A Trichy man brought his dead mother alone to crematorium as relatives refused to touch her. South First busts the myths around Psoriasis.
Published Sep 18, 2022 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 18, 2022 | 9:00 AM
A Trichy man had to bring his mother's body on a wheelchair to the crematorium as she had psoriasis and his relatives refused to touch her. (Supplied)
A man in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, had to cart his deceased mother to the crematorium in a wheelchair recently as no one else wanted to touch the dead woman — all because she had a skin condition.
Known as “psoriasis”, the condition is non-contagious, and the incident only served to expose the general ignorance and, worse, myths, surrounding it.
What is ironic is that the incident played out a mere week after a month-long psoriasis awareness drive was observed the world over in August, like every year.
Doctors South First spoke to termed the incident “unfortunate”, and said it proved there was a need for nationwide awareness drive, not only in rural areas but urban centres as well. .
“It is widely believed that psoriasis is contagious and infectious, but that is a myth,” said Dr Vijaya Gowri Bandaru, visiting consultant, dermatology, Sakra World Hospital in Bengaluru.
“It cannot be transmitted to another person through touch, and so is not contagious. It is only passed along through genes,” she told South First.
Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that is the result of an overactive immune system, marked by an inflammation in the skin that spreads to other parts of the body, and affecting mainly the hair, eyes, joints, and the heart.
According to Hyderabad-based dermatologist Dr Jayanti R, most people with psoriasis have a condition called “plaque psoriasis”, wherein rashes, resembling scaly patches, appear on the skin’s surface.
Psoriasis can range from a mild to severe skin problem in patients, where it involves scalp, palm, soles, nails. (Creative Commons)
Called “plaques”, these patches may appear anywhere — on the elbow, knees, or even the scalp.
Apart from the genetic factor, in people who are obese with Body Mass Index above 30, the appetite-regulating hormone leptin can also trigger psoriasis, she said.
Dr Shireen Furtado, consultant, medical and cosmetic dermatology, Aster CMI Hospital, Bengaluru, listed other factors that can cause psoriasis: Increasing stress levels, lifestyle along with food habits, and low exposure to sunlight that can lead to low Vitamin D levels.
“Cases of psoriasis, after Covid-19 have gone up by almost 30 percent when compared to earlier. Of which
20 percent are new cases and 10 percent are resurgence of previously well-controlled psoriasis. Causes mostly could be change in lifestyle and increase in stress levels,”
The condition may start as one or more small red and silvery patches on the scalp which can spread to the elbows, knees, back or the buttocks, and even beyond — to the eyebrows, the underarms, the navel region and the skin around the anus.
Close-up of pink, grey colored psoriasis plaques. (Creative Commons)
Psoriasis can lead to several complications. Consultant Dermatology and Cosmotologist at Fortis Hospital, Bannerghatta says, Dr Rashmi Ravindra explained some of these:
• Swelling of the feet: Extensive psoriasis can lead to protein loss in the body, which in turn could cause a mild swelling of the feet. This condition is called Bilateral Edema.
• Hypothermia: Long-term psoriasis can also lead to a condition called Hypothermia — an imbalance in the body temperature.
• Pitting of nails: Another fallout relates to nail; dots may appear on the nails, or they could get disfigured / deformed; this is called “pitting”, which can lead to nail falls.
• Arthritis: The condition can affect the joints, leading to what is called psoriatic arthritis.
• Psychological problems: The scaling of the skin and the patches often turn people into introverts, from which many go into depression and become asocial, with severe low esteem issues. This can have a significant impact on their day-to-day life.
There are several perceptions surrounding the condition, which the doctors South First spoke to debunk as being “myths”:
• Myth 1: It is contagious, as shown by the farce played out in Trichy cited earlier.
Fact: As Dr Vijaya of Bengaluru’s Sakra World Hospital said, this condition is not contagious as it cannot be transmitted to another person through touch.
• Myth 2: It is curable.
Fact: Psoriasis is not curable. The condition can only be treated, but not cured as it is a hereditary or genetic inflammation, Dr Vijaya said.
• Myth 3: It is only a dry skin problem
Fact: Psoriasis is more than just dry sky, because skin cells do not mature in this condition, causing the skin to crack and bleed. Also, psoriasis on the hands, feet, the groin area or the buttocks can make even sitting difficult. Several physical conditions along with psychological trauma can also occur.
• Myth 4: There is only one type of psoriasis.
Fact: There is more than one, Aster CMI’s Dr Furtado explains; while the most common is the Plaque Psoriasis, there are other forms as well. These are:
– Guttate Psoriasis or “raindrop psoriasis”, as the patches are tear-shaped;
– Iverse Psoriasis, which appears only in regions that can make contact with other parts of the body like armpits, groin, or area under the breasts;
– Erythrodermic psoriasis, a rare type where the rash that appears red on white skin and covers the entire body;
– Pustular psoriasis, a condition with pus-filled bumps that appear mostly on the hands and feet.
• Myth 5: Psoriasis is caused by poor hygiene.
Fact: It does not.
While there is no cure for the disease, doctors explain that there are a few ointments such as topical medications and immunosuppressants that can provide symptomatic relief.
Bengaluru-based dermatologist Dr Mahesh Kumar said it was important to seek treatment as soon as such plaques appear anywhere on the body. “While it may not be curable, we can prevent it from spreading further,” he said.
People with psoriasis who South First spoke to said it was an everyday war for them to live a normal life.
Said Shreya Rao (name changed), a 24-year-old software professional from Bengaluru: “I have to motivate myself every single day to look at myself in the mirror.”
A typical day for Rao begins with her “searching for a new patch or a rash to hide”.
“I am only 24 and I dread thinking of my marital life. The last time I wore a sleeveless or a half-sleeved dress was nine years ago. My colleagues hate to have food from my plate, despite knowing my condition is not contagious. The list goes on.”
For Ravindra Iyengar, a 48-year-old businessman from Chennai, the skin patches first appeared in the scalp, which he ignored mistaking it for dandruff.
“Then it became so bad that my hair started falling off drastically and I have white plaques all over my head. Chennai’s heat makes it worse, it aggravates the condition, and I spend long hours in AC rooms. If I exercise, it is in control, but no medicines can provide a permanent cure.”
