Psoriasis Treatment, Causes, Types, Symptoms, Medication And Facts
Not so many people have any idea what Psoriasis is, maybe because it is not so common. Psoriasis is a skin disease that is occasioned by scaly patches on the skin due to excessive production of skin occurring when one’s immune system has abnormalities therefore speeding up body cells growth. The dead skin builds layers skin forming a crust which can sometimes be itchy. In the attempt to nourish the skin, the flow of blood is increased therefore leading to the redness and swelling.
How this skin disease occurs is yet to be fully understood, although, it is largely believed to be genetically besides the immune system abnormalities. It can also be boosted mostly by occasional injury to the skin. Though nobody can intentionally cause injury to himself, avoiding to much injury to the skin is indeed advisable. Smoking and alcohol intake should be minimized since they are believed to make the condition worse.
Signs and symptoms of this Psoriasis include bumpy reddish rash on the skin and nails. These rashes are pink at times and can appear on any part of the body including knee caps, elbows, back side, feet, abdomen and other parts. This rashes or may contain pus making them itchy. It is however not contagious and therefore you cannot get or pass it through touching. Chances of developing this condition are high mostly if it runs in your family. Some types of Arthritis are also connected with this disease since in some cases it does cause inflammation of body joints. Arthritis caused by this skin condition is known as Psoriasis Arthritis.
There is no known preventative measure for Psoriasis since nothing much can be done to make the immune system work right. But people with this condition can make prevent it from getting worse by eating balanced diet, not getting to much sun to avoid skin inflammation and keeping the skin moist by using moisturizing lotions. Avoiding large intakes of alcohol also does prevent worsening of the skin condition.
The cure for Psoriasis is yet to be known and therefore makes it more of a lifelong condition. Certain drugs however do make the condition manageable. There are also skin creams that help keep it at bay. The skin rashes which are more of skin scales over a long period of time can also be removed by scrapping them off hence avoiding too much accumulation of the dead skin.
Conclusively, Psoriasis is a condition that can affect even children and although there is no known cure for it, knowing how to deal with it and how to take care of yourself can make it more manageable. Dermatologists can help diagnose and treat this condition. It is therefore important to consult dermatologists and physicians who know how to deal with Psoriasis. This way they can monitor the medications and how they react and therefore make it easy for them to change them whenever possible to deal with the different levels of the skin condition.
Herbal Medicines For Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a common skin condition that is characterized by patches of well-defined plaques covered by silvery scaling. These patches occur on the knees, elbows, trunk, scalp and hairline, but do not affect the face. The patches may show pinpoint bleeding spots when scratched. Skin may be generally dry and in severe cases the nails are pitted. Severe cases may be accompanied by a form of arthritis that affects the fingers, knees, ankles, and spine, but this is rare.
Attacks of psoriasis are normally triggered by mess, illness, and damage to the skin. It is not itchy, but it can be very painful when cracks appear across the skin. Psoriasis can be very embarrassing for the sufferer because it is unsightly and still misunderstood. Psoriasis is never contagious and usually appears in the late teens and early twenties, although random cases occur in children and the elderly. It runs in families and recurs at intervals, usually throughout life.
There are four types of psoriasis: flexural, which covers the moist areas of the body; pustule psoriasis, which is characterized by small pustules, usually on the palms or soles; plaque psoriasis, which is the most common type, affecting most areas of the body and frequently the nails; and guttate psoriasis, which appears in children, usually following a throat infection.
Treatment
Naturopathy Sunlight improves psoriasis, which is usually worse during the winter months in the Northern Hemisphere.
Diet and Nutrition Avoid meats, fried foods, sugar, and dairy produce; increase your intake of both fruit and vegetables. Take evening primrose oil and mineral supplements.
Consult a qualified practitioner/ therapist for:
Herbal Medicine
A herbalist will prescribe for the individual case, but may suggest the following: dandelion and burdock to cleanse the system, nettle to improve the circulation, and Echinacea as a general skin tonic.
Homeopathy
Use Sulphur for attacks with itching, Petroleum for dryness, and Graphite for oozing plaques.
Acupuncture
This claims good results in toning down symptoms, if not eliminating the problem, provided it is used in conjunction with additional suggestions, which may include dietary modification and learning techniques to deal with stress. The same applies to homeopathy.
Home Remedy For Psoriasis – An Effective Addition To Medication
To use a home remedy for psoriasis relief is not just easy and safe, but can also be very effective. Of course, you should always talk to your doctor about your treatment options, but a home remedy can be used to supplement whatever medications you are on. It may not render an ultimate cure to your problem, but it is sure to provide some big relief to your symptoms.
1. Psoriasis Diet
First, make a food diary and avoid those that have worsened your psoriasis conditions (dairy and meet are usually on this list). Increase your intake of fruits, vegetables, and essential fatty acids which you can always find in fish and flax. Besides, make sure that you are getting enough Omega 3 and 6, and take some supplements in case of need.
