The Link Between Psoriasis And The Immune System
No one ever really considered that the immune system had any real role in psoriasis, or its painful outbreaks. Not until a new drug Cyclosporine was offered to arthritis patients. What happened next was both surprising and unexpected. Patients who were prescribed the immune suppressing drug for their arthritis symptoms , began to report a decrease in their skin attacks. Without warning, researchers were faced with the theory that the immune system could be causing psoriasis.
It didnt take long before researchers began to figure out the mystery of psoriasis in regards to how the immune system can impact it.
The Role of the Immune System on the Skin
The immune system is responsible for standing guard and attacking any invaders which penetrate the body. Since the skins main job is to act as the bodys first defense mechanism against invasion, it is no wonder that the immune system works in close connection with each layer of the skin. Heres how it all works:
1. Immune cells patrol the entire body for dangers. Psoriasis on Back of Neck Treatment
2. When an invader is detected, these immune send out chemical and nervous system messages to the immune system to ready itself for an attack
Eczema: Red Itchy Irritated Skin
Like psoriasis, eczema is a chronic skin condition that often causes intense itching. Scratching causes redness and inflammation of the skin, leading to a worsening of the eczema. Scratching can also cause a secondary bacterial infection. The most common type of eczema is caused by a reaction to irritants like detergents, soaps, or household cleansers. So if you have eczema, you should be careful to use mild soap and regularly moisturize your sensitive skin. Your doctor may prescribe a steroid cream or other medications if eczema is severe.
Psoriasis On The Hands And Feet
Psoriasis can be particularly uncomfortable and irritating on the palms and soles of the feet. Plaque psoriasis may result in dry, scaly patches, while a rare type of pustular psoriasis called palmoplantar pustulosis causes pus-filled blisters to form on these areas. Look after your hands and feet to help ease discomfort and pain. Wear comfortable shoes and gloves made from natural fibers, and soak affected areas in warm water twice a day before patting dry and applying a moisturizer.
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Articles On Types Of Psoriasis
Knowing which kind of psoriasis you have helps you and your doctor make a treatment plan. Most people have only one type at a time. Sometimes, after your symptoms go away, a new form of psoriasis will crop up in response to a trigger.
In general, most types of psoriasis result from the same triggers:
- Diet
- Weather
Here’s how you can spot the 7 types of psoriasis and what you can do to treat them.
Guttate Psoriasis: Small Red Spots
Guttate psoriasis the second most common type of psoriasis is characterized by multiple small, round red spots on the skin, usually widespread across the trunk and limbs. Often resulting from a bacterial or viral infection in children, such as strep throat, these spots come on suddenly and sometimes require oral medication or injections. Mild cases, however, may clear up without treatment.
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Measles: A Facial Rash That Can Cover The Body
Like guttate psoriasis, measles also follow symptoms of an upper respiratory infection in children and cause a skin rash of small, red spots. However, the measles skin rash usually starts on the face and spreads down to cover the body and is accompanied by fever, cough, and a runny nose. Measles rash is also flat, while the rash of psoriasis is typically raised. Measles is caused by a virus and is contagious, though the measles vaccination has made this a rare disease in the United States.
What Causes Itchy Ears
Itching in the ears could have many causes. Anything that causes skin in the ears to become inflamed can lead to itching, from insect bites to fungal infections. In every case, its important to find out what is causing the irritation, so that specialists can suggest appropriate treatments.
For example, psoriasis is a common cause of ear irritation. Caused by an auto-immune response, psoriasis leads to the accumulation of excess skin cells near the surface. If skin builds up faster than it can be shed, this leads to scaling and itching, and the ear is commonly affected. Another familiar culprit is an outer ear infection . This could be caused by swimming in pools that are improperly maintained or in lake water, hence the alternative name swimmers ear. However, it can develop when ears are exposed to things like dirty earphone buds. Generally, earwax provides an effective defense against outer ear infections, but it too can be a cause of itchiness. If your body generates too much earwax, it can block the ear canal, leading to irritation. If it produces too little, the skin in the outer ear can become too dry, cracking and leading to chronic itching. Sometimes, itching in the ear can arise from an allergic reaction as well. This could be something as harmless as shampoo or medication for a different ear problem. Use of cotton swabs can also irritate the ear canal causes inflammation and irritation.
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What Are Other Types Of Psoriasis
Plaque psoriasis is the most common type. About 80% to 90% of people with psoriasis have plaque psoriasis.
Other, less common types of psoriasis include:
- Inverse psoriasis appears in skin folds. It may look like thin pink plaques without scale.
- Guttate psoriasis may appear after a sore throat caused by a streptococcal infection. It looks like small, red, drop-shaped scaly spots in children and young adults.
- Pustular psoriasis has small, pus-filled bumps on top of the red patches or plaques.
