Five Health Benefits Of Salt Water Pools
A salt water pool is more than just a relaxing place to take a dip. Salt water pools also offer numerous health benefits that range from soothing your skin to decreasing your stress levels. Although salt water pools do need some chlorine to sanitize and disinfect the water, they are perfect for those who are looking for something different than the average swimming pool. Salt water pools offer five health benefits:
What Can I Do To Help
Psoriasis can affect both you as parents emotionally as well as physically, and this is especially true of children. It may influence their social life, performance in school, leisure activities, confidence and self-esteem.As a parent you may feel guilty or unable to cope, and feel frustrated at times that your child does not understand how important it is to carry out or comply with their treatments so great patience is needed .
So you can help your child to cope with psoriasis by explaining that:
- It is not catching
- it is a common skin problem and they are not alone
- you love them just as much with psoriasis as you did before
- it is not anyones fault
- it is not due to lack of cleanliness
- it is important to persevere with treatments because they can control the disease
Make their treatments as normal as possible so that it will be part of their daily structure this will prepare them for dealing with things more easily and naturally as they get older
Swimming With Psoriasis: A How
Psoriasis is a disease of the skin that causes scaly, red, itchy patches. The condition is common, chronic, and cyclical. That means that people with psoriasis usually experience flare-ups, then see symptoms subside for a bit.
While there is no cure for psoriasis, there are many different treatments designed to help people manage the condition and enjoy life. Sometimes, fun activities like swimming can be uncomfortable when flare-ups occur. Luckily, there are a few easy steps you can take in order to be able to enjoy a summer in the pool:
Its easier to enjoy the water if your psoriasis flare-ups are less severe. That means being consistent with your treatment plan, whatever that may be, is key.
One popular treatment, home phototherapy, is a great option because its portable, effective and easy. The device, which is handheld, emits UV rays that reduce the local immune system and slow down the development of thick and scaly skin. The National Psoriasis Foundation has published several studies that indicate that the narrowband UVB rays that home phototherapy offers can clear psoriasis faster and produce longer remissions than broadband UVB rays. In addition, narrowband UVB rays are safe. Your dermatologist can determine how much exposure you need and how frequently you need it.
Does Having Psoriasis Make You More Likely To Have A Heart Attack
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline on the assessment and management of psoriasis recommends that doctors should discuss cardiovascular risk factors with all people who have psoriasis, and support any lifestyle changes that might be needed. It also recommends that people with severe psoriasis should be offered a cardiovascular risk assessment every five years. This is because recent scientific research has suggested that people with psoriasis could be more likely to develop certain other conditions, including heart disease.
However, we still don’t completely understand what the link between psoriasis and heart disease is, and certainly not everyone with psoriasis will get heart disease . Research on this topic is ongoing, most notably the IMPACT project based at Manchester University, which is looking into the potential co-morbidities of psoriasis. This is a multi-million pound study, that the Psoriasis Association is involved in directing.
Remember, you can’t change the fact that you have psoriasis, but there are other risk factors for heart disease that you can change: make efforts to eat a balanced diet keep active and maintain a healthy weight try to give up smoking and to moderate alcohol intake. Visit the British Heart Foundation website for more information on how to keep your heart healthy.
Why Does My Child Have Psoriasis
The heredity factor seems to play a part. About one third of people with psoriasis are able to identify a relative, living or dead, with psoriasis. It is estimated that if 1 parent has psoriasis that there is a 15% chance that a child will develop the condition. If both parents have psoriasis this increases to about 75%. Interestingly, if a child develops psoriasis and neither parent is affected there is a 20% chance that a brother or sister will also get psoriasis. This is because the condition is known to skip generations but somewhere there will be a familial link to a relative via either or both parents.
Wear Sunscreen When Swimming Outdoors
Wearing sunscreen is important to help prevent photoaging, sunburns, and cancers of the skin. When you have psoriasis, sunscreen can also help prevent lesions from worsening.
Make sure you wear a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30. Apply it 15 minutes before heading outside. Put on a little bit extra around your skin lesions. When swimming, youll want to reapply your sunscreen every hour, or each time you dry your skin with a towel.
Reduce Gluten In Your Diet
Eating as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible can be beneficial for most athletes. Reducing your gluten consumption may also help your performance. According to the British Journal of Dermatology, the symptoms in some psoriasis patients can be improved by a gluten-free diet. However, eliminating gluten from your diet can be difficult. Talking to your rheumatologist about whether you would be a good candidate to try a gluten-free diet may be a great first step.
