Clinical Topics & News
Myth: Psoriasis is contagious
One of the challenges patients with psoriasis face is misinformation among their peers, especially about the cause of psoriasis. Results from a survey conducted in France (N=1005) regarding knowledge of psoriasis and perceptions toward psoriasis patients indicated that approximately 16.5% of respondents believed that psoriasis is contagious; 6.8% believed that the disease is related to personal hygiene and 3.2% believed that it affects more people with low personal hygiene (Halioua et al). Moreover, approximately 62.4% of respondents recognized a lack of information about psoriasis and 19.7% noted that they have misconceptions about the disease.
Another study from Poland on the feelings of stigmatization among psoriasis patients (N=102) found that 72 psoriasis patients reported that they felt other people think their skin disease is contagious; only 30 psoriasis patients indicated that they did not feel this way (Hrehorów et al).
These findings underscore the need for more information on psoriasis in the general public worldwide. It is important to spread the message that psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the immune system that affects approximately 7.5 million individuals in the United States. One cannot "catch" psoriasis; psoriasis starts or worsens because of a variety of triggers (eg, infections, injury to the skin, stress, cold weather, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, certain medications). The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases offers a simple but revealing explanation for the cause of psoriasis: "Normally, T cells help protect the body against infection and disease. In the case of psoriasis, T cells are put into action by mistake and become so active that they trigger other immune responses, which lead to inflammation and to rapid turnover of skin cells." Genetics may play a role in the development of psoriasis, along with environmental factors.
With several new therapies available, psoriasis has gained media attention. Dermatologists can circulate more information about the causes of psoriasis, which may work toward helping patients with psoriasis cope with the social impact of the condition.