2. Topical Solutions
Topical solutions can be made from items in your kitchen, and here below are some very popular solutions for psoriasis:
(1). Apple Acid
You can apply it directly on to the scalp for a few hours and then rinse it off. You may also add a cup of apple acid to a gallon of water, soak a cloth in it and then place the cloth on the itching areas of your skin.
(2). Olive Oil
Olive oil can be added to your bath or warmed and massaged directly on the scalp. Other vegetable oil can also work well for bathing.
(3). Baking Soda
This has been proven to be very effective for relieving itching. Simply mix 1 ½ cups of baking soda in three gallons of water. Soak a washcloth in the mixture and then apply to you affected skin.
(4). Aloe
Research has shown that aloe can be applied straight onto psoriasis plaques to help clear them. You may either purchase some pure aloe Vera gel or get the aloe straight from a plant for this application.
Apart from getting a home remedy to aid your psoriasis treatment, reducing your stress level can also be a very beneficial addition to your overall treatment plan. Therefore, you should consider adding yoga or meditation into your daily routine.
If You Choose Drugs in Treating Psoriasis of the Scalp
Finding the right treatment of psoriasis of the scalp can be a hit or miss. Psoriasis of the scalp is a condition that can cause a devastating effect in one’s life. That’s why; some people want to go directly to a doctor to be sure that they get professional advice to treat their symptoms as fast as possible. Here are some drugs used to treat scalp psoriasis that your doctor may decide to recommend.
Keratolytics – These are a type of medication used to soften skin flakes and scales on skin with dandruff and psoriasis. Topical medications can easily penetrate the skin when flakes and scales are removed. Keratolytics’ ingredients include lactic acid, phenol, salicylic acid and urea.
Coal Tar – is a by-product from coal processing and distillation that is used in a variety of OTC dandruff and scalp psoriasis shampoos, gels, creams, ointments and solutions. Based on your doctor’s prescription, a pharmacist can make a coal tar solution that will be effective for your scalp psoriasis. It is not recommended for you to make your own coal tar solution.
Corticosteroids – there are seven types of corticosteroids according to strength. The mildest (like hydrocortisone 1%) belongs to Class 7. The strongest (like clobetasole) belongs to Class 1. It is better to use corticosteroids in the form of oils, gels and foams because they are non-greasy and can be absorbed completely to treat scalp psoriasis.
Calcipotriene – helps to cure scalp psoriasis by suppressing the growth of skin cells. You can buy this medication in the form of creams and liquids. A popular brand is Donovex. It doesn’t leave any side effects like those expected from prolonged application of steroid creams.
Anthralin – is one of the oldest topical treatments for psoriasis of the scalp and other parts of the body. It was originally used in centers and hospitals by applying it thickly on the affected areas, then covered with a talcum powder. It helps cure scalp psoriasis, but the patient feels and looks messy. Today, a new form of anthralin is out in the market called Psoriatec (anthralin cream). It releases the active ingredients slowly into the skin to minimize irritation and staining seen in the past with generic anthralin.
Intra-lesion steroid injections – this is a method of treating more severe cases of scalp psoriasis wherein the doctor recommends steroid injection directly into psoriasis red patches or lesions.
Reminder: Don’t extend or suddenly stop using the drugs prescribed by your doctor. You must use them according to your doctor’s advice as any diversion may cause sudden flare of your scalp psoriasis.
Psoriasis Medications
The types of psoriasis medications used for treatment depends on how severe the case of psoriasis is, and how the person has responded to previous medications and treatment. Most of the time psoriasis medication starts with topical creams, ointments and salves, and then moves on to Ultraviolet (UV) light treatment. Sometimes, the UV light treatment is combined with topical creams and ointments to enhance their effects too. With severe cases of psoriasis however, and those cases which haven’t responded to other treatments, injection drug medications are used.
Now, psoriasis is a skin condition or disease which is not contagious. It’s actually caused by an overreaction of the body’s own immune system, and often that reaction is caused by triggers of some kind. Common triggers include severe stress, trauma or injury, and severe illnesses such as strep throat.
When the body is subjected to a trigger the immune system starts generating new skin cells rapidly, and pushing them to the surface in just a few days time. Normally, skin cells take thirty days or so to rise to the surface though, and this gives the existing surface skin time to die off and shed. Since psoriasis sufferers have new skin rising rapidly though, that skin piles up in the form of thick skin plaques which can be red, itchy and flaky.
Since psoriasis is considered incurable, and in fact doctors are not entirely sure what causes the disease yet, treatment and medicine is focused on reducing or controlling the symptoms of psoriasis. Not all psoriasis medications work the same for everyone though, so sometimes multiple types of treatment are needed.
The first step in treating psoriasis is to use topical psoriasis medications. Topical medications are creams, salves and ointments which have ingredients in them designed to soften the psoriasis plaques, thin them out, and in some cases slow down the skin growth response.
