Itching All Over

The following article lists some simple, informative tips that will help you have a better experience with Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a noncontagious, skin disease that has been diagnosed in 4.5 million adults in the United States. About 10 percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints.

No one knows exactly what causes psoriasis, but it is believed to be an auto immune disorder that also has a genetic component. The majority of researchers agree that the immune system is somehow triggered, which speeds up the growth and life cycle of skin cells. Normally, a skin cell matures and falls off the body’s surface in 28 to 30 days. However, a psoriatic skin cell takes only three to four days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the lesions.

Psoriasis occurs when faulty signals in the immune system cause skin cells to grow too quickly. Usually every three to four days instead of the usual 30-day cycle. Extra skin cells build up on the skin’s surface. They then form “plaques,” which are red, flaky and scaly patches that are often itchy and uncomfortable. Psoriasis generally appears on the joints, limbs and scalp, but it can appear anywhere on the body.

Recently, a team from the University of Michigan looked for the gene — called PSORS1 — in more than 2,700 people from 678 families in which at least one family member had psoriasis. According to the researchers, PSORS1 is the first genetic determinant of psoriasis to be definitively identified in a large clinical trial. The finding may help in the development of new, more effective treatments for the disfiguring inflammatory skin disease.

For those people who have a suppressed immune system, the symptoms of psoriasis can be extremely severe.

Dietary change can help with psoriasis, avoid alcohol, gluten which is found in wheat, barley and rye, avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, avoid red meats, dairy products, eggs, cheese and sugar and if you are a smoker, then it is best to quit.

Topical applications to the affected areas with aloe vera gel, Dead Sea mineral salts or mud, Zambesia Botanica, mahonia ointment and gotu kola can all improve psoriasis. Good supplements to take are fish oil, flax seed oil and borage oil. These oils are very good in hydrating the skin cells.

A topical treatment that has received tremendous attention is Psoriaway which is available at http://www.fastpsoriasisrelief.com.

This is a topical cream combining natural moisturizers, coal tar, aloe Vera, blended in a unique formula to make this product extremely effective. It has been tested in the medical field, nursing homes and in the retail market with exciting and immediate results.

One important bit of knowledge is to stay away from alcohol and products that contain alcohol as it will dry the skin out even more.

At this time there is no cure for psoriasis but many effective treatments do exist. Doctors are learning more about psoriasis by studying:

Genes

New treatments that help skin not react to the immune system

Lazer light treatment on thick patches.

People often need to try out different treatments before they find one that works for them.

The unpredictable nature of psoriasis makes treatment challenging for many people. A wide range of treatments are available. No single psoriasis treatment works for everyone, but something will work for most people. It is hard to predict what will work for a particular individual; however, it is important to be open-minded and willing to work with your doctor to find a treatment that will work for you.

Researchers are studying psoriasis more than ever before. They understand much more about its genetic causes and how it involves the immune system. The National Psoriasis Foundation and the federal government are promoting and funding research to find the cause and cure for psoriasis.

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• Common Psoriasis Treatments

EMOTIONAL SETBACKS

Psoriasis can be difficult emotionally and physically, and have a big effect on your self-esteem but it doesn’t have to get the best of you. It’s not uncommon to experience a sense of shock, frustration, confusion, and anger about what’s happening to your skin. Having these feelings may lead to deep sadness or depression.

 One of the hardest things about living with psoriasis is that you encounter cycles of strong emotions, usually when the psoriasis goes into remission or reappears. The disease is unpredictable, and the emotions it triggers may reoccur. Common triggers are embarrassment, anger and guilt. You may be afraid that your psoriasis returning or getting worse, or being rejected by others. It is important to respect your feelings as they occur and to learn to face them, so they do not make you a prisoner of your emotions and put your life on standstill.

Some people show little emotion over having psoriasis, while others react intensely and this doesn’t depend on the extent of the case. Emotional responses are never the same. Getting beyond these emotional setbacks is possible, but it may take sometime to achieve. Therapy, support groups, and treatment are all possible options but most importantly you must understand that Psoriasis is not a death sentence, but an just an issue like any other, to be dealt with.

WHAT IS PSORIASIS

Psoriasis [pronounced sore-EYE-ah-sis] is a noncontiguous, chronic skin disease. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis.

The most common form, plaque [plak] psoriasis, appears as raised, red patches or lesions covered with a silvery white buildup of dead skin cells, called scale.

There are 5 main types of psoriasis

 Plaque: Most common form of the disease

 Guttate: Appears as small red spots on the skin

 Inverse: Occurs in armpits, groin and skin folds

 Pustular: White blisters surrounded by red skin

 Erythrodermic: Intense redness over large area

COPING

Do not worry about the future. Your skin doesn’t have to be the deciding factor in life’s important decisions, like your choice of work, whether to attend college, responsibilities for being on your own and the kind of person you want to be. People who have psoriasis have normal lives.

IMPORTANT PRACTICAL TIPS ON REBOUNDING YOUR SELF-ESTEEM AND DEALING WITH PSORIASIS

1.The more people know about and understand psoriasis, the better and easier it will be for you. Be willing to discuss your psoriasis with others, to the point that you are still comfortable.

2. Real friends will want to know about you and will want to help. They won’t be put off by psoriasis.

3.There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. You didn’t do anything wrong. Skin disease has no meaning other than what it is, even if other people attribute odd things to it .It is natural to feel anxious, angry and depressed. Friends can help.

