How Is Psoriasis Treated
Psoriasis is a lifelong condition, but can often be controlled. Talk with your doctor about the best treatment option for you. Shell help you choose from many new and effective medical treatments available to ease symptoms, including:
- External: Your doctor may prescribe a topical medication . These include creams that contain steroids, coal tar, or vitamin D. Ultraviolent light therapy may also banish symptoms.
- Internal: These medicines are taken by mouth or given by injection, and can be especially successful in treating more severe psoriasis. Ask your doctor about newer injectable biologic medicines.
- Self-care: Help manage your symptoms by taking warm baths to soften scales. After you bathe, apply lotion to damp skin. Use relaxation techniques to lower stress, which can trigger flare-ups. If sunlight helps your skin, spend five minutes a day in the sun.
Steroid Creams Or Ointments
Steroid creams or ointments are commonly used to treat mild to moderate psoriasis in most areas of the body. The treatment works by reducing inflammation. This slows the production of skin cells and reduces itching.
Topical corticosteroids range in strength from mild to very strong. Only use topical corticosteroids when recommended by your doctor. Stronger topical corticosteroids can be prescribed by your doctor and should only be used on small areas of skin or on particularly thick patches. Overusing topical corticosteroids can lead to skin thinning.
Can I Pass Psoriasis On To My Children
While psoriasis is not contagious, it does have a genetic component, which means it can be inherited. About 40% of patients with psoriasis have a family history of the disease. However, just because you have psoriasis does not mean you will always pass it on to your children. If one parent has psoriasis, there is about a 10% chance of passing it on to offspring. If psoriasis affects both parents, there is a 50% chance of passing it on to their children.
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The Immune System And Psoriasis
It takes most people with healthy skin about a month for their bodies to produce new skin cells and shed old ones. But when you have psoriasis, your bodys skin cells go through an accelerated cycle.
Thats because people with psoriasis have an overactive immune system, which causes excess inflammation. This inflammation forces your body to produce new skin cells at a much faster rateabout a 4- to 5-day cycle. Thats roughly seven times faster than normal. Skin cells rapidly pile up and get pushed to the surface, as your body is unable to shed them quickly enough.
Those skin cells become the scales and plaques you see on your skinwhich can be silvery, red, itchy, flaky, raised, or inflamed. Thats how inflammation deep down in your body can contribute to symptoms all the way up to your skins surface.
DEFINED: Inflammation is the bodys natural defense system. In normal amounts, it helps your body heal. But too much and your body starts to attack healthy cells.
What Are The Types Of Psoriasis
Common types of psoriasis include:
Plaque psoriasis. This is the most common type of psoriasis. It causes plaques and silvery scales, usually on the knees, elbows, lower back, and scalp. They can be itchy and painful and may crack and bleed.
Guttate psoriasis. This type often shows up after an illness, especially strep throat. It causes small red spots, usually on the trunk, arms, and legs. Spots also can appear on the face, scalp, and ears.
Inverse psoriasis. This causes smooth, raw-looking patches of red skin that feel sore. The patches are in places where skin touches skin, such as the armpits, buttocks, upper eyelids, groin and genitals, or under a girl’s breasts.
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Is It Scalp Psoriasis Or Dandruff
More than half of all psoriasis patients have scalp psoriasis, according to the NPF. Itchy plaques can extend beyond the hairline onto the forehead, neck, and around the ears.
“Most people with scalp psoriasis have it on other parts of their body as well,” says Dina D. Strachan, MD, a dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.
Scalp psoriasis is sometimes confused with seborrheic dermatitis, or dandruff. According to Dr. Strachan, dandruff which causes a flaky, itchy scalp without signs of inflammation tends to itch more than scalp psoriasis. It has a greasy-appearing yellow scale, Strachan says. In contrast, psoriasis whether it’s on your scalp or any other body part tends to have a thick, silvery scale.”
What Is The Relationship Between Psoriasis And Your Diet
Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune skin disorder. The body mistakenly attacks its own tissue, explains Wesdock. It starts overproducing skin cells, which lays down plaques on your skin. Plaques are red, scaly patches that can be itchy or painful. Sometimes psoriasis is accompanied by psoriatic arthritis, an inflammatory joint condition.
Neither of these conditions is caused by anything you eat, but theres an important link between your diet and psoriasis. Many foods are known to cause inflammation throughout the body. In some people, this widespread irritation can make the symptoms of psoriasis worse.
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Psoriasis: More Than Skin Deep
The first accurate medical discussion of psoriasis dates back to 1801, but the disease itself is much older. In fact, its very name is borrowed from an ancient Greek word meaning an itchy or scaly condition. About 7 million Americans are plagued by this itching and scaling, and many of them have serious complications involving other organs. Although psoriasis is classified as a dermatologic disease, it doesn’t start in the skin, and its damage may be more than skin deep.
