psoriasis
- Overview
- Introduction
- Symptoms
- Causes
- Complications
- Homoeopathic Treatment
- Do's and Don'ts
- Diet and Nutrition
What is Psoriasis?
Did you know that around 125 million people worldwide are believed to suffer from Psoriasis?
And most of them are not able to find long-lasting relief from it? So much so that many patients actually go into Depression because of the accompanying embarrassment caused by the disease?
Psoriasis is a chronic (long-term) & tenacious skin disorder characterized by too quick growth, maturation and death of skin cells. This results in development of thick, white, silvery, or red patches of skin.
It is believed to be an autoimmune disorder, wherein the body's defense system attacks healthy cells of the body. Click to read on Causes of Psoriasis.
- These patches vary in size from miniscule ones to very large ones.
- They most often appear on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, or lower back.
- Psoriasis is most common in adults, but children and teens can also be affected.
- Psoriasis can cause embarrassment in many people, especially teens, who tend to avoid social situations such as swimming where the patches can be seen by others.
What Happens In Psoriasis?
- Raised, bright red patches of skin that are mostly covered with loose, silvery scales.
- Small areas of bleeding where the skin scales are scraped off or picked while scratching.
- Mild scales to thick, crusted plaques on the skin with itching and sudden flare-ups.
- Typical patches develop after injuries like cut, burn, or too much exposure to the sun.
- Patches may develop on joints along with joint swelling, tenderness and pain.
What Can Psoriasis Lead To?
Untreated psoriasis can lead to:
- Thickened skin with added-on bacterial infection
- Fluid and electrolyte imbalance in severe psoriasis
- Joints swelling, tenderness, and pain in psoriatic affections of joints
- Psoriasis can cause low self-esteem, depression, stress, anxiety, social isolation, etc.
- Psoriasis increases risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain cancers, etc.
How Well Homeopathy Works In Psoriasis?
- Homeopathy offers the most definitive treatment for this stubborn disease condition.
- Homeopathy targets the 'autoimmune' component (root cause) of psoriasis, NOT JUST its superficial symptoms
- It brings back on track the immune system that has gone astray, thereby eliminating the root cause of psoriasis
- Homeopathic treatment for psoriasis significantly reduces the intensity and duration of flare-ups
- It provides the most wholesome, complete and long-lasting solace from this obstinate ailment
Few of our amazing remedies for Psoriasis include:
- Mezereum for psoriasis with oozy, acrid moist eruptions, thick leather-like crust with pus beneath.
- Mercurius solubilis for psoriasis eruptions that are moist, excoriated with burning worse at night.
- Thyroidinum for psoriasis on dry and impoverished skin, where the skin of hands and feet is cold.
- Sulphur for psoriasis with extreme burning and itching worse after bathing, at night, warmth of bed.
Psoriasis is a stubborn, long-term (chronic) skin problem that causes skin cells to grow too quickly, resulting in thick, white, silvery, or red patches of skin.
Around 125 million people worldwide are believed to suffer from psoriasis.
Homeopathy offers the most definitive, comprehensive, and long-lasting solution to this obstinate and tenacious disease.
Experts believe that the immune system is somehow mistakenly triggered, which speeds up the growth cycle of skin cells. A normal skin cell matures and falls off the body's surface in 28 to 30 days. However, a psoriatic skin cell takes only 3 to 4 days to mature and move to the surface. Instead of falling off (shedding), the cells pile up and form the typical flaky psoriatic lesions.
Homeopathy targets this root cause of Psoriasis (immune system gone astray) and NOT JUST its superficial symptoms on the skin or joints.
Having psoriasis can be embarrassing, and many people, especially teens, avoid swimming and other situations where the psoriatic patches can show.
Homeopathy offers the most comprehensive, patient-friendly, deep-rooted and permanent solutions that are also gentle and swift. Homeopathic treatment is focused on building up your disease resisting/fighting capacity in order to safeguard your precious health.
