Monday, August 1, 2011

Getting Inside Psoriasis Is Key To Understanding It

By Carrie Westengate


If you are a sufferer it is important to get inside psoriasis itself to help you to understand and come to terms with the condition. By this it is intended to initially get the correct medical diagnosis by consulting your medical professional, figuring out what activates a flare-up and then getting the best psoriasis treatment possible for the every individual sufferer.

Psoriasis is now a huge problem in our society with more than seven million affected individuals in the USA alone. There's been a lot of money allotted to researching its causes and possible treatments, but thus far, this inflammatory skin disease continues to baffle scientists who often publish conflicting results. However, what has been generally agreed, is that it is an auto-immune disease where the body produces more skin cells than necessary and that results in the red, itchy, silvery scaling and sometimes bleeding lesions associated with psoriasis. It is also generally agreed that there are multiple triggers for the disease to flare-up and that these will vary between individuals. This makes it very hard for professionals to uncover the correct treatment for sufferers.

What causes psoriasis? Regrettably, no one really knows. However, it is generally agreed that it is a malfunction of the auto-immune system and that there is likely to be a genetic link. For some reason, when certain triggers exist, psoriasis will develop in certain individuals. What those triggers are differs between individuals which makes diagnosis and treatment more challenging. Four of the most likely culprits are diet, smoking, alcohol and stress.

In essence, psoriasis is found on almost any area of the body but is more often observed on the scalp, knees, elbows or torso. It is most often first observed between the ages of 15 and 35, and found in both men and women and throughout all racial groups.

Because there are numerous forms of psoriasis, e.g. guttate, rheumatoid and arthritic, treatment to get right inside psoriasis and help relieve the symptoms is usually a timely process of trial and error. For many, simple natural home remedies for psoriasis may help relieve any flare-ups, while for other people prescription drugs may be required. Simple treatments may involve just putting a damp towel on the itchy area, altering your diet, avoiding alcohol and smoking, drinking plenty of water and keeping your skin well moisturized. Keeping the skin moisturized, and the body hydrated is very important if your condition is more severe too, but you may well be prescribed steroids, topical immune-modulators, capsaicin or antihistamines for example. There isn't a known cure for psoriasis, but the trick is to discover what your trigger for any psoriasis flare-up is and avoid them.

It is an distressing condition which is often misunderstood by many people and can easily influence your self-esteem. If you do not realise this, it's also crucial to remember that psoriasis is not contagious, it may look unpleasant, but that is it. There is no cure for psoriasis as yet, so gaining control over the flare-ups and lowering their incidence is essential if this is a disorder you suffer from.




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