Foods To Eat If You Have Psoriasis
Just as some foods trigger inflammation, others can help combat inflammation. In general, having a balanced whole-foods diet is the best approach to reduce inflammation throughout the body. It may reduce psoriasis flare-ups or make your symptoms less severe. Following a Mediterranean diet for psoriatic arthritis or psoriasis can also reduce chronic inflammation that contributes to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and other conditions.
The best foods if you have psoriasis include:
- Fish, lean protein or plant-based proteins such as tofu or tempeh
- Fruits and vegetables
- Small amounts of low-fat dairy
- Whole grains
Theres no evidence that vitamins or supplements help ease psoriasis symptoms. The best way to get all the vitamins and minerals you need is from the foods you eat. But its generally safe to take a daily multivitamin. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about other supplements that might be right for your needs.
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Lotions Medications And Light And Laser Treatments Can Help
Chronic inflammation in the body does not always make itself apparent. It may produce no symptoms, but still be quietly causing damage. Such quiet inflammation may be encouraging the buildup of plaques of atherosclerosis in your arteries, or driving your thyroid gland to become underactive or overactive.
Psoriasis is different, however. In this chronic inflammatory disease, immune cells attack the skin, causing visible, uncomfortable lesions. It is an autoimmune condition: the immune system, which is your defense against foreign microbes and chemicals, mistakenly starts attacking your own tissues.
What Are The Symptoms Of Psoriasis
The following are the most common symptoms of psoriasis. Psoriasis comes in several forms and severities. Symptoms may include:
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Plaque psoriasis. This type of psoriasis is the most common. Symptoms may include patches of red, raised skin on the trunk, arms, legs, knees, elbows, genitals, and scalp. Nails may also thicken, become pitted, and separate from the nail beds.
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Guttate psoriasis. This type of psoriasis affects mostly children. Symptoms may include many small spots of red, raised skin. A sore throat usually proceeds the onset of this type of psoriasis.
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Pustular psoriasis. Symptoms may include small pustules all over the body or just on the palms, soles, and other small areas.
The symptoms of psoriasis may look like other skin conditions. Always talk with your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
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What Are Possible Complications Of Psoriasis
In some cases, psoriasis also causes arthritis. This is known as psoriatic arthritis. It causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the joints. Psoriasis can raise your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and lymphoma. People with psoriasis are also more likely to have emotional stress and depression. Severe psoriasis can lead to erythroderma. In that condition, the skin all over the body is red and inflamed.
How Do Symptoms Of Psoriasis Start
Symptoms of Psoriasis can start at any age, but they often develop during the teenage years or early adulthood. The symptoms may come and go, or they may be present all the time. Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that may cause the following symptoms:
-Red, inflamed skin covered with silvery scales
-Patches of skin that are dry, itchy, and scaly
-Pitting or ridging of the nails
-Swollen and painful joints
In conventional medicines, the dermatologist, surprising till today believe, that Psoriasis cant be cured. However, treatments can reduce symptoms and bring about clear skin. Conventional treatments for psoriasis include topical treatments, such as corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, and salicylic acid phototherapy and systemic treatments, such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, and acitretin.
However, many people with psoriasis find relief from their symptoms by using natural treatments. Some natural treatments that have been shown to be effective for psoriasis include diet and lifestyle changes, Homeopathy remedies, detoxification, and ozone therapy. In some cases, a combination of natural and conventional treatments works best. If you are suffering from psoriasis, it is important to find a treatment plan that works best for you.
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What Are The Different Types Of Psoriasis
There are several different types of psoriasis. About 90% of all cases of psoriasis are plaque psoriasis, but other varieties include:
- Guttate Psoriasis This form of psoriasis usually affects children, teenagers, and young adults. It often appears after a bacterial infection, such as strep throat. Typical symptoms are red, scaly, raindrop-shaped spots on the skin, usually over the abdomen, arms, legs and scalp. It can often clear up on its own without treatment.
- Pustular psoriasis The typical symptoms of pustular psoriasis are pus-filled blisters on the skin. The blisters usually dry up, turn brown, become scaly and peel off. The lesions usually occur on the hands and feet.
- Erythrodermic psoriasis Symptoms include red and scaly skin over large areas of the body. This condition can evolve from other forms of psoriasis or be triggered by psoriasis treatment. It can also be triggered by withdrawal from drugs such as corticosteroids .
- Inverse psoriasis In people with this condition, dry and bright red patches appear in folds of skin, for instance under the breasts, in the armpits, or on the genitals. This type of psoriasis can be exacerbated by obesity.
Best Psoriasis Treatment At Home
There are a few key things that you can do at home to help manage your psoriasis symptoms before you get your customised Homeopathy medicines from Welling Clinic,
1. Keep your skin moisturized: Dry skin can make psoriasis worse, so make sure to keep your skin moisturized. Apply a moisturizer right after you bathe or shower when your skin is still damp. Look for a moisturizer that contains ingredients like shea butter, olive oil, or mineral oil.
2. Avoid harsh irritants: Harsh irritants like soap, detergents, and solvents can aggravate psoriasis symptoms. Try to avoid contact with these things as much as possible.
3. Wear loose-fitting clothes: Tight clothing can irritate psoriasis symptoms, so try to wear clothes that are looser.
4. Keep your fingernails trimmed: If you have psoriatic arthritis, then keeping your nails short can help keep pressure off of affected joints.
5. Protect your skin from the sun: When youre outside, make sure to cover up with a hat and sun block.
6. Get help for depression: If you have psoriasis, then theres a good chance that you have depression related to it as well. Talk to your doctor about getting treated if you are experiencing these symptoms.
7. Exercise regularly: Daily exercise can help reduce the stress associated with psoriasis and it might also help improve your overall health.
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Healthy Eating And Exercise
People with psoriasis have a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease than the general population, although it’s not known why. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are recommended for everyone, not just people with psoriasis, because they can help to prevent many health problems.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly can also relieve stress, which may improve your psoriasis.
Essay On Long Term Conditions
Long-term ConditionsWord Count:2,200This essay explores and reflects on the lived experiences of an elderly patient living with the long-term condition of psoriasis. A case study is used to illustrate some of the key features of LTCs and the impact they can have on a patients physical, psychological and social state. It is also going to be looking at the effect some of the key features can have on a patients support network or family. In addition it will examine the nurses role
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How Many People Have Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a fairly common skin condition and is estimated to affect approximately 1%-3% of the U.S. population. It currently affects roughly 7.5 million to 8.5 million people in the U.S. It is seen worldwide in about 125 million people. Interestingly, African Americans have about half the rate of psoriasis as Caucasians.
Contact Pathways Home Health And Hospice
If you need home health care for a loved one who also happens to suffer from psoriasis, please contact Pathways Home Health and Hospice at 888-755-7855. Coping with chronic illness can be debilitating and restrictive. Our home health care nurses, aides and other members of the team can help your loved one manage their psoriasis. Remember, home is the most comfortable and comforting place to heal when dealing with a health challenge. Learn more by calling us today.
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Key Points About Psoriasis
- Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition. It causes inflamed, red, raised areas of skin that often develop dry, silvery scales called plaques.
- Psoriasis is not contagious. It is an autoimmune skin disease.
- Psoriasis is a long-term disease. You will have flare-ups that come and go over time.
- There is no cure, but treatments can help relieve symptoms. Treatment can include creams, light therapy , and oral or injected medicine.
- Psoriasis is a chronic condition. But you can manage it by working with your healthcare provider to create a long-term treatment plan and self-care routine that includes attention to both physical and emotional needs.
What Are The Clinical Features Of Psoriasis
Psoriasis usually presents with symmetrically distributed, red, scaly plaques with well-defined edges. The scale is typically silvery white, except in skin folds where the plaques often appear shiny with a moist peeling surface. The most common sites are scalp, elbows, and knees, but any part of the skin can be involved. The plaques are usually very persistent without treatment.
Itch is mostly mild but may be severe in some patients, leading to scratching and lichenification characterised by thickened leathery skin and increased skin markings. Painful skin cracks or fissures may occur.
When psoriatic plaques clear up, they may leave brown or pale marks that can be expected to fade over several months.
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Research And Statistics: Who Has Psoriasis
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, about 7.5 million people in the United States have psoriasis. Most are white, but the skin disease also affects Black, Latino, and Asian Americans as well as Native Americans and Pacific Islanders.
The disease occurs about equally among men and women. According to the National Institutes of Health , it is more common in adults, and you are at a greater risk if someone in your family has it. A study published in September 2016 in the journal PLoS One concluded that interactions between particular genes as well as genetic and environmental factors play an important role in the diseases development.
People with psoriasis generally see their first symptoms between ages 15 and 30, although developing the disease between 50 and 60 years of age is also common.
The biggest factor for determining prognosis is the amount of disease someone has, says Michael P. Heffernan, MD, a dermatologist at the San Luis Dermatology and Laser Clinic in San Luis Obispo, California.
What Is The Newest Treatment For Psoriasis
What are the new drugs for the treatment of plaque psoriasis?
- The newest drugs for the treatment of plaque psoriasis are the interleukin-23 antagonists, which are FDA approved under the brand names Skyrizi, Ilumya and Tremfya.
- Interleukin-23 antagonists are part of a wider group of drugs called biologics.
2.03.2021
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Are Psoriasis Shampoos Available
Coal tar shampoos are very useful in controlling psoriasis of the scalp. Using the shampoo daily can be very beneficial adjunctive therapy. There are a variety of over-the-counter shampoos available without a prescription. There is no evidence that one shampoo is superior to another. Generally, the selection of a tar shampoo is simply a matter of personal preference.
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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