Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Keeping Psoriasis Manageable And Determining The Treatment That Is Effective

By Elizabeth Gilles


I have experienced psoriasis for many years, and have found it a challenge to find valuable information concerning the disease on the web, in the same place. Plenty of psoriasis sites exist, without a doubt, however the problem with the majority of them is the fact that they are not put together by people who actually have this skin disease themselves. Like the majority of illnesses and disorders, unless you are affected by psoriasis yourself, it is typically very difficult to get into the head of somebody who does!

At the age of 19, I became aware of tiny areas of dry, flaky skin all over my elbows. I hadn't heard of the skin condition at this point and thought it was just dry skin, but no normal moisturiser would eliminate it. It was not especially inflammed, uncomfortable or itchy at this stage, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Over the next 12 months or so, however, it continued to spread, until both elbows were entirely covered. Furthermore I noticed small patches forming on my knees. Soon it became clear that treating psoriasis consists of a lot more than moisturising the skin!

Many years later, I still have psoriasis. Currently, it is over both arms and both knees, plus I have a number of smaller patches down my legs, behind my ears and on my face. On occasion, I have had it across my stomach and on my scalp.

I feel as if I have tried every single treatment on the market at some stage - with assorted levels of success. Right now I manage my disease with the help of a combination of psoriasis treatments but as with all skin conditions, what gets results for one person may well be less successful for the next.

We still do not fully understand why certain people get psoriasis. The majority of medical experts concur that it is due to a an immunological disorder, namely that T cells (white blood cells) become activated against healthy skin cells. Ordinarily, T cells concentrate on preventing infections and leave healthy skin cells alone! This process causes the T cells to discharge cytokines, chemicals that stimulate inflammation, (hence the redness of the skin) and make the skin cells split at a far faster rate than they normally do. This results in a buildup of skin cells, which manifests itself as the large, flaking patches that the psoriasis sufferers are so used to seeing.

One particular doctor I saw about my skin condition was adamant that someone in my family must have had it. Even though it is true that many people do find that psoriasis runs in their family, personally I simply don't know if this is the case or not.

What is more helpful is determining if there are particular triggers that cause outbreaks. Once again, every person is different. As well as discovering an effective way of treating psoriasis, establishing possible triggers can help you to make the healthiest lifestyle choices to keep the condition under control. The most common factors are periods of stress, wounds on the skin, infections and particular foods.




About the Author:



Add to Technorati Favorites Bookmark and Share

0 comments: