeal baths, lotions and bed rest while you recover, but those things alone won't be strong enough to treat this potentially life-threatening complication.
Talk to your doctor about how you can stick to your psoriasis treatment and what else you can do to avoid getting erythrodermic psoriasis.