Many non-prescription psoriasis medications have herbs in them, or they use natural and herbal ingredients which are known to help soften and heal skin problems. Examples can include aloe Vera, oatmeal, and jojoba. Other psoriasis creams and ointments contain coal tar or retinoic acid. Prescription based creams often contain Vitamin D derivatives, and steroids which can help slow down the rate of skin growth.
When topical psoriasis medications don’t work by themselves, doctors often introduce UV light therapy as well. Sunlight can clear up mild cases of psoriasis, because the sun helps kill surface skin cells more quickly and this helps them shed faster. Doctors and dermatologists however, use a more targeted, focused form of light therapy to treat the psoriasis plaques themselves. Often this is used in combination with the topical psoriasis medications.
When neither of those psoriasis treatments works though, doctors sometimes use special immune suppressing drugs which are given by IV in the hospital, or through injection with a needle. These psoriasis medications are very powerful and work to suppress the body’s immune system, but they can have dangerous side effects too so they’re often only used for the most severe cases of psoriasis.
Psoriasis Medicine – Which Ones Will Work For You
A number of psoriasis medicines are available in the market these days. While some can be bought directly over the counter from a drugstore, others are prescription based.
A large number of people, who suffer from psoriasis, are affected by a severe form of the disease. This is determined by the extent to which it spreads over the different body parts. The treatment for each psoriasis types is different depending upon its severity and the way in which the individual responds to any form of medication. It is always advisable to take a psoriasis medicine that is prescribed by a doctor. Psoriasis medicine tends to lower this rate of cell reproduction and minimize the inflammation caused as a result of it.
What Kinds Of Medicines
Some of the topical psoriasis medicines that are available over the counter include coal tar that is contained in some bath solutions and shampoos and salicylic acid. This acid is used along with anthralin or other topical steroids to offer fast relief from itching and to reduce scaling. Topical psoriasis medicine that is available on the prescription of a doctor includes topical steroids like Corticosteroids. Apart from this other psoriasis medicines include Taclonex, Anthralin, Tazorac and Dovonex.
Psoriasis is also treated by administering systemic medication. This form of treatment is advised in case of patients who suffer from moderate or severe psoriasis. Biologics or drugs that are made by using animal or human proteins are now been increasingly used for treating psoriasis. Biologics that serve as psoriasis medicine include injections of Humira, Amevive, Remicade, Raptiva and Enbrel.
Other drugs used in the treatment of psoriasis include Methotrexate, Soriatane and Cyclosporine. Apart from this psoriasis medicines also include mycophenolate mofetil, 6-thioguanine, Accuatane and Hydrea.
Apart from topical psoriasis medicine and oral medication, other forms of psoriasis treatment include phototherapy. With proper diagnosis and regular intake of psoriasis medicine, it is possible to control the disease.
What Can Psoriasis Medicine Do for Psoriasis Patients?
There are a lot of different kinds of psoriasis medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, and these are available in many different forms. Psoriasis medicine is actually formulated to help treat the lesions, scales, dry skin and flakes that are the trademarks of the disease, but it does not really cure the person of psoriasis.
Since psoriasis still has no known cure, and people who have it basically carry the disease with them for the rest of their lives, the use of psoriasis medicine on psoriasis patients is merely for the purpose of keeping the disease at a level that is easily manageable so that it does not hinder a person from living a normal life.
The choice of psoriasis medicine is dependent on the severity of a person’s psoriasis lesions and flakes, and medications are selected based on how well they work on different individuals. These different kinds of psoriasis medicine come in topical and systemic forms, and they are also available in a form called photo therapy or light therapy, where the person is subjected to UV rays either from the sun or an artificial source inside the clinic or medical facility. There are many different ways that a person can be treated for such a bothersome disease, and once a program for treatment is started, the patient needs to be vigilant to ensure that he is treated continually.
Of course, over time, the psoriasis medicine that a person uses may soon become ineffective due to the increased immunity of the disease after a prolonged period of time. Once the effects of such treatments begin to diminish in effect, patients may need to find another kind of psoriasis medicine for their psoriasis problems. Maintenance of some kind of treatment is essential since the recurrence of the breakouts of psoriasis can have quite unsightly effects on a person’s skin.
The appearance of flakes and lesions on a person’s body can be easily controlled as long as the person who is afflicted by this condition takes his medication religiously. He needs to apply the topical solutions and creams that are formulated to make these skin imperfections dissipate, and follow certain regimens that will help keep these flare ups from occurring.
While the current list of treatments for psoriasis cannot eliminate the problem entirely from the person’s system, there is now psoriasis medicine available for people who need it. Even though psoriasis is a chronic problem, the right medicine will help soothe the discomfort that the illness brings. You can find out from your skin doctor about the kind of psoriasis medicine that is most effective in controlling your psoriasis problem.