Why Does Psoriasis Itch More At Night?

Having any skin problems can be very bothersome since typically it causes itch and leads to low self-esteem. When we get itch, we will scratch it – and this is a normal reaction. But in people with psoriasis, the sensation of itching can go to truly excruciating stages where scratching is not the answer even it makes the skin itch even more. And one of the interesting facts, many psoriasis sufferers report that the problem itches more at night!

The way of how the problem appears and affects the skin can vary. While some find that it appears slowly, sometime it appears suddenly. It is a chronic skin condition. In other words, it can flare-up and then subside – even sometime it may go away without treatment.

According to the National Institutes of Health, medically there are 5 main types of this chronic skin disorder:

1. Pustular, this type is usually characterized by white blisters that are surrounded /circled by red, irritated skin.
2. Inverse, skin irritation & redness that typically affects groin, armpits, or between overlapping skin.
3. Plaque (doctors say that it is the most common kind of psoriasis). Typically it comes with red, thick patches of skin that usually covered /surrounded by flaky, white-silver scales.
4. Guttate (red-pink, small spots appear on the affected skin).
5. Erythrodermic (another skin redness of psoriasis that can occur very intense and affect a large area of the skin).

There are several symptoms of the problem. In general it can cause skin irritation, red with itchy – resulting the flaky patches of skin. It can affect any parts of the body, but many times it is found on middle areas of the body (such as back), knees, and elbows.

Typically, the affected skin can be:

1. Thick and raised.
2. Discolorations, many times the color of the affected changes to become pink-red.
3. Dry, covered with flaky skin.
4. And itchy.

The symptoms also can vary from sufferer to sufferer, other signs may include:

1. Aching /joint pain.
2. Genital sores may also occur.
3. Excessive dandruff on the scalp of the head.
4. Changes in nails such as dents in the nails, thick nails, nails lift off, or changes in color (yellow-brown).

Though the crusty lesions or plaques of the problem can be embarrassing, very bothersome, and even may lead to low self-esteem, many sufferers is also even more concerned with the urge of scratching (the itchiness of the problem)!

A research in 2004 showed that itching was the most challenging thing during flare-up since it was the most frequent complaint among participants with psoriasis. Even it ranks at the top of vexing symptom reported by many psoriasis sufferers.

The flare-up of itchiness of the problem can strike anytime. However, many sufferers find that it gets worse in the evening and nighttime.

Unfortunately, the exact answer of why the problem itches more at night may be not fully understood yet. However, there are some explanations for this issue.