Prevention Of Pustular Psoriasis
You may not be able to prevent the disease, but you might lower your risk if you follow these healthy guidelines:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Many people with psoriasis are overweight or obese. Sometimes people gain weight after they get psoriasis. Doctors don’t know if there’s a link between extra pounds and psoriasis, but it’s wise to try to lose weight safely if you weigh more than you should. People who carry extra pounds have more severe cases of psoriasis, and the treatments for the disease don’t work as well.
- If you smoke, quit. People with the habit are more likely to get psoriasis. Studies have shown that most people with pustular psoriasis who smoke were smokers before they got sick. The habit may trigger the disease in certain people. People who smoke at least a pack a day may have more severe psoriasis flare-ups, too. Treatments don’t work as well on smokers, and smokers are less likely to have symptom-free periods between flares.
- Limit beer, wine, and liquor. If you have psoriasis, you should avoid alcohol or at least limit how much you drink. Alcohol can make men more likely to get psoriasis. People who drink have more flare-ups, and treatments don’t help as much as they do for people who don’t drink.
- Lower your stress levels. Do your best to relax and let things roll off of your back at work, at home, and when you’re out and about. Avoid stressful people and events, if you can. Try exercise or meditation to bust stress.
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Stop The Itch: Top Ten Psoriasis Triggers
In honor of Psoriasis Awareness Month, were devoting August to raising awareness about psoriatic disease and its effects on the more than 7.5 million people living with this condition. This week, we are taking a look at ways you can prevent your psoriasis from flaring up by avoiding known triggers. If you have psoriasis, you may already be aware of some of the things that can cause you to have a flare-up. The tricky thing is that what causes a flare-up for one person may not affect another. There are several things that researchers have found to be common triggers for those suffering from psoriasis.
Tips For Managing A Psoriasis Flare
When youre in the middle of a psoriasis flare-up, you just want something that will relieve the itchiness that comes with those thick, red, scaly patches of skinand you want it fast.
Maybe your psoriasis decided to flare after a period of stress or illness. But sometimes a flare arrives for no discernible reason at all. No matter what brought it on, a flare-up doesnt have to be a catastrophe. With a little preparation, you can manage it relatively easily.
Here, dermatologists share some of the best strategies for dealing with your next psoriasis flare.
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How Do You Prevent Flare
There are some ways to help prevent flare-ups by managing triggers, such as:
- Treat psoriasis
Can Psoriasis Cause Irregular Periods
No studies have directly explored the potential for a relationship between irregular periods and psoriasis. However, increased stress levels can cause both to occur or worsen.
Research suggests that stress can affect the area of the brain that releases the hormones needed to regulate the menstrual cycle. When the level of stress reduces, the cycle should return to normal.
Stress can also affect psoriasis symptoms. The National Psoriasis Foundation explain that stress can cause psoriasis flare-ups. In turn, psoriasis can lead to an increase in stress for some people. It is a good idea for anyone with psoriasis to practice stress management techniques. Having a strong support network can help.
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Supplement With Vitamin D
Research has suggested that vitamin D deficiency is common in people with psoriasis, particularly in the winter.
While identifying a link between the vitamin and the health condition requires additional research, maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D may help prevent psoriasis flare-ups.
People can get more vitamin D from:
- natural sunlight
- certain foods, such as salmon, milk, and fortified cereals
- vitamin D supplements
Sneaky Trigger: Daily Stress
No shocker here. Stress and anxiety can increase certain hormones that cause psoriasis to flare. Its unfortunate that psoriasis itself can be very anxiety-provoking, causing the condition to feed off of itself, says Dr. Noor. I suggest stress management techniques, like meditation and self awareness, as they can significantly help my psoriasis patients manage their condition, Dr. Noor adds. Dr. Friedman also advises having an effective treatment regimen that is ongoing, not reactive, to decrease the impact of stress.
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Sneaky Trigger: Getting Sick
Sometimes getting sick can be a double whammy: In addition to your actual illness, you could get a psoriasis outbreak, too. Anything that puts stress on the body can flare psoriasis, but infections in particular can exacerbate it, says Adam Friedman, M.D., professor and interim chair of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. The same inflammation that jumps into high gear to fight the infection can worsen a psoriasis outbreak. Vitamin C, anyone?
Try A Moisturizer With A Keratolytic Ingredient
For particularly thick plaques, Dr. Newsom suggests applying a lotion that contains a keratolytic, or a softening and peeling agent, like salicylic acid, lactic acid, or urea. That will help dissolve some of the scales. For instance, check out CeraVe Psoriasis Moisturizing Cream, $19, or Gold Bond Ultimate Psoriasis Relief Cream, $8.
However, note these ingredients, particularly salicylic acid, can irritate the skin, exacerbate dryness, and in extreme cases be toxic. So be sure to use keratolytic moisturizers as directed and only on the thickest plaques rather than across large swaths of skin.
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Problems With The Immune System
Your immune system is your body’s defence against disease and it helps fight infection. One of the main types of cell used by the immune system is called a T-cell.
T-cells normally travel through the body to detect and fight invading germs, such as bacteria. But in people with psoriasis, they start to attack healthy skin cells by mistake.
This causes the deepest layer of skin to produce new skin cells more quickly than usual, triggering the immune system to produce more T-cells.
It’s not known what exactly causes this problem with the immune system, although certain genes and environmental triggers may play a role.
What Causes Psoriasis To Flare
Casey Gallagher, MD, is board-certified in dermatology and works as a practicing dermatologist and clinical professor.
Angela Underwood’s extensive local, state, and federal healthcare and environmental news coverage includes 911 first-responder compensation policy to the Ciba-Geigy water contamination case in Toms River, NJ. Her additional health-related coverage includes death and dying, skin care, and autism spectrum disorder.