Common locations in Symptoms of Psoriasis
Psoriasis can occur anywhere on the body. However, the most common sites in symptoms of psoriasis are:
- Scalp
- Face (Eyebrows, area between nose and lips, upper forehead & hairline, around mouth & jaw line)
- Hands, feet and nails (Nail changes are known to occur in almost 50 percent of people with psoriasis)
- Genitals
- skin folds (such as armpits and breasts)
Common Types:
Plaque Psoriasis:
- It is the most common type, affecting 80% to 90% of people with psoriasis.
- Patches like plaques, show up on the scalp, back, elbows, and knees in a symmetrical pattern on the right and left sides of the body. For example, both elbows and both knees would have plaques about the same size.
- Symptoms of Psoriasis of guttate type affects up to 10% of people with psoriasis.
- It usually appears on the chest and back as small red spots.
- It tends to develop suddenly, and in many cases, after an infection such as strep throat.
- This less-common type of psoriasis can be severe and, in rare cases, life-threatening.
- There can be associated fever, chills, severe itching, pain, rapid pulse, exhaustion, muscle weakness, and changes in body temperature.
- It affects areas of the body that are usually hidden from view: armpits, genitals, the underside of breasts, and between buttocks.
- This type is likely to be wrongly diagnosed as a fungal or bacterial infection.
- It appears as red, painful and itchy skin over most of the body. The skin peels off in large sheets, rather than flaking off.
- The person with usually have a faster heart beat and fluctuating body temperature along with other symptoms of Psoriasis.
- This uncommon but potentially dangerous type of psoriasis can be caused by suddenly stopping a psoriasis medication, sunburn, infection, or a drug reaction.
Major Symptoms of Psoriasis
Symptoms of Psoriasis for each type may vary, but the major symptoms are:
- Raised, bright red patches of skin often covered with loose, silvery scales.
- Tiny areas of bleeding when skin scales are picked or scraped off (Auspitz's sign).
- Mild scaling to thick, crusted plaques on the scalp.
- Itching, especially during sudden flare-ups or when the psoriasis patches are in body folds.
- Discolored or pitted nails with accompanying symptoms of Psoriasis.
- Joints swelling, tenderness, and pain (psoriatic arthritis).
- Psoriasis patches occurring after an injury such as a cut, a burn, or too much sun. This is called Koebner's phenomenon. Therefore, it is important for people with symptoms of Psoriasis to avoid irritating or injuring their skin.
Psoriasis is considered to be an autoimmune disease that results in overproduction of skin cells. The process begins when a person's immune system fights against an infection, but the antibodies it makes continue to attack normal cells.
Persons with a family history of psoriasis have an increased chance of having the disease.
When both parents have psoriasis, the child may have a 50% chance of developing the condition. About one-third of those with psoriasis have at least one family member with the disease.
TRIGGERING FACTORS AMONGST CAUSES OF PSORIASIS
Some of the established triggers amongst causes of psoriasis include:
- Injury to skin: Injury to skin has been associated with plaque psoriasis. A skin infection, skin inflammation, or excessive scratching can trigger psoriasis.
- Sunlight: Most people generally consider mild sunlight to be beneficial for their psoriasis. However, strong sunlight aggravates the psoriasis. This is one of the causes of psoriasis.
- Streptococcal infections: Some evidence suggests that streptococcal infections may causes of psoriasis especially a type of plaque psoriasis.
- HIV: Psoriasis worsens after an individual has been infected with HIV.
- Drugs: Some medications are known to aggravate psoriasis:
- Lithium - used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders
- Beta-blockers like Inderal - used to treat hypertension
- Antimalarials such as Plaquenil, chloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine
- Anti-inflammatory drugs like indomethacin, ibuprofen or naproxen
- Quinidine - used in treatment of malaria and arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats)
- Emotional stress: Increased emotional stress is one of the important causes of psoriasis known to increase or worsen attacks.
- Smoking: Smokers have increased risk of chronic plaque psoriasis.
- Alcohol: It is one of the principal causes of psoriasis and known trigger, particularly in young or middle-aged males.
- Hormonal changes: Severity of psoriasis may fluctuate with hormonal changes. Its frequency peaks during puberty and menopause.