- Sebopsoriasis typically appears on the face and scalp as red bumps and plaques with greasy yellow scale. This type is a cross between psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis.
How Is Psoriasis Diagnosed
Doctors usually diagnose psoriasis by examining the skin, scalp, and nails. They’ll also ask whether someone else in the family has psoriasis and if the child recently had an illness or started taking a new medicine.
Rarely, doctors might take a skin sample to check more closely. A biopsy can tell the doctor whether it’s psoriasis or another condition with similar symptoms.
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The Dry Skin Of Psoriasis
Not all psoriasis patches appear dry or scaly. At times, large red patches may have no visible scales. However, the patches of psoriasis can build up from dead skin cells to the point of scaling and peeling.
Removal of large scales should not be forced. Gentle removal will prevent breaking the skin and causing bleeding.
Some psoriasis patches may build up a very thick, white layer of dead cells before shedding scales.
There are some home remedies that may help minimize outbreaks or reduce symptoms of psoriasis:
- Exposure to sunlight.
- Apply moisturizers after bathing to keep skin soft.
- Avoid irritating cosmetics or soaps.
- Do not scratch to the point you cause bleeding or excessive irritation.
- Over-the-counter cortisone creams can reduce itching of mild psoriasis.
A dermatologist may prescribe an ultraviolet B unit and instruct the patient on home use.
Dry Skin Behind Ears Causes Cracked Skin Baby Flaky Get Rid & Treatment
Dry skin behind ear can be annoying and detrimental to your self-esteem. The common cause of dry, flaky and cracked skin is seborrheic dermatitis: a chronic relapsing but usually a mild dermatitis. This form of dermatitis affects the face, scalp and the torso. Dry skin is common in both adults and babies. Here is an insight on the causes, how to get rid and treat dry skin.
Dr. Sandra Lora Cremers defines dry skin as lacking adequate moisture. With dry skin, the skin feels tight and uncomfortable. According to her, dry skin behind ears and other parts of the body can be as a result of impaired lipid production within the skin leading to water loss that leaves your skin dehydrated. Dry skin is more prevalent in people with eczema and other skin condition.
Apart from eczema, other possible causes of dry skin will include low environmental humidity, use of harsh soap and skin care products, and medical or internal causes such as hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism refers to an abnormally low activity of the thyroid glands, this condition results in retardation of growth and mental development in both children and adult when lefts untreated.
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Psoriasis Back Of Neck Treatment
This is my girlfriends back of neck- psoriasis is starting to spread into her scalp. Shes currently using ceraVE but its not working. Shes also used prescription steroid creams and none of them worked. I want her to have a little bit relief. Does anybody know what cream that will help? Shes extremely itchy and scratches until shes raw shes been trying not to itch but nothing seems to help. The only thing that seems to help is T/ Gel therapeutic shampoo but she needs a cream for outside of the shower. Any advice and treatment?
John South Carolina
Atopic Dermatitis Or Eczema
Going on with causes of a rash on neck, atopic dermatitis is another culprit. Unlike allergic contact dermatitis, eczema is a skin disorder characterized by itching and dry skin. Usually, this kind of rash becomes a problem as itching becomes intense with the increasing need to scratch the affected area.
In addition, a thick plaque on the skin that looks scaly with small red to pink papules on the back of the neck is other symptoms. These are seen when eczema persists into adulthood. Adults will complain about irritation especially areas around the knee.
No one really knows the exact cause or reason why atopic dermatitis occurs. Even though, there are certain conditions that contribute to this skin disorder. These include humidity and heat, use of detergents or harsh soaps, staying in smoky places and wearing abrasive clothing. Sometimes stress can be a trigger factor. In fact, people call it a stress rash when other factors are excluded.
Major areas of the body affected include the face, neck, front fold of elbow and behind knees. Infants are at risk.
Treatment of eczema neck rash
img source: nbcnews.com
There is no specific forms of treatment for this disorder. However, good self-skin care practices are premier when you have eczema. These comprise the following.
1. Deep moisturizing
2. Keep off aggravators
To avoid further irritation stay away from sunlight and smoke.
3. Do a gentle washing
4. Keep up your living room conditions
img source: trotec.com
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Psoriasis Of The Legs
Plaque psoriasis is also common on the legs and/or knees. Your doctor may prescribe a vitamin D cream, like Dovonex or Rocaltrol , to reduce the rate of skin cell growth, or a topical retinoid, as well as regular application of an over-the-counter cortisone cream or ointment-based moisturizer. If topical treatments are unsuccessful, light therapy may be recommended.