4.People around you can be very supportive. You can help your friends support you by letting them know that psoriasis is not contagious and that it’s the result of skin cells rapidly reproducing.

5. With God, there is hope, help, and healing to be found. When you have the most important relationship you will ever have in tact, everything else will be trivial. 

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When people are diagnosed with psoriasis, it changes them physically because of the lesions that appear on the skin. But, just as importantly, it may influence how they work, play, view themselves and interact with others.

What Causes Psoriasis?

Psoriasis may be one of the oldest recorded skin conditions. It was probably first described around 35 AD. Some evidence indicates an even earlier date. Yet, until recently, little was known about psoriasis.

While scientists still do not fully know what causes psoriasis, research has significantly advanced our understanding. One important breakthrough began with the discovery that kidney-transplant recipients who had psoriasis experienced clearing when taking cyclosporine. Since cyclosporine is a potent immunosuppressive medication, this indicates that the immune system is involved.

Can Genetics Cause Psoriasis?

Family History. Some people who have a family history of psoriasis never develop this condition. Research indicates that a trigger is needed. Stress, skin injuries, a strep infection, certain medications, and sunburn are some of the known potential triggers. Medications that can trigger psoriasis are anti-malarial drugs, beta-blockers (medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart conditions), and lithium. Dermatologists have seen psoriasis suddenly appear after a person takes one of these medications, gets a strep infection, or experiences another trigger.

Phototherapy Treatment for Psoriasis

Phototherapy involves exposing the skin to wavelengths of ultraviolet light under medical supervision. Treatments usually take place in a doctor’s office or psoriasis clinic. However, it is possible to follow a treatment regimen at home with a unit prescribed by your doctor. The key to success with phototherapy is consistency.

Is psoriasis contagious?

No. You can’t catch psoriasis from another person or give it to someone by touching them, and you can’t spread it to other parts of your body.

For years people with psoriasis had options that were either time consuming or had difficult side effects. However the new science of biologics is offering treatments that may help people not only manage their disease but also clear psoriasis for months and sometimes years.

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Generalized pruritus without primary lesions Differential diagnosis and approach to treatment (Postgraduate Medicine)

A 65-year-old man presented with recurrent generalized pruritus and excoriations of many years’ duration. He had been treated with antihistamines, topical corticosteroids, and antibiotics for secondary wound infections, but improvement was only temporary. He had also been hospitalized for leg ulcers complicated by cellulitis.

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Atopic dermatitis is a skin disease which in some countries is also known as eczema. The ailment is one of the many forms of dermatitis or skin disease.

Atopic dermatitis most of the time occurs with some other atopic diseases, or ailments whose exact infected locations are not really traceable. Some of these diseases include asthma, hay fever and conjunctivitis.

This skin disease is most of the time chronic and symptoms and manifestations can further develop, continue to exist or disappear over some time. When you say chronic, it means the disease is treatable but not really curable.

Treatments like ointments and other forms are generally used to ease or relieve the itchiness or discomfort brought about by atopic dermatitis. These treatments are also used to reduce or diminish the affected area in the skin.

In the past, and even presently, atopic dermatitis is mistaken for psoriasis, another skin disease.

Atopic dermatitis usually shows up or affects infants whose ages may range from one month to six months. In the US, about 60% of atopic dermatitis patients experience their first onset of this skin disease when they were just one year old.

Approximately 90% of atopic dermatitis patients in the country got the skin disease when they were about 5 years old and below. There are cases of an atiopic dermatitis onset during adolescent years but they are very uncommon and rare.

Symptoms of atopic dermatitis

Be aware that manifestation or symptoms of this itchy and uncomfortable skin disease vary with age.

Generally, atopic dermatitis is characterized by the presence of lesions which occur or can be found in different areas of the body, depending on age.

For example, an infant has eczema if he has lesions in the extensor surfaces, the face or in the trunk. For young children, they are found in ankles and wrists. In adults, these lesions may be found in the upper chest, in the neck, in the face and in the genitals or sex organs.

For infants and children with atopic dermatitis, rashes also occur during warmer weather. These rashes will surely worsen with the climate change from warm to winter or colder climate.

Skin areas infected with atopic dermatitis also is characterized by unusual and unaesthetic skin drying.

Treating atopic dermatitis

Modern medicine believes that atopic dermatitis may be worsened or complicated by stress or emotional and psychological anxieties.

The dryness in the infected area in the skin can be practically reduced by avoiding and preventing further contact with the allergen that may have caused or triggered the onset of atopic dermatitis.

Moisturizers are available and easily accessible in local drug stores and retail chains but it is important to seek a doctors or a dermatologists prescription and consultation first. Self-treatment or self-prescription should be avoided for it may only worsen the skin disease.

Use of strong and harsh soaps must also be reduced to help prevent further drying of the skin. Most soaps today have chemicals that wash away and put out the natural oil produced by the skin. These natural oils contain substances that will help prevent skin drying.

Prevention

Of course, jut like other skin diseases, the most basic and general prevention for atopic dermatitis is through proper and practical hygiene.

Avoid skin contact with allergens like skin irritating chemicals, solvents and clothes. As much as possible, also avoid too much exposure to extreme climates like very high or very low temperatures.

It can be hard to explain but emotional stress can also be a factor causing atopic dermatitis so as much as possible avoid it, as well as exposure to excessive or little tobacco smoke.

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