Plaque Psoriasis Information

Plaque Psoriasis Information

Plaque Psoriasis InformationThere are many different types of psoriasis but plaque psoriasis is the most common form. Nine out of ten people diagnosed with psoriasis actually specifically have plaque psoriasis, but there are other types such as pustular psoriasis, guttate psoriasis and inverse psoriasis.

Sufferers of plaque psoriasis’ skin will be red, itchy, inflamed and also appear to have silver scales. Usually this form of psoriasis is found on the knees and elbows, but also can be found on the arms, legs, and scalp and trunk skin of your body. Plaque psoriasis symptoms can be very common and has been diagnosed in 5.5 million Americans. This is an especially large number due to the fact that many psoriasis cases either go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

Plaque Psoriasis – Inherited?

Psoriasis is not a contagious, but is instead an inherited disease. If both of your parents have plaque psoriasis then you have a 50% chance of getting it yourself. It is believed to be autoimmune by many doctors and researchers, which mean that the body thinks the skin cells are a foreign object so they attack them, which causes them reproduce at a greater rate. There unfortunately is no cure for psoriasis but there are many plaque psoriasis treatments that are very effective.

There are certain triggers than can cause your plaque psoriasis flare-ups to happen more frequently. If you are HIV positive, stress, smoke, injury to skin, have a great deal of sun exposure or suffer from alcoholism then you are more likely to have more out breaks. Some people do have certain triggers that affect them personally; psoriasis is a disease that can be very different from person to person.

Plaque Psoriasis – Doctors orders

If you have severe plaque psoriasis then you will want to go to a doctor. Your doctor will usually be able to complete a diagnosis by doing a physical exam. If the diagnoses is uncertain or if you are not comfortable with a simple physical exam then you can have a skin biopsy done to secure an official diagnosis. Once you have your diagnoses you can begin treatment.

Plaque psoriasis is by far the most common form of psoriasis. If you are suffering from itchy inflamed red skin, then it is very likely that you have this skin disorder. This is not a reason to be sad or stress. Granted plaque psoriasis isn’t curable but there are a large amount of great treatments out there to help you.

Psoriasis Treatment – You Don’t Have to Suffer With Psoriasis

Psoriasis Treatment – You Don’t Have to Suffer With Psoriasis

Psoriasis can be painful and embarrassing and sometimes you may feel as if the itching will never stop, so some sort of psoriasis treatment is in order. Psoriasis is very common and 5.8 to 7.5 million people have it. Unfortunately it is very commonly misdiagnosed as other skin disorders so improper treatment is given, most of the time it goes undiagnosed. Psoriasis has a great deal of effective treatments available and you can easily get help for your skin.

Psoriasis Treatment – Topical agent

Psoriasis TreatmentThere are three steps that your doctor will take for psoriasis treatment. The first psoriasis treatment that your doctor will try is a topical agent. This will be a cream, spray or gel that you can apply to your patches of dry skin to help alleviate the discomfort and also help to make your sores go away.

The active medication in a topical agent can vary with any of the following; corticosteroids, retinoids , vitamin D-3, coal tar, or anthralin. The only negative to topical agents is that they eventually become ineffective and lose potency, so your symptoms will come back and you will have to switch to a different psoriasis treatment.

Psoriasis Treatment -Phototherapy

If you’re doctor finds that topical agents aren’t doing a good enough job for you the next psoriasis treatment is Phototherapy, also called light therapy. This treatment is especially used in people who have wide spread psoriasis. There are two different kinds. The first is Ultra Violet (UV-B) light which is a form of sunlight. It has been found to be a very effective treatment for some psoriasis patients. The only drawback is that excessive treatments can lead to skin cancer with long term use and the treatments take a long time.

The second form of Phototherapy is PUVA. This is when you combine Ultraviolet-A (UV-A) and a medication called psoralen, this drug will make you more susceptible to the UV-A rays. Once again you have the negative that long term use of this treatment can lead to skin cancer.

If your doctor has exhausted all of these other psoriasis treatments, they will talk to you about trying some systemic agents. A systemic agent is any drug that can help your psoriasis. These aren’t used unless it is an extreme case or if all the other options have been tried. The reason is that they have a great deal of side effects.

You don’t have to suffer with psoriasis on your own. With your doctor’s help and some psoriasis treatment, you won’t have to deal with the itchiness and discomfort any more.

Causes of Psoriasis – Triggers Play a Part

Causes of Psoriasis – Triggers Play a Part

Psoriasis is believed to be an autoimmune disease but in reality the causes of psoriasis is still mostly a mystery to doctors and researchers. This means it is caused by an over active immune system. Your immune system thinks that your skin cells are foreign objects and attacks them, causing the skin to react. Autoimmune disorders are usually an inherited condition.

Causes of Psoriasis…Genes

In order to develop psoriasis you have to have a certain combination of genes. One of those is believed to be the inherited gene for psoriasis. But there are many people who have psoriasis who have no clear relatives with it. Yet one in ten Americans has the genes to develop psoriasis. Doctors and researchers believe that the right triggers have to be present in order for a person’s psoriasis to become active.

Triggers play a big part in the causes of psoriasis. Outbreaks, especially the initial ones, are caused by triggers. A trigger is something that causes your immune system to malfunction and then attack your skin cells. Some of the more common triggers are stress, medications, infections and injuries. Triggers are different for everyone and not everyone’s triggers are on this list.

