What You Need To Know About Psoriasis

What Is Psoriasis?

According to the Mayo Clinic, it’s an inflammatory disorder that affects the skin and nails. It’s marked by thick, red patches of skin covered in silvery scales that usually appear on the elbows, knees, legs, lower back and scalp.

Psoriasis is chronic, but sufferers may go through times when it’s worse or times when it goes into remission. Currently, there’s no cure, but treatments do exist to help manage it.

It’s isn’t a life-threatening disorder, but it can cause sufferers a lot of physical and emotional distress.

What Are The Signs And Symptoms?

  • Patches of itchy, red skin with white/silver scales
  • These patches generally develop on the knees, elbows, legs, upper body and scalp, but they can also appear on the finger and toenails where they become thick, pitted and discoloured and may separate from the underlying skin

Palmar Psoriasis : Red, scaly, cracked skin on the palms of the hands with tiny pustules

Planter Psoriasis : Same symptoms as above but on the feet.

Psoriatic Arthritis:

  • Stiffness, pain and tenderness of the joints
  • Reduced range of motion
  • Nail changes, such as pitting, which is found in up to 80% of people with psoriatic arthritis

What Causes Psoriasis?

In a normal functioning immune system, white blood cells produce antibodies to fight off foreign invaders and create chemicals to heal. But in people with psoriasis, some white blood cells cause the body to fight normal skin tissue.

What Are The Triggers?(Courtesy of the National Psoriasis Foundation (U.S.))

  • Stress
  • Injury to skin, including vaccinations, sunburn or scratches
  • Medicine: lithium, antimalarials, inderal, quinidine, indomethacin

Some other triggers…

  • Allergies
  • Diet
  • Strep Infection
  • Weather

Six Things You Can Do To Improve The Look And Feel Of Damaged Skin (courtesy of the Mayo Clinic)

Follow a nutritious diet. Although researchers haven’t found a clear link between diet and psoriasis, certain foods may trigger flares in some people. If you think a particular food or food group affects your skin, try eliminating it for a time. Other than that, the best dietary approach is the same one that’s recommended for most people: well-balanced meals that emphasize fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats. Especially helpful are the right kinds of lipids, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for healthy skin. Your body doesn’t produce omega-3s – instead you obtain them from food or supplements. The best dietary sources are fatty fish or fish oil capsules – particularly salmon and salmon oil – flaxseeds and flaxseed oil, walnuts, and soybean and canola oils. Some dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli contain modest amounts of omega-3s. Incorporating these foods into your diet can help dry skin, but it does even more for your overall health. Omega-3s lower triglyceride levels and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. They also lower blood pressure and may reduce the pain and inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight increases your risk of inverse psoriasis. In addition, plaques associated with all types of psoriasis often develop in skin creases and folds.

Take daily baths. Bathing daily can help remove scales and calm inflamed skin. Avoid hot water and harsh soaps, which can make your symptoms worse. Instead, use lukewarm water and mild, superfatted soaps that have added oils and fats. Better still, try a soap substitute. These products vary, but may include a mild synthetic detergent or an oil mixed with a wetting agent (surfactant). They typically come in a bar, gel or liquid form, and are less drying than are deodorant and antibacterial detergents. Even more important, add bath oil, oilated oatmeal, apple cider vinegar, Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts to the water and soak for at least 15 minutes.

Use moisturizer. Blot your skin after bathing, then immediately apply a heavy, water-in-oil moisturizing cream while your skin is still moist. For very dry skin, oils may be preferable – they have more staying power than creams do and are more effective at preventing water from evaporating from your skin. Shampoos and ointments containing coal tar or salicylic acid may offer added relief but aren’t as cosmetically elegant as nonmedicinal creams are.

Avoid sun exposure. For people with psoriasis, UV rays are a blessing and a curse. A moderate amount of sunlight can significantly improve lesions but too much sun can trigger or exacerbate outbreaks and increase the risk of skin cancer. If you sunbathe, it’s best to try short sessions three or more times a week. Keep a record of when and how long you’re in the sun to help avoid overexposure. And be sure to protect healthy skin with a sunscreen of at least 15 SPF, paying careful attention to your ears, hands and face. Before beginning any sunbathing program, it’s best to ask your doctor about the best way to use natural sunlight to treat your skin.

Apply cortisone. Apply an over-the-counter cortisone cream 0.5 percent or 1 percent, for a few weeks when your symptoms are especially bad.

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