Can Psoriasis Affect Your Lungs

Warning Signs Of A Pulmonary Illness

Each condition is different, which means each set of warning signs and symptoms is unique.

A few conditions do share several of the same warning signs. Knowing the symptoms may help you and your doctor detect a problem before it begins dramatically affecting your health and lifestyle.

Symptoms include the following:

• Difficulty breathing is often overlooked or excused as a natural part of aging, but it may be one of the first signs of a pulmonary illness.
• Coughing is another symptom. If its not cold and flu season and youre still coughing around the clock, that might be a sign your respiratory system has a problem.
• Wheezing is often a sign that your respiratory system has a blockage that is making your airways too narrow.
• Mucus is your bodys natural defense against infections and irritants. If your body makes excess mucus for more than a month, that could be a sign of a pulmonary issue.
• Chest pain that gets worse when you breathe or cough could be a warning sign of a lung issue.

Psoriatic Arthritis And Your Lungs

The inflammation associated with psoriatic arthritis can also harm your lungs and increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties.

A Taiwanese study published in the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology showed the risk for COPD was even higher in men and those over age 50 with psoriasis.

If you have psoriatic arthritis, you might want to avoid smoking, lung irritants, and dust, which could raise your chances of developing COPD.

Psoriatic Inflammation And The Brain

Studies have shown that people with psoriatic disease are at an increased risk for anxiety and depression.

A survey published in the April 2014 issue of the Journal of Rheumatology found that more than 36 percent of people with psoriatic arthritis had anxiety and about 22 percent had depression. These numbers were much higher than what people with only psoriasis reported.

Patients with psoriatic arthritis really have a sort of dysmorphic view of themselves, Ritchlin says. This is a disease thats hard to hide. Other people can see it, and the patient can feel it.

There is growing evidence that the inflammation that causes psoriatic disease can affect the brain. Inflammatory proteins called cytokines are associated with psoriatic arthritis and also commonly found in people with depression.

We used to think inflammation was only in joints and skin, says Theoharis Theoharides, MD, PhD, a professor of immunology at Tufts University in Boston. The type of inflammation present in psoriatic arthritis is probably in action in the part of the brain that regulates mood, given that psoriatic arthritis has a strong nervous system component.

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Painful Joints And Weakened Bones

For about a third of people with psoriasis, the immune system also attacks the joints. This triggers inflammation and swollen, painful joints. This condition is called psoriatic arthritis.

Psoriatic arthritis often appears 10 years after psoriasis develops. It can affect different parts of your body, such as your fingers, toes, and spine.

Other symptoms of psoriatic arthritis include:

• Fatigue
• Stiff, tender, swollen, and throbbing joints or tendons
• Reduced range of motion

Although theres no cure, a doctor can prescribe treatments to ease the pain and prevent permanent damage to your joints.

Along with harming joints, psoriasis can also weaken bones. Research shows that people with psoriasis are three times as likely to have bone loss, called osteopenia, and the bone disease osteoporosis. It also raises your risk of breaking a bone.

Thats because chronic inflammation can take a toll on your skeleton. People with psoriasis also tend to have low levels of bone-building vitamin D. Whats more, steroids — a common treatment for psoriasis — can weaken bones over time.

Psoriasis raises your odds of getting osteoporosis by 30%

These two conditions often overlap, but you can get one without having the other.

30% of people with psoriasis will also get psoriatic arthritis.

What You Can Change

• Men and women should not drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis
• Spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink 14 units a week
• If you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.

The following table will show you how many units are in different alcoholic drinks.

Remember: for certain medications you will be advised to avoid alcohol , so do make sure your healthcare provider is aware of your alcohol consumption.Stress: Stress can increase your risk of heart disease, and it may also encourage your psoriasis to flare. It is important to learn how to reduce your stress in a healthy way rather than resorting to unhealthy strategies such as smoking, drinking and overeating. Exercise, yoga and relaxation techniques can be effective. Healthy stress release, such as listening to music, meeting with friends or pursuing a hobby is really good too. You may also wish to talk to your doctor about counselling or medication.

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Methotrexate Use And Risk Of Lung Disease In Psoriasis Psoriatic Arthritis And Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Systematic Literature Review And Meta

• Accepted 4 February 2015

How Can I Boost My Immune System To Fight Psoriasis

Salad greens, such as spinach, Swiss chard, and kale, as well as broccoli and cabbage, are full of rich vitamins and minerals. Studies have shown that they contain special immune-boosting compounds too. Filling your plate with these nutritious foods may help protect you from unwanted viruses and more.

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Is Psoriasis Fungal Or Bacterial

Psoriasis happens due to an overactive immune system that attacks healthy skin cells. This overreaction speeds up the production of new skin cells, causing the symptoms of psoriasis. Candida is a type of yeast that can cause a fungal infection called candidiasis. When this develops in the mouth, it is called thrush.

How Psoriasis Is Diagnosed

A GP can often diagnose psoriasis based on the appearance of your skin.