Causes of Psoriasis…Surgery?

Causes of PsoriasisIf you have surgery psoriasis may develop along the scar. This is called the Koebner phenomenon. Other causes of psoriasis are bug bites, the site of a vaccination, or sunburns can also be where a flare-up occurs and fall under this phenomenon. This is a very good reason to take good care of your skin, whether you have psoriasis or not, because any of these could be the cause of your first occurrence ever.

There are a few medications that have been found to be more likely to trigger psoriasis than any others. These include antimalarial medications, lithium, indomethacin, some high blood pressure medications and some heart medications. So, if you already have psoriasis or you are at risk for it, as in psoriasis runs in your family, then you need to take this into consideration if you are taking any of these medications. They are recognized triggers.

If you believe you may have psoriasis then you should see a doctor instead of trying to self medicate yourself at home. With knowledge of the illness and determination to get help, your skin will be feeling better in no time. The causes of psoriasis are many but keep in mind that there are treatments, medications and therapy available.

Psoriasis Diets – Do They Exist

Psoriasis Diets – Do They Exist

Having psoriasis is so frustrating that some days you may feel like you are willing to do almost anything to make the itching stop, to make the sore patches go away. You’re embarrassed to shake hands because you have scaly patches on your knuckles and wish it were winter so you could wear gloves. So you decide to try one of the psoriasis diets you’ve read about.

Available Psoriasis Diets

Psoriasis DietsThere are more psoriasis diets on the market than anyone could possibly count. Some are actually dangerous for your health and the rest have no scientific proof that they work. There have been studies by the foremost psoriasis doctors and they have never found any evidence that psoriasis diets work. Although it is very important to not be overweight, because your psoriasis can be complicated if you are. Also, it is important to note that eating healthy will always helpful for your body so that will also help your psoriasis.

But there are lots of people who say that psoriasis diets works for them. As long as it’s not unhealthy or hurting you then that is fine. Of course foods rich in Vitamin E will help some, and some people do find that there are certain foods that trigger their psoriasis. If you do find that some foods are triggers for you then it is important to stay away from those foods.

Psoriasis diets do not work for a reason. Psoriasis is not a condition that can be cured. It is believed to be an autoimmune disease that is genetic. What this means is that in people who have psoriasis their immune systems think their skin is a foreign material and attack it, which causes all the scaly, itchy skin. Due to what causes psoriasis there are no diets that could possibly work, because an autoimmune disorder can’t be cured or helped by a psoriasis diet.

Supplements and Psoriasis Diets

There are certain fad psoriasis diets that include taking lots of supplements. You especially need to be careful of these. Consult your doctor before you try any of these. A good doctor will be understanding of you wanting to try other treatments but will advise you if it’s something that could make you sick. Taking too many supplements can make you very ill, you can overdose on them.

There are many treatments for your psoriasis available through your doctor. If you’re tired of dealing with this disease then you should seek a doctor’s help, because psoriasis diets won’t help your condition.

Psoriasis Medication and Phototherapy

Psoriasis Medication and Phototherapy

Psoriasis is a very common skin disorder that effects anywhere from 5.8 to 7.5 million Americans with 150,000 new reported cases each year. Psoriasis quite frequently goes undiagnosed, because it is not severe enough to warrant a doctor’s visit or misdiagnosed as contact dermatitis or eczema. Many people often find their psoriasis embarrassing or don’t seek help because they believe it’s just dry skin and attempt to treat it at home. This is not necessary, psoriasis is very common and there are many psoriasis medication/treatments available for it. You don’t have to suffer in silence.

Psoriasis Medication – Cure?

Psoriasis MedicationUnfortunately there still is no cure for psoriasis, but this doesn’t mean that you need to feel the pain and discomfort of itchy dry legions and sores for your whole life. Psoriasis is very manageable through different treatment options. Make sure you are comfortable with your treatment because you may have to use it for a long time.

The first form of psoriasis medication is the least invasive and is topical. Your doctor will try these first, they will come in a cream form and are rubbed into the skin. These are usually corticosteroids, coal tar, retinoids, anthralin or vitamin D-3 derivatives. Every case is different so your doctor may need to try a few different psoriasis medication/treatments or mixtures before settling on one that works best for you. Also, psoriasis medication loses its effectiveness over time as your skin becomes accustomed to them, so your psoriasis medication will change eventually.

Psoriasis Medication/Treatments

The next psoriasis treatments you doctor will attempt is light therapy, also called phototherapy. This works because ultraviolet light slows the creation of skin cells and cuts down on inflammation. In some patients sunlight (UV light) can actually reduce almost all of their symptoms.

After the other two forms of treatments have been tried your doctor will talk to you about the final form of psoriasis medication, which is a systemic agent. These come in many forms but are only used in the most severe cases or after the other treatment options have been tried but were not viable for one reason or another. Some examples of these psoriasis medications include methotrexate, hydroxyurea, 6-thioguanine and acitretin.

Psoriasis doesn’t have to control your life. You shouldn’t have to plan your wardrobe around it or be scratching all the time. It’s important to get help; there are a great many psoriasis medication/treatments that can help you feel good about your skin again.