Diet And Psoriasis: Whats The Connection
Can your diet help keep psoriasis under control? Maybe. An observational study published online July 25, 2018, by JAMA Dermatology found that people with psoriasis who followed a Mediterranean diet an eating pattern rich in fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fish, fruit, nuts, and extra-virgin olive oil experienced fewer severe flare-ups. This was only an association and more research is needed, but experts believe the Mediterranean diet contains many foods that have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and may offer extra protection against psoriasis triggers.
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Topical Treatments For Moderate To Severe Scalp Psoriasis
If your symptoms are more severe and the plaques on your scalp are thick, you will probably need prescription treatment. Your GP can recommend a topical treatment containing corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, or dithranol. Prescription products containing these ingredients include dermovate scalp application, locoid scalp lotion, dithrocream and dovobet gel.
You should use these treatment exactly as directed by your doctor. Make sure that you apply the medicated product directly to the scalp, and not to the hair.
In addition to these medicated treatments, you might also try using emollients on your scalp, as these can help to soften thick plaques. An emollient is a rich moisturiser which can prevent itching and inflammation, and create a protective barrier on the skin, sealing in moisture. One to consider using is grahams natural psoriasis cream, which is made from manuka honey and calendula. Formulated with natural ingredients, this moisturising treatment offers effective relief will helping to normalise the skins structure.
If you are going to use an emollient on your scalp, you should try the following method:
How Common Is Scalp Psoriasis
It is common and approximately half of all people with psoriasis also have it on their scalp. The reason it deserves special mention is that it can be more difficult to treat and usually requires specifically formulated treatments.
Psoriasis on the scalp forms in the same way as on other parts of the body but the hair traps the scale and so it does not rub away as it would, for instance, on the elbow. The result is that the scale can quickly build up, causing a thicker plaque which becomes more difficult to treat . This difficulty is compounded by the hair, which acts as a physical barrier obstructing the easy application of creams and ointments to the affected skin. Children can get scalp psoriasis too. Treatments will be much the same as those used for adults. On rare occasions, scalp psoriasis has been known to disappear spontaneously, but it can remain on the scalp for lengthy periods of time too.
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Shingles: A Rash And Severe Pain That Lingers
Shingles is another viral infection that shares some symptoms with psoriasis. Like psoriasis, shingles can make your skin burn and itch and produces a red, blistered skin rash. Shingles is caused by the same virus that first brings on chickenpox. The virus stays in your body and can come back years later to cause shingles, especially during times of stress or infection. The skin rash of shingles follows the course of a single nerve, usually on the trunk. In some cases, severe pain lasts long after the burning, itchy rash disappears. Shingles is more common in people over age 50.
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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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Emotional Impact Of Psoriasis
Due to the unpleasant effects that psoriasis can have on physical appearance, low self-esteem and anxiety are common among people with the condition. This can lead to depression, especially if the psoriasis gets worse.
Your doctor or dermatologist will understand the psychological and emotional impact of psoriasis, so talk to them about your concerns or anxieties. If necessary, they can discuss the different treatment options available.
How Is Psoriasis Treated
Psoriasis is usually treated by a dermatologist . A rheumatologist may also help with treatment. Treatments can include:
- ultraviolet light from the sun or from home or office treatments. But in some children, sunlight can make psoriasis worse.
- creams, lotions, ointments, and shampoos such as moisturizers, corticosteroids, vitamin D creams, and shampoos made with salicylic acid or coal tar
- medicines taken by mouth or injected medicines
A doctor might try one therapy and then switch to another, or recommend combining treatments. It’s not always easy to find a therapy that works, and sometimes what works for a time stops helping after a while.
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What Causes A Rash Behind The Ear
There are many skin disorders that cause a rash behind ear, as well as environmental conditions such as the weather . Infections in the body region of the head can be a factor, as can genetics and allergies. These are the five main causes of a rash behind the ear.
1. Atopic dermatitis, or commonly known as eczema, appears as dry, itchy skin that once inflamed, becomes red and swollen. If not treated, it can become a cluster of blisters. Known to affect mainly young children, this skin rash can also be a problem for adults, typically behind the ears, and in the folds of the elbows and knees. Environmental and genetic factors are usually to blame, and those with allergies or asthma, are at a high risk for atopic dermatitis. It can be painful at times, but is one of the chronic diseases that is very treatable.
2. Contact dermatitis is sometimes confused with atopic dermatitis, as it also appears as a red, swollen, itchy rash on dry, rough skin. The main difference is that contact dermatitis is usually caused by contact with an allergen. People of all ages can develop this type of ear rash, depending on their reaction to substances such a shampoo, soap, cosmetics, jewelry, and cleaning chemicals. Due to the unexpected reactions to substances, it is thought this type of skin condition may be caused by the genetic make-up of a person.
Impetigo skin infections are contagious and can be very painful red, swollen blisters that stem from cuts in the skin.