Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an annoying, embarrassing and at times painful skin disease, where basically there is an over production of skin being produced.

The cells within the skin live this 'high speed' life, where the are being produced very quickly, and come up to the surface of the skin in around 5 or 6 days (when normally it should take a month). These new cells then amalgamate with the top layer of dead skin cells and produce raw red patches. Once there is a large build up the skin sheds itself in a mass of scales.

How do you get it?

Fewer than 50% of cases are due to inheritance. Some alternative therapists believe it can be caused from stress on the immune system, or from 'liver overload' which can be caused from anything from an unhealthy diet to environmental pollutants. In cases where an alternative health therapist believes it is 'liver overload', it is thought that it's the body's way of expelling these toxins and poisons by way of the skin. Other reasons thought to trigger an attack are hormonal changes, the contraceptive pill, alcohol, as well as drugs (such as betablockers, lithium, and steroids).

Other reasons which may cause an attack include having a sore throat or tonsil infections, generalised trauma of the skin (particularly itching the scalp too hard), and physical or emotional stress. Doctors are not clear as to why these things may cause an attack.

Where on the body can psoriasis occur?

The most common places are on the elbows, back of the arms, knees, fingernails, and scalp, however it can occur over the entire body. Often when the condition is on the scalp, it can be mistaken for severe dandruff. So if you think you have dandruff, and it is not responding to normal dandruff treatment, visit your doctor for a check up, because you may have psoriasis and are therefore treating it with the wrong product.

Symptoms

It tends to look like thickened red areas on the body, covered by a white scale on the top.
If you are suffering from it on the fingernails, the changes that can occur are pitting in the nails to thickening and deformity.
There may be itching on the area effected.
The area affected can become quite painful.

So what can I do?

Unfortunately there is no cure for psoriasis, so treatment is based upon treating the symptoms only. Fortunately there are a few methods for treating these symptoms. One of which is sunlight. Some people who suffer from this condition find that during summer months, the condition lessens in its severity, and worsens in winter. But you must ensure you do not get burnt.

Topical corticosteroids (topical meaning creams applied to the skin) are often beneficial, but they must be used under strict instruction by your doctor as they can damage the skin if applied in the wrong area, or if they are over used. Another topical treatment that has found to be effective contains coal tar, in conjunction with ultraviolet light. Other topical medications used may contain dithranol, or the vitamin D based calciptriol. Unfortunately some of these treatments can be messy and skin staining (however these side effects are not permanent). So it can be a little bit embarrassing when using them. These kinds of treatments are used until the severity of the psoriasis has settled, and less aggressive treatments can be used.

For extremely severe cases of psoriasis the use of antimetabolite drugs may be used (these are drugs that can be used to treat cancers with) as they help slow down the proliferation (fast growing) skin cells. These drugs are used as a last resort, as they also affect other areas of the body such as bone marrow production, therefore they must be used only under close supervision with your doctor.

If you think you are suffering from psoriasis, see your doctor, as new treatments are becoming available on the market all the time. If the attack of psoriasis is not severe it is much easier to control. So don't despair, at least until you see your doctor and explore the treatments available.

- Louise Ganey