Psoriasis can cause complications depending on the type and location of the psoriasis and how widespread the disease is. These include:
- THICKENED SKIN and added-on bacterial skin infections caused by scratching to relieve the severe itching
- FLUID AND ELECTROLYTE IMBALANCE in severe pustular psoriasis
- PSORIATIC ARTHRITIS: Up to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints and tendons.
- CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: People with psoriasis have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, especially in people with severe psoriasis. People with severe psoriasis are 58% more likely to have a major cardiac event and 43% more likely to have a stroke.
- DIABETES: People with psoriasis are at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes according to a study done in 2012. People with severe psoriasis are 46% more likely to have type 2 diabetes.
- DEPRESSION: Psoriasis causes increased incidence of mood disorders such as depression. Approximately one-fourth of people with psoriasis have depression.
- CANCER: People with psoriasis have an increased risk of certain types of cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma and lymphoma. In some instances, these cancers have been associated with specific psoriasis treatments which suppress the immune system.
- The homeopathic approach to Psoriasis is holistic and comprehensive
- The target of homeopathic treatment for Psoriasis is the patient's immune system, NOT JUST the superficial skin symptoms
- The aim is to bring back on track the immune system that has gone astray thereby eliminating the root cause of psoriasis
- Homeopathic treatment for Psoriasis by WelcomeCure significantly reduces the intensity and duration of flare-ups
- We provide the most wholesome, complete and long-lasting solace from this obstinate ailment
Where all else fails, Homeopathy begins!!!
Hundreds of thousands of people have benefitted from homeopathic treatment for psoriasis while millions more are experiencing its amazing curative powers in successfully thwarting this highly obstinate malady
There are more than 200 remedies that are highly effective in prevention and homeopathic treatment of Psoriasis. See how several remedies can be chosen depending on the finer differentiation points listed below:
ERUPTIONS, Psoriasis: 1Anag, 2Ars, 2Ars-i, 1Aster, 1Aur, 1Bar-c, 2Calc, 1Cast-eq, 1Chrys-ac, 2Clem, 1Cor-r, 1Cortiso, 1Crot-h, 1Falco-p, 1Gali, 1Glon,2Graph, 2Hep, 1Hydrc, 3Iris, 1Kali-ar, 2Kali-bi, 2Kali-s, 2Lyc,2Maland, 1Med, 2Merc, 1Mez, 1Morg-g, 3Mur-ac, 3Nat-s, 1Neod-p, 1Nuph, 2Petr, 3Phos, 1Phyt, 1Pras-o, 1Prim-o, 3Psor, 3Rhus-t, 1Sars, 2Sel, 2Sep, 1Sil, 3Sol-n, 1Sul-ac, 3Sulph, 1Teucr, 1Thuj, 1X-ray
ERUPTIONS, Psoriasis, Hands: 3Ars, 3Ars-i, 1Aur, 1Calc, 1Cast-eq, 3Clem, 1Cor-r, 1Cortiso, 1Crot-h, 1Graph, 3Hep, 1Hydrc, 1Kali-ar, 1Kali-s, 3Lyc, 1Med, 3Merc, 1Mez, 3Mur-ac,3Nat-s, 1Petr, 4PHOS, 3Psor, 1Sars, 3Sel, 1Sep, 1Sil, 1Sul-ac, 3Sulph, 1X-ray
ERUPTIONS, Psoriasis of Scalp: 1Aran-ix, 1Pitu-a, 1Pras-o, 2Ust
ERUPTIONS, Psoriasis, Fingers: 1Graph, 1Neod-p, 3Sep
- The remedy abbreviations with
- 4 marks- most effective,
- 3 marks- quite effective,
- 2 marks- less effective,
- 1 mark- least effective.
Do's
- Use moisturizer: Blot your skin after bathing, then immediately apply a heavy unmedicated moisturizer while your skin is still moist. For very dry skin, oils may be preferable - they have more staying power than creams or lotions do and are more effective at preventing water from evaporating from your skin.<
- Use Sunscreen: Be sure to protect healthy skin with a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Apply sunscreen generously, and reapply every two hours or more often if you're swimming or perspiring.
- Eat a healthy diet: There's no evidence that certain foods will either improve or aggravate Psoriasis. However, it's important to eat a healthy diet, particularly when you have a chronic disease. A healthy diet includes eating a variety fruits and vegetables of all colors and whole grains. If you eat meat, focus on lean cuts and fish.
- Keep a food diary: To see what effect different foods have on your symptoms and avoid those foods that aggravate them.
- Cover the affected areas overnight: To help improve redness and scaling, apply an ointment-based moisturizer to your skin and wrap with plastic wrap overnight. In the morning, remove the covering and wash away the scales with a bath or a shower.
- Expose your skin to small amounts of sunlight: A controlled amount of sunlight can significantly improve lesions, but too much sun can trigger or worsen outbreaks and increase the risk of skin cancer. Keep a record of when and how long you're in the sun to help avoid overexposure.
Don'ts
- Do not skip your daily bath: Bathing daily helps remove scales and calm inflamed skin. Add bath oil, colloidal oatmeal, Epsom salts or Dead Sea salts to the water and soak for at least 15 minutes
- Avoid psoriasis triggers, if possible: Find out what triggers, if any, worsen your psoriasis and take steps to prevent or avoid them. Infections, injuries to your skin, stress, smoking and intense sun exposure can all worsen psoriasis.
- Avoid drinking alcohol: Alcohol consumption may decrease the effectiveness of some psoriasis treatments.
- Avoid hot water and harsh soaps: They can worsen symptoms. Use lukewarm water and mild soaps that have added oils and fats.
People with Psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis should follow a balanced, healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight not only helps reduce the severity of the psoriasis symptoms but also minimizes the risk of developing related diseases including diabetes and heart disease.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Eat fresh and raw fruits and vegetables as they provide antioxidants and flavanoids which help in reducing inflammation and boosting up immunity.
- Limit intake of red meat and dairy products.
- Eat foods that contain Psoralen before you walk out in sun - Celery, carrots, citrus, figs, fennel, and parsnips. It makes the skin more sun-sensitive to the positive effects of UV light.
- Consume oily fish, which may help reduce the inflammation associated with psoriasis - mackerel, salmon, black cod, albacore tuna, herring and sardines.
- Have a low-calorie diet if you are overweight - about 1,200 calories per day. Some researchers have shown relations between psoriasis and obesity.
- Consume gluten free diet, it benefits individuals with psoriasis. Avoid wheat, rye, barley and oats.
- Increase intake of omega 3 fatty acids that have anti-inflammatory properties. Foods rich in omega 3, Canola oil, flaxseed, flax seed oil, walnuts and green leafy vegetables, sardines, bluefish, tuna and cold water fish.
- Reduce (do not completely avoid) intake of food rich in omega 6, Cereals, vegetable oils, whole-grain breads, baked goods and margarines, eggs and poultry.
- Consume diet rich in vitamin A and zinc, which help in healthy regeneration of the skin.
- Increase intake of vitamin C as it helps maintain healthy skin.
- You can have 3-4 strands of saffron in milk, it is beneficial for skin.
- Basil leaves (tulsi) are said to be helpful in skin ailments, eat 3-4 fresh leaves daily.
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease. Many individuals benefit from following an anti-inflammatory diet to help reduce their symptoms.
FOODS TO INCLUDE in your diet that have been shown to reduce inflammation include:
- Coldwater fish: They contain omega-3 fatty oils. Fish rich in omega-3s that has been shown to reduce inflammation
- include albacore tuna, mackerel, salmon, herring, and lake trout.
- Plant sources of omega-3: Flaxseeds, olive oil, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
- Colorful fresh fruits and vegetables: Focus on eating foods from the colors of the rainbow. Some of the nutritious examples are: carrots, squash and sweet potatoes, spinach, Kale, broccoli, Blueberries, Mangoes, Strawberries and figs
FOODS TO AVOID because they have been shown to cause or increase inflammation include:
- Fatty red meats
- Dairy products
- Processed foods
- Refined sugars
- Nightshade vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes and peppers