Guttate psoriasis is a kind of infection occurring on the skin surface. Usually it appears like some sort of red or pink drops on the surface of the skin with itching. Guttate psoriasis is caused by various reasons some of them being:
Strep throat
Recurring cases of streptococcal infection or tonsillitis may cause this skin condition. This occurs about two to three weeks after the strep throat or tonsillitis clears out.
Viral infections
Virus skin infections such as rubella, roseola and smallpox may also cause an outbreak of the psoriasis shown above. This is not the only type of psoriasis.
Heredity
Some people may carry the gene that causes them to be susceptible to guttate psoriasis. These people normally have some forms of white blood cells that cause overreaction to allergic substances or even pathogenic substances such as viruses and bacteria.
Treatment
Guttate psoriasis can be treated when it gets out of hand. However, this type of infection usually runs its course in a few weeks and it may be nothing but a mild inconvenience to most people. In this case ointments to soothe the itching may be prescribed. Apart from making the skin look ugly it may not have any other effect and can be left to run its course. However, if this kind of infection becomes chronic and does not go away medical treatment is advised.
To treat this kinds or infection at home, one needs to moisturize the skin heavily. Moisturizers will help to avoid further itching as it may cause bruising and scars or dark spots on the skin. Also a lot of sunlight can help cure this condition as U V rays are known to cure this condition.
Other ways that can help get rid of this infection is by use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. These get rid of streptococcal germs that may be in the system therefore cause the body not to produce antigens to react to this condition. Penicillin is also good for getting rid of bacterial infections. A drug called Rifampin can also be used to clear streptococcal germs. These can be prescribed by a physician.
To avoid guttate psoriasis and other types of infections of the skin it is important to get treated immediately one gets symptoms of rubella, roseola or smallpox. This ensures the condition is sufficiently cured and that there are no residual germs in the system. Also it is important to always observe hygiene and avoid sharing personal effects such as towels, inner wear and beddings.
It will also help if a person gets out of the house or buildings once in a while in a day. Sunlight is good for the skin and lack of the U V rays of the sun especially for those people who live in flats is not very healthy because aside from worsening the case of guttate psoriasis,it may cause skin bleaching and rickets in small children. Lack of sunlight causes lack of vitamin D and eventually calcium which is very vital for bone formation.However, guttate psoriasis is not a very serious condition and there is no need to panic.