Why Does The Sun Help Psoriasis And How Can I Take Advantage
Most psoriasis patients have heard about UV therapy. UV light helps to suppress the immune response which is overactive in psoriasis patients, which is the cause of the plaques, which is dead skin that is being produced too quickly and prematurely. Sunlight helps slow down this process and many patients will find that their plaques go away or are significantly reduced during the summer. Sunbathing in moderation can help improve your psoriasis as long as you protect your skin properly. Use sunscreen on areas of the skin that are unaffected by psoriasis, and don’t stay in the sun long enough to cause a sunburn. Excessive exposure is both bad for your skin in the long-term, and can actually cause your psoriasis to flare.
Swimming And Eczema Or Psoriasis
Swimming is perfectly fine if you suffer from eczema, provided there is no recent flare up or secondary infection.
- Shower with lukewarm water before swimming, apply cream or ointment to protect your skin.
- Have a long shower after your swim, although avoid the water being too hot. Use liberal amounts of emollient gels and when youre dry, use more cream than usual.
- Some may find chlorinated water and salt water pools irritating to their eczema. If you find this, you may find ozone pools better. However, recent evidence suggests the bleaching effect of chlorine on skin reduces bacteria and is very beneficial for eczema.
- Similarly in psoriasis, which is another common non-contagious skin condition characterised with patches or dry flaky skin , swimming is encouraged unless the plaques are infected.
- Salt water is particularly beneficial as it reduces any flaky skin improving appearance. Sunlight with outdoor swimming, combined with appropriate sun cream use can also help the condition.
- Like eczema, apply moisturising creams after swimming, particularly in chlorinated pools
Smiling Back At The Stare
When people stare at Liannes skin today, she still finds it frustrating, but instead of getting annoyed, she smiles back. She engages. She educates. She says its important to remember that no one knows everything everyone is different.
Dont judge someone for what they look like, but also dont judge the person whos looking at you, she says. You never know what battle or stigma someone may be fighting inside at any given moment.
Thats a message Lianne shares with her followers on social media. Rather than being afraid of strangers stares, people with psoriasis can simply smile, feeling strong and empowered by what makes them different.
Lianne is a Let Me Be Clear Psoriasis Storyteller, working in partnership with AbbVie.
Unless otherwise specified, all product names appearing in this internet site are trademarks owned by or licensed to AbbVie Inc., its subsidiaries or affiliates. No use of any AbbVie trademark, trade name, or trade dress in this site may be made without the prior written authorization of AbbVie Inc., except to identify the product or services of the company.
Before Getting In The Water
- Moisturize: Applying a thin layer of moisturizer or petroleum jelly can protect against harsh chemicals.
- Apply sunscreen: Anyone swimming outdoors may have a risk of sunburn, which can trigger a psoriasis flare.
- Choose products carefully: A broad-spectrum, waterproof sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 is best for people doing water activities. For a moisturizer, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends a fragrance-free product, preferably a thick cream or ointment.
Get Psoriasis Advice Today
Everyone’s experience with psoriasis is different, so if you’ve got any tips to share or questions to ask us, please leave a comment below. We always love to hear from you.
And if you’re looking for professional medical advice on dealing with psoriasis this summer, hit the button below to connect with a UK-based GP at a time and place to suit you.
Psoriasis Tips: Sunbathing And Swimming
Summer is a season that many psoriasis patients look forward to, as most people show significant improvement in their psoriasis during the summer. The most important reason for the improvement is increased sun exposure, which is demonstrated to improve psoriasis. Phototherapy is a proven treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis, and summer sunlight provides similar benefits.
Shield Yourself From Sunburn
Sunburns are technically an injury to the skin, explains Jacobson. And for some people, psoriasis forms at the site of an injury, a response known as the Koebner phenomenon. Exposure to UV radiation from the sun is also associated with skin cancer, including melanoma. Though its not fully understood why, research suggests that people with psoriasis run a higher risk of developing melanoma compared with the general population.
To guard your skin against sun damage, apply an ounce of high-SPF, broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed areas of your face and body a half hour before you go outside, and reapply every two hours. Its also a good idea to put on a hat to protect your scalp, wear a rash guard or swim shirt at the pool or beach, and cover up with lightweight, loose clothing if youll be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time.
Swimming With Eczema: What You Should Know Before You Take The Plunge
Summer isnt summer without plenty of quality time in the water. The decision to swim in a pool, lake or the ocean is typically a matter of convenience, preference or location. But if you or your child has eczema, you might be wondering whether its safe to swim at all.
