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All about Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin condition. There are five kinds of psoriasis, each with unique signs and symptoms. Of them, plaque psoriasis is the commonest type of psoriasis. It can be identified by its raised, reddish skin covered in silvery-white scales. These patches or plaques are usually visible on the elbows, knees, lower back, and scalp.

The other types of psoriasis are guttate psoriasis which shows up as small, red spots; pustular psoriasis, identified by white pustules surrounded by red skin; inverse psoriasis which, known for its smooth, red lesions in skin folds; and erythrodermic psoriasis which shows up as widespread redness, severe itching and accompanied by pain.

This disease caused discomfort because the skin itches and may also crack and bleed. The itching may be so severe that it can keep you awake at night and make day-to-day tasks impossible. This can also be a lifelong condition but you can certainly control it with lifelong therapy.

Causes: The causes of this disease are:

Immune-mediated disease: This means that this disease is due to the body giving off wrong signals in the immune system. Psoriasis develops when the immune system instructs the body to accelerate the growth of skin cells in 3-6 days rather than the usual 28-30 days. Instead of the cells shedding, they pile up and cause lesions.

Genes: Genes determine how your immune system reacts and can therefore cause psoriasis. If a blood relative suffers from psoriasis, the risk of inheriting it increases.

Stress, skin injuries, etc: Those with a family history of psoriasis hardly ever develop it, since it needs a trigger to set it off. Triggers can be stress, skin injuries, a strep infection, medications and sunburn.

Treatment: At present, there is no cure for psoriasis, but several treatment options re available whose effects vary from person to person.

Home remedies: Try these home remedies for relief from psoriasis:

1. Apply a mixture of aloe vera gel, garlic oil, and comfrey and goldenseal tea on the affected areas.
2. Everyday take cod liver oil, lecithin, linseed oil, vitamin E, and zinc to expedite healing.
3. Saturate your scalp with apple cider vinegar. Wrap your head in a towel for about 30o minutes, and then wash it with herbal shampoo for dry scalp. At night, rub aloe vera and jojoba oil into the scalp and sleep with it.
4. Eat a cereal of flax seeds every morning and watch the plaque thinning out.
5. Take chickweed, dandelion, red clover, Redmond clay and yellow dock for relief from psoriasis.
6. Take 600 mg of silymarin, an extract of milk thistle, morning and night for a month. For better results, also use flax seed oil.

Psoriasis may be an uncomfortable and socially embarrassing condition, but this does not mean that you allow yourself to undergo a personality change due to its effect on your skin and your life. Be bold about it and it will soon go away.