In rare cases, a small sample of skin called a biopsy will be sent to the laboratory for examination under a microscope.

This determines the exact type of psoriasis and rules out other skin disorders, such as seborrhoeic dermatitis, lichen planus, lichen simplex and pityriasis rosea.

You may be referred to a specialist in diagnosing and treating skin conditions if your doctor is uncertain about your diagnosis, or if your condition is severe.

If your doctor suspects you have psoriatic arthritis, which is sometimes a complication of psoriasis, you may be referred to a doctor who specialises in arthritis .

You may have blood tests to rule out other conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and X-rays of the affected joints may be taken.

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Multiple Pulmonary Nodules In A Male With Psoriatic Arthritis

A 64-yr-old male with a longstanding history of psoriatic arthritis presented with a 6-week history of dry cough without other respiratory symptoms. His other past medical history showed hypertension and type II diabetes mellitus. He took methotrexate 12.5mg weekly , folic acid, aspirin, nortriptyline, metformin, valsartan and insulin. The patient was an ex-smoker of 5pack-yrs, having stopped smoking 32yrs earlier. He kept no pets and there was no significant occupational exposure or travel history. On examination his chest was clear. There was no lymphadenopathy or clubbing.

FIGURE 2.

Computed tomography scan showing nodulosis prior to cessation of methotrexate.

Following review of the biopsy a chest radiograph was performed which showed partial resolution of the nodules. A radiograph performed 3months later showed complete resolution.

The patient received no specific therapy. He remained well and his cough resolved. However, his psoriatic arthritis worsened and he was started on sulphasalazine.

We believe that methotrexate nodulosis is the most likely cause of the pulmonary nodules seen in our patient.

What Organs Are Affected By Psoriasis

While any part of your body can be affected, psoriasis plaques most often develop on the elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms, and feet. Like other autoinflammatory diseases, psoriasis occurs when your immune system which normally attacks infectious germs begins to attack healthy cells instead.

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Does Psoriasis Affect The Brain

With psoriasis, your immune cells release substances called cytokines. These make skin cells grow out of control and form scaly plaques. They also change levels of chemicals in your brain that affect your mood. A cytokine called TNF-alpha may affect brain chemicals like serotonin in a way that could lead to depression.

The Impact Of Psoriatic Disease Comorbidities

Psoriasis and PsA, and the comorbidities they lead to, can shorten your life. âPeople with psoriasis tend to live a few years less than those without the condition. This is particularly true for those with severe disease,â says Dr. Yamauchi. âItâs not the psoriasis thatâs shortening life span, but the heart attacks, strokes and other comorbidities it can cause.â

Letâs look at how some common comorbidities of psoriatic disease can affect your life and health.

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Inflammation And Heart Disease

Inflammation can take many forms. These may include reddened patches of skin on your body and psoriatic arthritis. Symptoms can also include conjunctivitis, inflammation of the lining of your eyelids.

Psoriasis may also take different forms. Generally, people with any type of psoriasis have a risk of heart attack that is almost three times greater than in people without psoriasis.

Blood vessels can also become inflamed. This can cause the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of a fatty substance called plaque inside your artery walls. Plaque slows or interrupts the flow of blood to your heart. This heightens your risk of heart disease and heart attack.

Some psoriasis treatments can result in irregular cholesterol levels. This can harden the arteries and make a heart attack even more likely. People with psoriasis have also been found to have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, according to the

How Can I Prevent Psoriasis On My Face

Here are a few basic tips:

26.06.2019

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Undertreatment Of Psoriasis Is Common

Dr. Yamauchi points out that many patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis are undertreated. This may be less true of people with PsA, who now often begin therapy with a biologic however, diagnosis is often delayed, which is also an issue.

âIn psoriasis, undertreatment may happen because patients or providers arenât comfortable with biologics,â Dr. Yamauchi says. âSome think biologics are dangerous because thereâs the perception that they suppress the immune system. I explain that these agents target immune system pathways that contribute to psoriasis and its comorbidities and that biologics normalize them to control psoriatic disease and inflammation.â

Dr. Ogdie also emphasizes that treating psoriatic disease improves quality of life. âMany patients assume theyâre fine, but until their inflammation is under control, they donât know how good they can feel,â she says.

If your skin isnât clear or nearly clear, or you continue to have joint symptoms or fatigue from PsA that interferes with your daily life, your systemic inflammation may not be well-controlled, says Dr. Yamauchi.

Talk with your health care provider about medications that can bring your psoriatic disease â and the inflammation associated with it â under control.

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Warning Signs

Stiff, puffy, sausage-like fingers or toes are common, along with joint pain and tenderness. The psoriasis flares and arthritis pain can happen at the same time and in the same place, but not always. You may also notice: Dry, red skin patches with silvery-white scales.

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What You Cannot Change

Some risk factors for heart disease cannot be changed.