Most psoriasis sufferers know that the condition can flare and improve, sometimes seemingly for no reason. The unexpected nature of the flares can be particularly frustrating, you can be doing well one minute and then poorly the next. Certainly, not all flares can be predicted. Controlling the known triggers of psoriasis in your life, however, can help prevent some of them.
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Foods With Saturated Fats And Trans Fats
Fats in red meat, cheese, fried food, margarine, fast food and many processed snacks are known to trigger inflammation in the body. These fats increase the amount of low-density lipoprotein in your blood, also called bad cholesterol. Studies suggest there may be a link between excess fat in the body and development of psoriasis and worsening of psoriasis symptoms.
Keep Your Skin Moist And Cool
According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, moisturizing your skin with heavy, fragrance-free creams or lotions helps lock in moisture so that your plaques can heal. Moisturizing every day also helps keep your skin healthy between flare-ups.
You can use body creams, facial creams, or high-quality oils, such as coconut oil, to moisturize your skin and lock in water. Other tips include:
- Take cool to lukewarm showers of no more than 10 minutes.
- Limit lukewarm baths to 15 minutes.
- Add Epsom salts, sea salts, oatmeal poultices, or essential oils to bath water.
- Pat dry but not too dry after bathing, and apply moisturizer immediately.
- Moisturize your hands after every time you wash them.
- Use gentle, moisturizing, fragrance-free cleansers on face and body.
- Keep room air moist with a humidifier.
You can also refrigerate your cleansers and moisturizers for extra cooling relief.
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Wrap Up During Cold Dry Weather
This type of weather can trigger psoriasis flares.
Scientists do not fully understand why flares are more common in wintry weather, but some research suggests that cold and dark conditions with low humidity cause the skin to thicken and become inflamed.
Wrapping up warm reduces the skins exposure to cold, dry air, and this may help prevent winter flare-ups.
Dealing With A Psoriasis Flare
If you have psoriasis, you may choose your wardrobe and even your activities based on how active your disease is. The inflamed, itchy, scaly plaques that cover your skin can make you feel self-conscious and affect the way that others react to you, too.
Our expert dermatologists at Specialists in Dermatology in Houston, and The Woodlands, Texas, offer cutting-edge, effective psoriasis therapies including topical and oral medications, and biologics to clear your skin quickly and beautifully. If you do have a flare-up, here are a few tips on how to stay comfortable until you can get treatment.
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Is It Psoriasis Or Eczema
Like psoriasis, eczema is a very itchy skin condition. In fact, eczema usually results in a more intense itch than psoriasis. Scratching causes inflammation of the skin, leading to a worsening of the eczema. Scratching can also cause a secondary bacterial infection.
Eczema is not a specific disease, but rather a term referring to a group of rash-like conditions. The most common type of eczema is caused by a reaction to irritants, like detergents, soaps, or household cleansers.
Eczema often shows up on the back of the knees or the inside of the elbows.
Eczema can affect anyone and affects children more than psoriasis does.
Explore Psoriasis Treatment Options At Kessel Dermatology
If you are living with psoriasis and it is affecting your quality of life, the skin disease specialists at Kessel Dermatology can help you find the best course of treatment for you. We offer all the safest and most advanced treatment options for psoriasis, including:
- Biologic medications such as Otezla.
- Topical medications such as corticosteroids and retinoids
- such as laser therapy and Psoralen with Ultraviolet A light
Our dermatologists will consider the severity of your psoriasis and other individual factors in order to guide you to the most appropriate treatment for you. We can also provide information on what causes psoriasis to flare up and help you determine what may be contributing to your flare-ups.
If youd like to schedule an appointment, call the Kessel Dermatology office today at 609-890-2600. We look forward to helping you keep your skin condition under control so that it does not interfere with your life.
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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.”
Sneaky Trigger: Secondhand Smoke
And yet another reason to steer clear of cigs: Cigarette smoke, whether its from you or someone else, is a proven psoriasis trigger. Not only can it kickstart inflammation, but one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who were exposed to secondhand smoke as kids had an increased risk of developing psoriasis later in life.
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Drinking Frequently Or In Excess
If you drink daily or have more than 2 drinks in a day frequently, your treatment for psoriasis may have little or no effect. Even treatment that could be effective for you may not work and youll continue to have flare-ups.
Reduce the risk of flare-ups from drinking
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Quit drinking.
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If you continue to drink, limit how much you drink in a day. Women should stop after 1 drink. Men should limit themselves to 2 drinks per day.
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Be sure to tell your dermatologist if you drink alcohol. Drinking can make it risky to take some psoriasis medications like methotrexate.
Drinking frequently or in excess
If you drink daily or have more than 2 drinks in a day frequently, your treatment for psoriasis may have little or no effect.
Maintain A Healthy Weight
When it comes to managing your psoriasis, Warycha says maintaining a healthy weight can help lower the levels of inflammation in the body. In addition to diet, engaging in physical activity can also help you manage your weight.
If youre finding it challenging to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.
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How Do You Stop Psoriasis Flare
If you know your psoriasis triggers, avoiding them is a good first step. But this isnt always possible after all, you cant always avoid getting sick. And not every psoriasis flare has a clear-cut source, so prevention is complicated. But there are tried-and-true treatments and approaches that doctors have found to be successful.
More Than Skin Troubles
A 2017 study from the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that people with psoriasis that covers 10% of their body or more are 64% more likely than those without psoriasis to develop type 2 diabetes. “About 30% of people with psoriasis also might develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes destructive inflammation in your joints,” says dermatologist Dr. Gideon Smith. Psoriasis also may signal a higher risk for fatty liver disease and heart attacks.
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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.