People with the scaly skin condition psoriasis are often faced with people who don’t want to shake hands with them and who see them – incorrectly – as contagious, according to a new study.
“Patients with psoriasis often express frustration to me that they experience discrimination in public places and the work environment,” study coauthor Dr. Joel Gelfand of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia told Reuters Health by email. “My patients tell me that they have been asked not to use a pool, feel embarrassed going to the hair salon or have been fired from jobs that require interaction with the public.”
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that speeds up the lifecycle of skin cells, causing them to build up rapidly on the surface of the skin. The extra skin cells cause scales and red patches that are itchy and sometimes painful. Some people with psoriasis develop arthritis, too.
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Credit: Reuters.com