These include:

• Gender: Men over the age of 55 and postmenopausal women are at the greatest risk of heart disease.
• Increasing age: The risks of heart attacks and stroke increase with age.
• Ethnicity: People of African or South Asian descent are more likely to have diabetes and high blood pressure and are therefore at greater risk of heart disease and stroke
• Family history: If a brother, sister or parent developed heart disease before the age of 55 or had a stroke before the age of 65 you are also at higher risk.

Beyond Joints: How Psoriatic Arthritis Affects The Body

This autoimmune, inflammatory disease can reach beyond skin and joints to attack organs and more.

Joint pain is a big part of living with psoriatic arthritis . But the inflammation that affects your joints can cause problems for other organs and tissues, too, and comorbidities, or conditions that often occur with PsA, including obesity and diabetes, bring additional effects not directly related to joints. Youll probably think of skin issues first, but your eyes, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract , liver and kidneys may also be affected.

Skin. Psoriasis appears first in 60% to 80% of patients, usually followed within 10 years but sometimes longer by arthritis. Some people are diagnosed with both diseases at the same time, and 10% to 15% have psoriatic arthritis symptoms before psoriasis. Psoriasis creates thick, reddish, inflamed patches of skin, often with silvery-white scales. These patches, which sometimes itch and burn, may appear anywhere on the body, but are most common on the elbows, knees, scalp, back, face, palms and feet. Its considered severe when more than 10% of the body is covered.

Lungs. The inflammation that causes PsA may also harm your lungs, causing a condition known as interstitial lung disease that leads to shortness of breath, coughing and fatigue. This condition occurs less frequently with PsA than with certain other rheumatic diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Last reviewed 4/21/2021

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Things To Look Out For

Angina

• Pain: Discomfort or pain, generally in the chest, neck, jaw and/or shoulder that can be triggered by physical activity but eased by rest. The pain may feel like a heaviness, tightness or pressure.
• Shortness of breath : Generally triggered by physical activity and relieved by rest.

If you notice these symptoms seek the attention of your GP as soon as possible.

Heart attack:

• A heart attack may begin with the angina-like symptoms described above . The pain is usually very severe, comes on suddenly and does not go away with rest.
• Nausea, indigestion or vomiting.
• Sweating or cool, clammy skin.
• Feelings of fear or anxiety.

Stroke:

• Sudden weakness or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body, even if temporary.
• Sudden confusion or difficulty speaking or understanding, even if temporary.
• Trouble seeing with one or both eyes.

Effects Of Psoriasis In The Lungs

Researchers have studied lung function in people with psoriasis. They found a small reduction in lung function and more shortness of breath in people with psoriasis. Psoriasis patients were also more likely to smoke. But even after making adjustments to account for , the results still showed reduced lung function with psoriasis. The researchers suggest that airway inflammation and obstruction is the most likely explanation. This is very similar to another airway disease, COPD .

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Psoriasis In The Lungs: Symptoms And Complications

Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition that causes widespread inflammation. This can affect the skin and several other parts of the body, including the lungs.

The most noticeable symptoms of psoriasis are patches of red, inflamed skin and silvery-white scaly rashes.

However, the condition puts a person at risk for many complications, including lung disease, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.

This article focuses on the effects of psoriasis on the lungs and the symptoms to watch for.

Psoriasis is a disorder of the immune system. It causes white blood cells to become overactive and produce chemicals that trigger inflammation in the skin. This inflammation can also affect other parts of the body, including the lungs.

Researchers believe that psoriasis is related to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can lead to metabolic syndrome, which is associated with:

These factors can put a person at risk for chronic diseases, including those that affect the lungs.

It is also possible that psoriasis medications that suppress the immune system can increase the risk of developing lung disease.

Research has linked psoriasis with the following pulmonary diseases:

Screen For And Treat Comorbidities

If you have psoriasis, your dermatologist or primary care physician should screen you regularly â at least once a year â for PsA, says Dr. Ogdie.

âThe earlier you catch it and start treatment, the more likely you are to respond to therapy,â she says, noting that early treatment also potentially lowers the chances of permanent joint damage.

Dr. Ogdie advises people with psoriasis to understand the signs and symptoms of PsA. These include joint pain, swelling and tenderness â particularly in fingers and toes â and enthesitis, or inflammation at the points where tendons insert into bones. In addition, having psoriasis in the nails, scalp or skinfolds should raise suspicion for PsA, as should a family history of the disease.

âIf you have new symptoms, tell your doctor,â Dr. Ogdie says. âRemind them you have psoriasis and ask if these changes could mean you have psoriatic arthritis.â

Comorbidities such as CVD and metabolic syndrome can start developing at young ages in people with psoriasis and PsA, and sometimes health care providers arenât looking for them, Dr. Mehta says.

âPeople with psoriasis should ask their doctors to screen them for heart and metabolic disease. They can do this by checking the three âBs,â which are blood pressure, body mass index and blood levels of glucose and cholesterol,â he says.

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