Before you finalize your summer plans, lets take a few minutes to review the pros and cons of pool vs. open water and discuss what you can do to keep your skin cool and calm before and after swimming.
Man Fights Psoriatic Arthritis By Diving In
Hillel Katzeff was extremely fast on land until PsA forced him to trade in his running shoes for goggles.
Hillel Katzeff loved to run. He loved to beat the clock. It didnât matter if the person holding the stopwatch was his big sister as he raced from his childhood home to the corner store or a referee at a track and field event. He loved the rush of air and what he calls the feeling of âcontrolled power.â
After graduating from college, he moved to New York City. One day, Katzeff was jogging through Central Park when he suddenly felt as if he had bone spurs in his heels. Later, the pain spread to his toes and then up to his fingers. A rheumatologist diagnosed him with psoriatic arthritis .
Another doctor diagnosed him with psoriasis, but this was so long ago â the early â80s â that he canât remember which diagnosis came first. His PsA is the greater trial, but he says his psoriasis âcan be bad, if I have a flare and my medication isnât working.â
The pain in his joints worsened. Katzeff stopped running or even exercising.
âEventually, I resigned myself to the fact that I had to live with this deforming and crippling disease â and that I might never be able to run again,â he wrote some years later in a short memoir. âIt did not help when well-intentioned friends occasionally reminded me of my running days and how fast they remembered me to be.â
Will Swimming In A Chlorine Pool Irritate My Skin
I’m hoping to start swimming to get gentle . My skin is looking clearer and to be honest I don’t really care what people think about my skin now, just want to get on with getting better which and endorphins can only help with. I’m too tired and weak to go running or to the gym so was thinking swimming would be my best bet but I’m worried that chlorine will irritate or cause my skin to flare and I don’t want that when my skin is improving. If anyone does swim I’d love to hear
Hi, We had a swimming pool before we built a new house. Whenever I was in the pool, I found my psoriaisi clearing up. As it turned out the chlorine was actually healing it.. I so miss my pool!!! Hope this helps.
I prefer salt water for my skin. Remember, please, that chlorine is a caustic. Try to find a pool that uses hydrogen peroxide as a decontaminate instead. Or one that uses ultra violet light for purification. Both as much me beneficial. There is a pool/spa company called Endless Pool that uses them both. Please note that people who use pools and spas with chlorine often develop more skin cancer than those those who over do on sun exposure!
DiproSalic 0.05% contains 0.05% betamethasone and 3% salicylic acid. Make sure you get the ointment.
For your scalp Betacap scalp application is brilliant! Don’t let them fob you off with their cheaper make, it has to be betacap. Their cheaper options don’t contain coconut oil and I found them to be completely useless.
I hope this helps
Will My Child Always Have Psoriasis
Probably yes, but with correct management you and your child can ensure that it is controlled. Also you should be aware that psoriasis can go into remission for periods of time for no apparent reason. Every person is an individual with their own bodily cycles. You will learn what triggers flare-ups and what treatment work best for your child.
Remember: your child may only have a few tiny patches at a time, and not overall coverage, or large patches to treat, and there will be periods where they may have none at all psoriasis waxes and wanes.
There will be times your child may go for long periods trouble free and there will be times if they get stressed, for example around exam times in school, their psoriasis may flare-up, but as you learn together about this condition, and live with it, it will become easier f to cope and deal with, and become part of normal life.
Look For Saltwater Pools
Saltwater pools are increasing in popularity for health clubs and individual homeowners. This is particularly good news if you have psoriasis, since the chlorine used in traditional pools can increase irritation and dry skin. If you have access to a saltwater pool, youll be less likely to have a flare-up after swimming.
Take A Dip In The Ocean
Soaking in water helps rehydrate dry, flaky lesions on skin, notes Lee, but splashing in the ocean may be even more beneficial than lounging in the tub. Although more research is needed to evaluate the possible benefits of sea salt on psoriasis, theres definitely something about salt water that helps soothe psoriasis. Some studies have found, for example, that water from the Dead Sea can be helpful for psoriasis and may also enhance the transmission of UV light therapy.
Though you may not be traveling to the Dead Sea any time soon, a trek to the beach on your next day off may help ease your irritation. Swimming in ordinary salt water can be beneficial by removing dead skin and improving the look of psoriasis, according to the NPF. Salt water can be drying, though, so its a good idea to rinse off and moisturize after swimming.