The TERRIBLE skin disease with which Kim Kardashian fights
Kim Kardashian suffers from a chronic genetic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin called psoriasis. Do you know her?
In a video from the Keeping up with the Kardashians website, star Kim Kardashian reveals that she has psoriasis. In Kardashians: Don't Be Rash, Kim talks to dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer about the "rash" on her body that her sister Khloe Kardashian says is ringworm (a contagious fungal infection caused by common mold-like parasites that live in the cells of the outer layer of the skin).
Psoriasis: A chronic genetic disease of the immune system
Dr. Lancer examines the spots on her legs and tells Kardashian that she has psoriasis. A chronic genetic disease of the immune system that appears on the skin, often as red, scaly patches that itch and bleed.
Psoriasis is often misdiagnosed as a rash, ringworm, or other skin irritation, such as eczema. Yet psoriasis is the most common autoimmune disease in the country, affecting an estimated 7.5 million Americans, including Kim Kardashian.
Psoriasis occurs when the immune system sends faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious.
Like many celebrities with psoriasis, Kardashian is shocked and concerned about the diagnosis because she faces so much scrutiny about her appearance. She even asks Dr. Lancer if she will appear on her face. Psoriasis most often occurs on the scalp, knees, elbows, and torso, but it can develop anywhere. It appears very infrequently on the face.
"I HAD HEARD OF PSORIASIS BEFORE BECAUSE MY MOTHER HAD ALWAYS HAD IT, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE RED SCALY SPOTS EVERYWHERE." SAYS KIM, 30, ABOUT HER PSORIASIS.
The exact cause of psoriasis is unknown
There are five types of psoriasis: plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular, and erythrodermic. Nearly 80 percent of people with the disease have plaque psoriasis. The most common form, which appears as red, raised patches.
Her mother, Kris Jenner, was also diagnosed with psoriasis at the age of 30. The disease most often occurs between the ages of 15 and 35, but can appear at any time. Although the exact cause of psoriasis is unknown, it is known that genetics and the immune system play an important role in the development of the disease.
Upon hearing this, Kim was shocked to learn that there is no cure for psoriasis. Although the disease cannot be cured, a variety of treatments ranging from topical (on the skin) to systemic (throughout the body) can clear psoriasis, often over long periods of time.
Like millions of other Americans with psoriasis, Kim Kardashian is at increased risk for other serious health conditions associated with the disease, including heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and depression.
UP TO 30 PERCENT OF PEOPLE WITH PSORIASIS DEVELOP PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS, WHICH CAUSES PAINFUL INFLAMMATION OF THE JOINTS.
What did the specialists recommend?
Dr. Lancer, who treated the famous influencer, recommended to Kardashian that she try to slow down her lifestyle, as stress is a known trigger for psoriasis. Other triggers include external lifestyle factors, certain medications, and injuries to the skin, such as a cut or scrape. However, what triggers psoriasis in one person may not cause it in another.
And you, do you know another celebrity with a similar disease?
