What is psoriasis? In short, psoriasis is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease with a genetic predisposition. Specifically, it has the following connotations. Psoriasis is a chronic recurrent disease When it comes to chronic recurrence, many patients are puzzled and even angry. Modern medicine is developing rapidly, why can’t we study psoriasis properly? Why can’t it be “eradicated”? It is true that psoriasis affects the quality of life of patients, especially those with severe psoriasis, and their disappointment at not being able to “break the root” can be imagined. But patients have to face the reality with great regret. Today, researchers around the world have conducted a lot of scientific research on psoriasis and found that psoriasis is a polygenic genetic disease in which genetic factors interact with environmental factors. This means that people with genetic factors will develop psoriasis under the influence of certain environmental factors. Environmental factors include upper respiratory streptococcal infections, endocrine factors, psychoneurological factors, immune factors, lifestyle habits, drug factors and seasonal climate. Genetic factors are unchangeable, and if environmental factors are well controlled, psoriasis skin damage will be relieved or even disappear; if environmental factors are not well controlled, psoriasis skin damage will be aggravated or recur. Some patients may not develop psoriasis for several years after a certain onset of skin damage has completely subsided, and the author has even seen patients who have not relapsed for more than 40 years. Therefore, although psoriasis is a chronic recurrent disease, the interval of recurrence can be as long as several years or even decades. Since psoriasis is an inflammatory disease, some people may ask, “Since it is an inflammatory disease, can’t we just use anti-inflammatory drugs?” and “Can we use cephalosporins for anti-inflammatory drugs?” This is a question often encountered in clinical work. In fact, many people have misconceptions about the concepts of “inflammation” and “anti-inflammatory drugs”. They think that inflammation is caused by bacterial infection and anti-inflammatory drugs are antibacterial drugs. In fact, inflammation (commonly known as “inflammation”) is a defensive response of the body to stimuli and can be caused by pathogenic microorganisms (such as viruses, bacteria and fungi), as well as by physical factors (such as high temperature, low temperature and sunlight), chemical factors (such as strong acids and bases) or other non-infectious factors such as allergic reactions. caused. Inflammation can manifest as redness, swelling, heat, pain, and dysfunction. It follows that fighting inflammation does not necessarily require the use of antibacterial drugs. And the term anti-inflammatory drug does not exist in medical terminology. Inflammation in psoriasis can occur in the skin or in the joints and is a non-infectious inflammation, so antibacterial drugs are applied only if the psoriasis patient is combined with a bacterial infection; anti-inflammatory treatment in other cases relies on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen), steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (glucocorticoids), other drugs or physical therapy such as phototherapy. The choice of treatment options varies depending on the site of onset, the severity of the disease and the specific requirements of the patient. Patients should be reminded that the inflammation of psoriasis can occur in the joints and is called “psoriatic arthritis” or “arthritic psoriasis”. In most patients, psoriatic skin damage occurs first, followed by joint inflammation; in a few cases, joint inflammation occurs first, followed by skin damage, and joint symptoms often run parallel to skin symptoms. Psoriasis has a genetic predisposition Psoriasis has a genetic predisposition and there is family aggregation. The risk of psoriasis is higher in the next generation of patients with psoriasis than in the next generation of non-psoriasis patients. In recent years, there have been many studies on the genetics of psoriasis, and some psoriasis susceptibility genes have been found, but a gene that can fully explain the cause of psoriasis has still not been found, and prenatal diagnosis based on genetic testing is not yet possible. In fact, many common human diseases are diseases with genetic predisposition, such as hypertension, diabetes and high myopia, etc. People with certain disease susceptibility genes do not develop the disease 100% of the time, but only under the action of certain causative factors. Since it is a fact that cannot be changed whether the susceptibility genes are carried at birth, what the next generation of psoriasis patients can do is to adjust their mindset and avoid the triggers so as to avoid the onset of the disease. In conclusion, the causes and pathogenesis of psoriasis are complex and are the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Despite the rapid development of modern medicine, it is still impossible to change the status quo that psoriasis is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease and therefore cannot be completely cured.