Lectures on skin disease, sleeplessness

Hamad Medical Corporation is hosting a public lecture today and tomorrow.  Today’s lecture, on psoriasis, will be held by the Dermatology Department from 6pm to 9pm in the Hajar Auditorium of the Medical Education Centre, adjacent to Hamad General Hospital.Tomorrow’s lecture, on insomnia (sleeplessness), is organised by the Psychiatry Department at its premises, from 6pm.Today is also the World Psoriasis Day, intended to raise awareness about the commonly misunderstood skin disease, which often leads to children and adults feeling alienated from their communities. About 3% of Qatar’s population is affected by psoriasis; a chronic (long-term) skin disease associated with the over production of skin cells, usually resulting in flaky, scaly and irritated skin.“Psoriasis is not at all contagious, it cannot be transferred though physical contact, sharing a towel or through swimming in shared pool water,” HMC dermatologist Dr Ahmad Hazem Takiddin explained.Psoriasis is hereditary and carried through family genes. An individual is more likely to experience the disease if they have a biological family member with psoriasis. Tomorrow’s lecture on insomnia will be delivered by HMC psychiatry consultant Dr Adel Zaraa.Insomnia is characterised by difficulty in falling asleep and/or staying asleep, frequent awakenings and difficulty in returning to sleep. “Insomnia can be attributed to emotional or mental reasons associated with daily life tension, work problems and financial stress - being the most common causes,” Dr Zaraa said.