If you are looking for an answer on how to treat psoriasis, you are in the right place, this post will cover everything you need to know about psoriasis
What is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease, meaning the body’s natural defense system mistakenly attacks normal cells as it fails to differentiate between the bodies own healthy cells and foreign cells. It is a long-term or chronic disease and symptoms can fluctuate in severity affecting the skin but also the body. Knowing how to treat psorais can be frustrating and knowing when to seek professional help is key!
Patches of inflamed, red, itchy skin can appear on the face and body, usually along the knees, elbows, scalp but can be anywhere on the body. Psoriasis often can take on a silvery scaley appearance and can feel uncomfortable, dry sore and annoying for anyone suffering from it.
Causes Of Psoriasis
The exact causes of psoriasis are not known but the immune system and genetics are key players in developing this condition.
A triggering event may cause a change in the immune system, resulting in the onset of psoriasis symptoms. Common triggers for psoriasis include stress, acute illnesses, injury to the skin, and some medications.
Cold weather is a common trigger for psoriasis. Cold weather usually means drier air, which can increase the skin’s dryness on the psoriasis plaques. And as the skin gets drier, it is more likely to crack, bleed, and get infected. Cold weather is also frequently accompanied by less daylight.
Effects Of Psoriasis
We know that psoriasis is an autoimmune disease (meaning your immune system attacks your body’s own tissues) and the effects of this on the skin, the same attack can happen on the joints. This is called psoriatic arthritis, it causes swelling and pain of the joints.
Psoriasis can have an effect on mental health, it can contribute to low self-esteem, body image issues,anxiety, and even depression. All of these can impact personal relationships by knocking the sufferers confidence and making them feel that they need to hide away.
Psoriasis can have a negative impact on sleep duration and quality, this is a result of constant uncontrolled itching. I think we can all imagine a day at work after a sleepless night, when this is a constant thing it can lead to long term effects on our work-life balance and energy levels throughout the day.
How To Treat Psoriasis
For mild psoriasis hydrating emollients can help, these help with symptoms of itching, scaling and promote a healthy skin barrier. Look for ones that are fragrance free and less likely to cause irritation.
Some options are:
1. Aveeno Cream
Aveeno cream £7.35 contains colloidal oatmeal that helps to maintain skin pH and prevents itchiness. This can help to break the itch-scratch cycle and helps to maintain a healthy skin barrier and keep psoriasis at bay.
2. Cetraben Cream
Cetraben cream is highly recommended by doctors and is often prescribed for dry skin conditions including eczema. It is suitable for dry, itchy and eczema-prone skin and helps repair the skin barrier by locking in moisture and protecting against irritants and water loss
3. E45 Itch Relief Cream
E45 Itch Relief £4.79 is especially useful for psoriasis suffers where the itchiness is causing breaking in the skin. Using this can reduce the need to itch and helps to protect the skin barrier, preventing it from redness, bleeding and infections. It contains urea which helps to lock in moisture and lauromacrogols which prevent itchiness
For more severe cases, I recommend seeing a pharmacist, doctor or dermatologist for advice, especially if:
- You have tried over-the-counter moisturizers or emollients with little success.
- Your psoriasis seems to be spreading to other areas.
- You begin to experience any joint pain, eye symptoms, or gastrointestinal system issues around the time of a flare-up
- It is starting to affect other areas of your life such as your personal relationships, mood or sleep.
Medicated psoriasis treatments often include:
- Topical corticosteroids
- Vitamin D analogues
- Calcineurin inhibitors
- Coal tar
- Dithranol
How To Avoid Psoriasis Flare-ups
Knowing what is going to flare up your psoriasis and managing these factors is key.
Common triggers include:
Stress:
Understanding that your stress levels can contribute to psoriasis and managing this is half the battle of preventing it. You can take measures to help calm down, including breathing exercises, yoga, workouts, or just general down time can help. There are apps available that help you to manage stress such as headspace and calm.
Skin injury:
This can happen when we find ourselves in a vicious itch cycle, finding ways to soothe an itch without damaging the skin can stop flare-ups of psoriasis. This includes using the right moisturiser, taking anti-histamines before bed if appropriate, and applying a cool compress
Excess itching can also lead to infections in the skin as it is exposed to bacteria.
Quit Drinking:
There have been links between alcohol intake and psoriasis flare-ups, and some psoriasis medications also interact with alcohol. Drinking even in moderation has shown psoriasis to flare-ups. With so many health risks generally associated with alcohol intake, this is worth considering if you want to control your psoriasis.
Stop Smoking:
Smoking has also been linked to increased psoriasis flare-ups, avoid areas where you might be subject to passive smoke too. Again with some many associated health risks, quitting smoking is an option that will not only help with psoriasis flare ups but with your general physcial and mental health too.
Avoid Hot Showers:
Hot showers can dry out the skin, this leads to more itching and the risk of psoriasis flaring up.
For more on dry skin especially in the winter check: How To Beat Winter Dry Skin
Stick to warm temperatures rather than hot temperatures to avoid drying out the skin, which can lead to a breakout of psoriasis.
Avoid over-exfoliating:
This can be tempting but it is important to avoid over-exfoliating as it causes trauma to the skin, making it likely to lead to a flare up, expose the skin to bacteria and cause excess itching.
This post may contains affiliate links, which means I will receive commission if you purchase through my link with no extra charge to you. Read the full Disclaimer here
